Inside This Issue - Plant Operations - University of Michigan

Inside This Issue
Director’s Message P. 3
Utilities & Engineering:
Chiller Plant Upgrade
Provides Over $1 Million
in Utility Savings P. 4
Facilities Maintenance:
Service Level Agreements P. 5
Facilities Maintenance:
Fire Protection Shop
Special Feature P. 6
Work Management:
5 Easy Steps to a Well-
Coordinated Shutdown P. 8
Retirement Committee:
A Retirement Celebration! P. 9
Planet Blue:
Planet Blue Updates P. 10
Building & Grounds Services:
RecycleMania 2010! P. 11
Building & Grounds Services:
The Grounds Work Plan
- 13 Years Later P. 11
Plant Academy:
Supervisor Leadership at 2010
MiAPPA Winter Conference P. 12
University of Michigan • Plant Operations • Volume 20 No.2 • March - April 2010

PLANT OPERATIONS
December 16, 2009 - March 31, 2010
In Memory
Facilities Maintenance
Gary Evans
Retirements
Facilities Maintenance
David Anderson
James Boyer
Stanley Brown
Daniel Klein
Plant Administration
Rich Steiner
New Hires
Plant Building & Grounds
Services
Ibrahima Dicko
Elizabeth Hill
Tuong Hua
Bobby McClung
David Moore
Jesse O’Neal
Facilities Maintenance
Jim Baisden
Jamar Bird
Judd Nearhood
Aaron Presson
Utilities & Plant
Engineering
Brian Ventura
The Plant
Exchange
The Plant Exchange is produced by members of the
Plant Operations Division at the University of Michigan.
Its purpose is to inform Plant Operations staff and the
university community of activities, accomplishments,
and information about our organization and the work
we perform.
Editor-in-Chief: David Judge, Plant Operations
Copy Editor: Valerie Amo, Facilities Maintenance
Design & Layout: Dayna Rinke, Dayna Rinke Design
Website Coordinator: George Benson
Contact David Judge at djjudge@umich.edu
with any questions, comments or corrections.
Archives of previous Plant Exchange are located
at: www.plantops.umich.edu/PlantExchange/
“Employees at Work” photos taken by
David Judge.
The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/
affirmative action employer, complies with all
applicable federal and state laws regarding
nondiscrimination and affirmative action, including
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The
University of Michigan is committed to a policy of
nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all
persons regardless of race, sex*, color, religion,
creed, national origin or ancestry, age, marital
status, sexual orientation, disability, or Vietnamera
veteran status in employment, educational
programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries
or complaints may be addressed to the Senior
Director for Institutional Equity and Title IX/Section
504 Coordinator, Office for Institutional Equity,
2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor,
Michigan 48109-1432, 734-763-0235, TTY 734-647-
1388. For other University of Michigan information,
call 734-764-1817.
*Includes discrimination
based on gender identity
and gender expression.
The Regents of the University of Michigan
Julie Donovan Darlow, Ann Arbor
Laurence B. Deitch, Bingham Farms
Denise Illitch, Bingham Farms
Olivia P. Maynard, Goodrich
Andrea Fischer Newman, Ann Arbor
Andrew C. Richner, Grosse Pointe Park
S. Martin Taylor, Grosse Pointe Farms
Katherine E. White, Ann Arbor
Mary Sue Coleman, (ex officio)
The Plant Exchange is printed with soy ink on
100 percent recycled paper. Please recycle in
“Paper” recycling bins.
U-M Plant Operations
326 E. Hoover, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1002
Telephone: (734) 763-9333
Fax: (734) 763-2590
Web: www.plantops.umich.edu/PlantExchange/

