RHP.

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RHP MECHANICAL SYSTEMS – WESTERN DAIRIES

RHP Mechanical completed the Western Dairies project in

Yerington, Nev., on a fast-tracked schedule of 16 months.

RHP Sets The Standard

RHP Mechanical Systems says its innovative design for Western Dairies – the first milk processing plant
of its kind in the United States – will be a template for similar facilities across the country.

S oftware, such as 3-D and Auto/CAD technologies

allowed RHP Mechanical to successfully complete its
portion of the new $78 million Western Dairies facility
in Yerington, Nev., says Guy Lutz, senior project manager and
lead estimator. The 86,000-square-foot facility was completed
on a fast-track schedule of 16 months.
To accomplish a project that was the first of its kind, RHP
Mechanical Systems completed coordination, fitting and
design of internal mechanical systems requiring extensive
use of 3-D computer-aided technology. The design process
took more than 1,370 hours of work by RHP in order to
interface with all mechanical and processing equipment.
Lutz says the company has used this technology on other
projects, but nothing of this magnitude.
RHP Mechanical Systems – “The biggest thing was to make sure every-
Western Dairies thing fit,” he says. “We wanted to have clash
www.rhpinc.net
Total project cost: $78 million protection and, if needed, we’d find an
Location: Yerington, Nev. alternative way of running things.”
Scope: Milk processing plant RHP’s scope of the project was to
Guy Lutz, senior project man-
ager: “The biggest thing was to inventory, set and install all the mechani-
make sure everything fit.” cal and processing equipment on-site,
which took more than 18,000 hours in 16 months. The
company also constructed all conveyors and specialty
stainless supports.
The facility contains more than 6.5 miles of piping,
which allows it to process 860,000 gallons of milk per
month. It also has the capability to process more than one
kind of milk at a time using 10 percent less labor than tra-
ditional milk processing plants.
Due to its inventive design, the piping layout and coordi-
nation completed by RHP for Western Dairies is now
being used as a template for other milk processing plants
across the country.
Overcoming Challenges
RHP encountered several challenges during construction.
For example, work had to be completed in 16 months, an
accelerated schedule because of the scope and magnitude
of the project. The company had to work six 10-hour days
per week for the duration of that time. “Due to the commit-
ment with the supermarkets, contractors had to get the
project done by a certain date,” Lutz says.

220 ■ WWW.CONSTRUCTION-TODAY.COM ■ FEBRUARY 2009