The Mechanical Contractors Association of America announced the four finalist teams that will make oral presentations of their written bid proposals during the next phase of the 2011-2012 Student Chapter Competition. This year’s competition is based on an actual project performed by Marelich Mechanical Co. (Hayward, Calif.) - HVAC and plumbing systems work on the renovation and remodeling of a 165,000-sq.-ft. historical building in San Francisco, which was transformed from a library into the Asian Art Museum.
The finalist teams are from:
- California State University at Sacramento;
- Illinois State University;
- Milwaukee School of Engineering; and
- Southern Polytechnic State University.
Finalists will compete for a $5,000 first-place prize. The second-place team will receive $2,500, and each of the other teams will receive $1,000. All finalists also will take home a handsome trophy commemorating their achievement.
A panel of judges convened on Jan. 12 to read, discuss and score the written proposals submitted by 26 MCAA student chapters and a student chapter sponsored by the MCA of Hamilton in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. JudgesKathleen McCauleyof McCauley Mechanical Construction (Bridgeview, Ill.),James R. Jarvisof J.F. Ahern Co. (Fond du Lac, Wis.),Arnold “Woody” Woodallof W.L. Gary Co. (Washington) andTroy Aicheleof Stirrett-Johnsen (Silverdale, Wash.) evaluated and scored each written proposal’s overall quality (25%), project management and organization (25%), feasibility of construction and program schedules (25%) and accuracy/feasibility of conceptual costs (25%).
The competition’s next phase will take place March 19 at MCAA 2012, the association’s annual convention to be held March 18-22 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Each finalist team will have 20 minutes to convince the judges that they are best qualified to perform the proposed work on the project - 15 minutes for a formal oral presentation and 5 minutes responding to the judges’ questions. Each team’s standing will be determined on a combination of their oral and written scores.
The oral presentations will be evaluated by a different panel of judges according to the following criteria: overall quality of the oral presentation (30%); feasibility of project management, organization and schedule (30%); accuracy and completeness of project costs (30%); and answers to the judges’ questions (10%).
In addition to the four finalists, proposals were submitted by: California State Polytechnic University at Pomona; California State Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo; California State University at Chico; Central Washington University; Colorado State University; Fairleigh Dickinson University; Florida International University; Iowa State University; Kansas State University; McMaster University (Canada); Northeastern University; Northern Kentucky University; Pennsylvania State University; Pittsburg State University; Oregon State University; Purdue University; University of Maryland, College Park; University of Nebraska – Lincoln; University of Wisconsin – Stout; University of Washington; Washington State University; Weber State University; and the Wentworth Institute of Technology.
For more information about this year’s competition, contactAnn Mattheisatamattheis@mcaa.org.
