Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering

Mechanical Contractors Association Fall 2004 Update

Tim Dawson, Weitz, speaks at the OSHA training.
Scaffolding demonstration, 10-Hour OSHA class

By Ty Murray, chapter president

Iowa State’s Mechanical Contractors Association (MCA) student chapter has been very busy this fall. The chapter co-hosted an OSHA 10-hour course with the AGC student chapter. Safety directors from MCA of Iowa, contractors, and suppliers instructed the hands on class. Fifty students completed the course offered over three weeks in September. Plans are in the works for a spring safety regiment specializing in areas of excavation, scaffolding, fall protection, and hoisting and rigging.

The chapter also recently hosted its fourth annual golf outing. Thirty-two golfers, including seven students, played 18 holes at Veenker Memorial in Ames, Iowa. We also co-hosted our Homecoming tailgate with MCA of Iowa versus Texas A & M. Although we did not win the game, the outing was a lot of fun. It provided a great opportunity for the contractors and suppliers to come to Ames and see the students' world.

MCAA Student Chapter Design Competition

This year's project is an art museum in Denver, Colorado. We have to design a complete mechanical system including plumbing, hydronic piping, sheet metal, and equipment. The project includes a proposal, schedule, estimate, and value engineering. The four best entries will give a presentation at the National MCAA Annual Convention in Scotsdale,
Arizona, in February.

Currently we are working diligently on our competition materials. Many of the members of MCA of Iowa are very interested to see what construction engineers are capable of. We are hoping to compete for our first time this year.