A MESSAGE
From the Executive Director Rich Robben
In times past, wealthy citizens employed people as household staff to manage various
tasks in their manors. Among them were stewards who supervised different operations. By
definition, a steward is a person who manages another person’s property. Today we give them
different titles, such as, trustee or president. Another familiar word dates back to antiquity and
the Roman Empire. The Romans worshiped many mythical gods, among them was the god Janus.
Janus was said to watch over and protect the empire. Through the centuries, those who were in
charge of various aspects of managing homes or services became known as janitors, derived from
the name Janus. In light of the Plant Operations’ mission, it is very easy to see how we are the modern
day stewards and janitors of University of Michigan. We maintain, repair, clean and oversee the
operation of the university’s physical assets (buildings, grounds, and utilities).
Let’s explore the deeper meaning of these two words, “steward” and “janitor.” When you are trusted to care for
another’s property, is there an expectation that you will do your very best with that mission or assignment? I think
these two concepts include this expectation, in accordance with one’s abilities and available resources. So it follows
that since we are all stewards of the university, we are, as such, charged with doing the best job that we can, given
our ability and resources. We are stewards, janitors, and facility managers - and it is this “calling” that gives purpose
to our individual positions. It is within this line of reasoning that we continue to pursue our restructuring efforts to
provide the best value or service according to each of our abilities and available resources. This implies that we are
always looking for the smartest and most efficient or best ways to do our work. This is what was expected of a janitor
or a steward, and this matches with our objectives in Plant Operations.
We continue to make progress towards these goals and objectives. We have retained Alidade MER inc. as our second
phase consultant regarding the Facilities Maintenance restructuring. Building Services has graduated another class
from its Janitor Boot Camp and more buildings are being added to the OS1 system each month.
The CPP has completed its third party consulting review of its operations and is now planning for implementation
of its findings. Construction Services is wrapping up its implementation of the internal audit findings. Reports
are now produced from the WinEstimator software. Plant Operations is among the best stewards in the country.
Through self inspection, continuous improvement, and the implementation of modern technology and methods,
we will stay in this position. As you know, we are presently in the midst of change and you will see even more in the
coming months. This is an exciting time for Plant and we will be reaching out to more of you to become involved in
the planning and implementation. Please standby. There is more to come.
3

UTILITIES &
PLANT ENGINEERING
Chiller Plant Upgrade Provides Over
$1 Million in Utility Savings
by Mark Mau, P.E.
in a net $1 million savings for the year. It is expected
that with a full season of operation, the savings next
year will be even higher.
1300 ton electric centrifugal chiller
Last spring, a project to add a new high efficiency
electrical chiller to the East University Chiller
Plant was completed. In less than one season, the
chiller plant more than met savings expectations.
The project was conceived and commissioned by
Utilities and Plant Engineering, designed and
constructed by Architecture Engineering and
Construction, and funded through Facilities and
Operations.
Project challenges included keeping chilled water
running to all the customer buildings while adding
the new chiller to the plant system, then getting the
total system up and running a full load. Several key
Plant Operations staff kept things running during this
transition; Mike Konwin (AC Chiller Systems), Dan
Stroebel (DDC Controls) and Jim Beachum (DDC
Controls). Nick Panzica (AC Chiller Systems) provided
chilled water from the interconnected Hatcher Chiller
Plant during the transition. Mark Mau and Jay Russell
provided project engineering expertise.
The same Skilled Trades and engineering team will
be instrumental in the next large centrifugal chiller
installation project taking place at the Chemistry
building.
The East University Chiller Plant, located beneath the
Dennison courtyard, provides year-around chilled
water cooling for Dana, Randall, West Hall, East Hall,
Denison, Pharmacy, and CC Little. The plant contained
three 1240 ton steam absorption chillers until last
spring, when a new 1300 ton electric centrifugal chiller
was added.
When it gets warm enough outside to require a
chiller, the new chiller is the first one to be turned
on and the last one to be turned off. This operating
strategy of utilizing the high efficiency of an electric
centrifugal chiller resulted in slightly higher electrical
consumption, but the huge steam cost savings resulted
$1 million in EUCP steam usage savings
for the year
4

