It was the combination of an ingenious HVAC design by Al Heitz, a former president of mechanical engineering consultant firm, Heitz Engineering, Roseville, California, and a strategic installation schedule by mechanical contractor, Bangar Contractors Inc., Sacramento, Calif., that eliminated downtime and saved the 85-year-old college upwards of 40 percent over the material, fabrication and installation costs of metal duct.
Installing several tons of metal duct would have necessitated a two-week closing of the gym. Consequently, college officials jumped at Heitz's suggestion of using a fabric duct air distribution system manufactured by FabricAir Inc., Louisville, Ky, because it took only a couple of days to install during the busy gym's regularly scheduled downtimes. Because SCC, which is part of the Los Rios Community College District, is the most established higher learning institution in Sacramento, its 20,000 students depend heavily on the gym's availability.