Project overview
Project:
Prima at Paseo South Gulch High Rise Apartment Building
Location:
Nashville, TN
Products/Solutions:
NUPI Niron PP-RCT
Ferguson fabrication solutions
Challenge:
A condensing construction schedule driving up labor costs
Rising material costs for copper and stainless steel
Solution:
A strategic shift toward NUPI Niron PP-RCT, complemented by Ferguson pre-fabrication services, decreased procurement costs and field labor time.
Ferguson advantages:
Strategically located fabrication facilities enabled streamlined fulfillment of installation-ready building systems
Value-engineering and cost control via consultation with expert Ferguson associates
Background and scope
Prima at Paseo South Gulch is a 16-story mixed-use tower situated in Nashville’s Gulch neighborhood. The building comprises more than 250 residential units, 8,000 square feet of retail space, and 18,000 square feet of office space.
The mechanical contractor faced two major pressures. The first being a condensing construction schedule, which drove up labor costs. The second being rising material costs for both copper and stainless-steel systems, which were the contractor’s preferred domestic water systems. The contractor was seeking a solution that would:
Maintain durability and long-term performance
Reduce material cost
Improve labor efficiency
Protect the construction schedule
Using copper or stainless steel would have increased both procurement cost and field labor time. Given the compressed timeline, delays were not an option.
Method
Rather than defaulting to their building standard, the contractor selected Niron PP-RCT piping for the domestic water riser.
To maximize efficiency, Ferguson Enterprises fabricated Niron riser spools offsite and delivered them to the jobsite ready for installation.
By shifting fabrication offsite:
Labor moved to a controlled environment
Field installation time decreased
Material waste was reduced
Schedule risk was minimized
Labor costs were controlled
Prefabricated spools arrived labeled, staged, and ready to install. This reduced variability and accelerated vertical installation progress.
Despite the condensed construction timeline, the domestic water riser installation stayed on schedule. The first set of spools were delivered three weeks after the drawings were approved. Prefabricated Niron spools significantly reduced field assembly time and prevented delays that could have impacted subsequent trades.
The contractor made substantial savings in:
Material costs versus copper and stainless steel
Field labor hours
Total installed cost
Lower material expense combined with reduced on-site labor created measurable financial impact while maintaining system performance standards.
The Solution: Ferguson
At Ferguson, we’re committed to being a true project partner. By advising our customer on the benefits of NUPI PP-RCT pipe and connecting them with our streamlined fabrication solutions, we were able to provide them with long-term business-boosting benefits. The contractor has now incorporated Niron prefabrication into their bid strategy for future Nashville high-rise projects, enabling them to submit more competitive bids, protect project margins, reduce installation risk, and differentiate from their competitors. What began as a solution to a scheduling and cost challenge has become a competitive advantage.
Contact a Ferguson sales associate today to explore how we can help make your next project a success.