Welcome Brian Ventura,
Our Newest Plant Engineer
by J.W. Krantz
I am very happy to announce that Brian Ventura, P.E., is now a member of Utilities & Plant Engineering. Brian
was selected from a group of 148 applicants, including three different reduction rounds. He brings over 32 years of
experience in engineering, as well as extensive experience in HVAC design and operation. He is a State of Michigan
licensed mechanical engineer and educational accomplishments include a B.S.N.E degree from the University of
Michigan. He will begin with responsibilities within the North Campus area.
FACILITIES MAINTENANCE
Service Level Agreements by Lowell Hanson
$29,000
$65,000
FACILITIES MAINTENANCE
FY 10 - Q2 SLA Revenue
$1,631,481 Active
$27,920 $12,000 $5,000
$11,500
$8,366
$484,000
$299,775
SLA Revenue Trend Over Time
$2,000,000
$1,500,000
$1,000,000
$500,000
$-
FY 09 Q4 FY 10 Q1 FY 10 Q2
Series1
Since FY 08 SLA revenue has increased
from $877,358 to $1,631,481 – a gain of
nearly $754,123 or 86%.
$231,920
$200,000
$15,000
$180,000
$5,000
$23,000
$9,000
$25,000
$300,000
$112,500
$25,000
5025 Venture Drive
U:\Plant Exchange FM Articles\Quarterly SLA Revenue Report 2 2-23-2010 rev.xlsxCharts FY 10 2-23-2010
AEC
Arbor Lakes-ITS-Bldg3
AHU
BSRB Icemakers
DPS-MOSCAD
Ford Library
Housing
ICLE
MAIS
MCIT
MITC-MACC
OSEH/Fire Ext Shop
Palmer Commons Food
Svc Ops
Ross School of Business
Stamps Auditorium
Student Publications
In Development
$484,000 In Development
$33,000 $5,500 North Quad
Stockwell
Brehm-NIB-Kellogg
NCRC Keys: Phase I
MAIS/Arbor Lakes #2
Computer Room A/C
Since 2000, the State of Michigan continues to
reduce the General Fund dollars for Facilities
Maintenance (FM). Our department’s General
Fund allocation has gone from $21.9 million
or $1.71/GSF to $29.4 million or 1.99/GSF in FY
2009. However, 2 million GSF has been added
to our campus! Adjusted for inflation over this
period, the FM budget is presently at 1.49/GSF.
FM has worked proactively to make up this shortfall
by securing customer pay work through Service Level
Agreements (SLAs). SLA’s are tailored to specific
services desired by our customer which the General
Fund does not cover, or in cases of University Auxiliary
units, work obtainable from different sources such as
external vendors. A significant strength of our SLA
business is our work order system and our abilities
to pre-plan and schedule work activities. Within our
customer meetings and reviews, we report back to the
customer on SLA performance accomplishments and
include detailed cost accountability. Since 2008, the
number of SLAs has increased at a steady pace. We
have nearly twenty active SLAs, and with U-M’s ever
expanding campus, we have several under development.
The graph provided excludes the Hospital SLA, the largest of our service agreements at $11 million. The graph
shows the growing FM SLA portfolio and budget. For FY 10, we expect 44% of our FM employee base to be
supported by customer pay and SLA work activities.
5

FACILITIES MAINTENANCE
Fire Protection Shop
Update on Life Safety Infrastructure
Inspection, Testing &
Maintenance Program
by Mike Anthony
One of the core leading-practice documents that governs
the work of the UM Fire Protection Shop, NFPA 25
- Standard for Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance
of Water-Based Systems, is being revised by thought
leaders in the fire protection industry. Those leaders
have recently come to the conclusion that a weekly
no-flow testing of electric fire pumps may create more
problems than it solves. Without increasing fire safety
risk, hundreds of thousands of dollars will be saved and
redirected by U-M, and tens of millions of dollars will be
saved by the education facilities industry. The change will
become effective in 2011.
Other leading practices written into NFPA documents,
such as those that govern arc flash safety, the design of
multiple-building sprinkler systems, re-setting of fire
alarms in buildings with multiple panels, power system
reliability and aluminum wiring have already been
accepted as model law in many jurisdictions.
Changes to NFPA 25, the Fire Alarm and Signaling Code
and the National Electrical Code, and other standards
developed for model law by the International Code
Council, ASHRAE, IEEE and ASME documents, are
the result of efforts by Zone Maintenance to increase
participation in writing the national standards to which
most colleges and universities facilities management
organizations are bound. Mike Anthony and Jim Vibbart
are coordinating the U-M effort with APPA’s regulatory
advocacy committee. U-M Plant Operations will have
significant influence in a new leading practice document to
be co-developed and published by APPA and the National
Fire Protection Association by 2012.
6

Chris Berry
When I began my work with Plant Operations in 1997,
there were only a few intelligent fire alarm systems on
campus. Most of the residence halls had only manual
pull stations and bells or horns in the halls. In total there
were probably a couple thousand fire alarm devices across
campus. Now, with the new construction and renovation
work in existing buildings, fire alarm systems have been
brought up to meet current codes and standards. Now
we’re looking at more than 65,000 devices including
smoke detectors, pull stations, water flow and tamper
switches, sprinkler booster pumps and much more.
The plumbers and fire alarm electricians in the Fire
Protection Shop are responsible for tracking, testing and
maintaining these units.
“...because people’s lives
depend on it...”
Our staff is responsible
for testing approximately
65,000 fire alarm devices
spread over the U-M
campus. The plumbers are
responsible for making sure
that approximately 3,000
sprinkler control valves
are locked and in the open
position. The plumbers and
electricians are also responsible for testing approximately 64
fire pumps on a yearly schedule.
We have a team effort and each of us contributes his/her own unique talents to
make our department function well. I perform a wide range of tasks including
working with Val Walters, our office secretary, regarding the management of our
database. We document, track and regulate all of our shop activities and conduct
performance testing and maintenance on all water based fire suppression systems
on campus. I work closely with all of the plumbers in our shop because we have
many overlapping responsibilities. Much of this work is very technical and requires
a high level of diligence because people’s lives depend on it.
Marv Bryant
7

WORK MANAGEMENT
5 Easy Steps to a Well-Coordinated Shutdown
by Cindy Fowler
When we conduct building shutdowns, it’s important that we notify occupants of upcoming building
shutdowns. Those who conduct research at the university rely on our building systems to operate
without interruption. The last living cell of a plant which no longer exists, or a research project years
into a study needing constant temperature or water flow, are a couple examples of items that could be
at risk if building occupants are not notified. Some clients may have backup systems in place, others
do not. We cannot assume that backup systems are in place or that the backup equipment will always
meet expectations. Just another reason for keeping our customers in the loop!
1. Determine the need and urgency
Who, what, when, where, and why.
Guidelines: A shutdown notification should be sent out whenever the building occupants will be affected (no water,
too hot, too cold, etc.) and/or when the equipment will be shut down for a period of time that would allow other
shops to perform work at the same time. The shops should have their foreman, supervisor, lead person or Work
Control Coordinator contact the Shutdown Coordinator.
2. Go to the Web
Fill out the form and submit it.
Website: http://www.plant.bf.umich.edu/workcontrol/shutdown_coordination/
3. Plan and Schedule
The Plant Operations Shutdown Coordinator plans and schedules the shutdown
The Shutdown Coordinator works with the building facility managers to determine if the shutdown will affect any
research, classes, special events, etc. Therefore, if there is a revised change to a date, time or type of shutdown, it is
imperative to communicate that change with the Shutdown Coordinator.
4. Notify building occupants
The Shutdown Coordinator maintains a list of building contacts as well as Plant Operations employees to be
notified of shutdowns. The customers are notified based on a need to know for the building and the Plant Operations
employees are notified in an effort to coordinate their necessary shutdowns during this same timeframe.
5. Implement Shutdown
For additional info, visit the shutdown website: http://www.plant.bf.umich.edu/workcontrol/shutdown.php
**In the event of the need for an emergency utility shutdown to prevent further
damage and perform repairs, please contact the Shutdown Coordinator
immediately at (734) 647-2059 or at shutdowns@umich.edu
8

RETIREMENT
COMMITTEE
A Retirement Celebration
by Von Hardesty
On February 3, Plant Operations had the privilege
of honoring 7 retirees at the Kipke Conference
Center. This is the largest group of participating
retirees since we began hosting the celebrations
twice a year. The Celebration honored: Rich Steiner
from Plant Administration, Office of the Plant
Director with 32 years of service; David Anderson
from Facilities Maintenance, Building Automation
Services with 22 years of service; Jim Boyer from
Facilities Maintenance, Zone Maintenance with
22 years of service; Larry Utley from Building and
Grounds Services with 20 years of service; Jerry
Peles from Building and Grounds Services with
20 years of service; Lyman Brown from Facilities
Maintenance, Zone Maintenance with 12 years
of service; and Jim O’Malley from Building and
Grounds Services with 10 years of service.
John Lawter, Plant Building and Grounds Services
Associate Director, served as Master of Ceremonies for
Rich Robben, who was out of state attending a conference.
John opened with welcoming words for visitors, guests,
and employees as well as congratulations for the retirees.
Following the welcome, members of their department
honored each retiree with a few words. There was a large
turnout of family and friends. Throughout the celebration,
the guests enjoyed refreshments and had the opportunity
to chat with and congratulate their retiring co-workers.
The next Retirement Celebration will be August 4, 2010.
Watch for more details as the time grows near. If you
are planning to retire, we would like to encourage you
to participate in the next Plant Operations Retirement
Celebration. Please contact the committee member for
your area (please see the committee list below) and allow
Plant Operations and your co-workers to celebrate your
accomplishment.
Retirement Celebration Committee by department: Plant
Building & Grounds Services- Jan Allen; Construction
Services-Jeanette Craft; Facilities Maintenance-Gina
Flowers; Plant Administration-Betty Alberts; Utilities &
Plant Engineering-Lisa Sheldon; and Work Management-
Von Hardesty.
John Schwanneke, (L), Jim O’Malley (front), & Jim Talley
John Lawter, (L), honoring Rich Steiner
Carl Smith, (R), presenting to Larry Utley
Lowell Hanson, (L), presenting to David Anderson
Joel Foos presenting to Lyman Brown, (L) & Jim Boyer, (R)
Tom Thiry, (L), presenting to Jerry Peles
9

PLANET BLUE
Planet Blue Updates
Reduction in consumption - Energy consumption
has been reduced by an average of 11% in the original
five pilot Planet Blue buildings. This is an increase from
the 6% reported in Fall 2009. Over the past few months,
the buildings saw a greater reduction in consumption
due to ongoing energy conservation measures and
recently completed projects, especially in the Fleming
Administration Building. Savings figures by building are
available in the Planet Blue news section of the website.
Soon, Planet Blue will be releasing consumption
information for the 30 FY 09 buildings. Check back
for updates.
Planet Blue in Lights - Planet Blue on TV – Planet
Blue was a featured segment on the TV series Out of the
Blue (www.ootb.tv) which airs on the Big Ten Network.
The segment follows Planet Blue team members as they
go through the building assessment, energy conservation
planning and a Planet Blue open house with host Jimmy
Rhoades. Also included in this segment are features on
stadium recycling and overall sustainability efforts
on the U-M campus. Check www.bigtennetwork.com
for times.
Earth Day 2010 - This year U-M will be celebrating
the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day. U-M has a
special connection to Earth Day: Morton S. Hilbert, cofounder
of Earth Day, was a U-M professor emeritus at
the School of Public Health.
Planet Blue team members featured in
the show “Out of the Blue” on the Big 10 Network.
From March 8 to April 22, the campus will have
a host of activities that explore environmental
and energy issues. Look for Planet Blue at these
events:
• Earth Day Teach In @ Michigan League on March 25
from 9 am – Noon.
• Green Building Tours @ Ross Business School on
April 16 from 9 am – Noon. The Dana Building will
also be having tours in the afternoon from 2-4pm.
The University Record and Record Update will publish
a calendar of activities. Look for more information as
the date approaches on www.ur.umich.edu.
Welcome Dan Rife
by Kris Kolevar
I am pleased to formally welcome Dan Rife to the Planet Blue project as a team leader! He will
be working very closely with Libby Beall on Team 3, and is replacing Tim Kennedy, who recently
returned to Facilities Maintenance to manage the BAS group.
Many of you will recognize Dan from his previous role as an energy management engineer with Process Results,
Inc. Dan has been involved with Planet Blue since its inception and brings a unique blend of skills to the team
leader role. Dan holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from U-M. He is a Licensed
Professional Engineer a LEED Accredited Professional.
10

PLANT BUILDING & GROUNDS
RecycleMania 2010
by Conor Reynolds
It’s that time of year again! 2010 marks the fifth year
of U-M’s participation in RecycleMania, a recycling
competition between universities from across the United
States. The friendly competition, which runs 10 weeks
from January 17th to March 27th, encourages students
and university employees to reduce waste and increase
the amount they recycle.
Over 300 universities from 49 states (and Canada and Qatar) registered for the competition in 2010, and they
are ranked based on their recycling rate, the amount recycled per person, total tonnage of recyclables produced,
and waste reduction. Simultaneously, registered buildings on campus are taking part in the Recycling Champions
competition to determine which building or department is the best at recycling.
In the first weeks of RecycleMania, Michigan has performed great, leading the Big Ten over Ohio State, Purdue,
Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota! Our recycling rate of 28.94% after two weeks placed Michigan in the top third
of all schools competing. On campus, Weill Hall is currently leading the competition, recycling a whopping 58% of its
total waste. Even with all this success, Michigan still sent more than 440,000 pounds of waste to the landfill during
the first two weeks of the competition. Waste reduction is our ultimate goal…so choose to reduce, there’s
no excuse! To learn more about the RecycleMania competition, go to recyclemaniacs.org or recycle.umich.edu.
The Grounds Work Plan- 13 Years Later
by Kristin Brancheau
Why isn’t the Grounds Department included in
the Plant Ops Reorganization? Answer: our entire
department collaborated on creating new work plans
in 1997, a plan that continues to be a work in progress
today. Our reorg included: evaluating our current work
responsibilities, developing maintenance standards and
department wide priority areas, developing an inventory
of the physical campus, and combining the maintenance
standards and physical inventory with industry accepted
time standards. This four-fold process helped us to
determine our work force needs and restructure our
department to reflect the needs of the campus.
This data has allowed us to be better financial stewards
and create Service Level Agreements which are backed
up with consistent data. Having estimated times
associated with every task we perform enables us to
“right size” our department and manage our time.
As our duties have changed, we have modified the
work plan to include or delete these tasks. We have
estimates for everything from string trimming, picking
up litter, blowing out irrigation lines, trimming trees
and planting flowers. These are all derived from the
best practice standards of the industry’s Professional
Grounds Maintenance Society.
The performance information is tracked in reports
that are updated monthly. We compare, by zone each
month, our estimated labor hours and expenditures to
the actual labor hours. This allows us to know where we
stand financially and has been a critical tool during the
budget reduction process. Instead of randomly cutting
money, we review the entire work plan and see where it
will make the least impact.
If you are interested in learning more about this
comprehensive plan, please visit the link: http://www.
plant.bf.umich.edu/grounds/service_levels/
11

PLANT
ACADEMY
Supervisor Leadership
at 2010 MiAPPA
Winter Conference
by Sarah Ely
University of Michigan Plant Operations
326 E. Hoover, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Plant Academy hosted the Supervisor
Leadership Certificate Program for
supervisors and foremen from 11 of the
30 community colleges and four year
institutions from across the state at the
2010 MiAPPA Winter Conference hosted
this year by U-M Plant Operations.
Paul Parzuchowski presents Customer First! at MiAPPA Supervisor Leadership Certificate Program