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"What SMACNA Standards Mean to the Installer"
The Comfort Zone
March 2002
by Maury Tiernan |
In many bid packages, either under the Applicable Code Section or the Mechanical
Section, you may be required to install the mechanical system to the latest
SMACNA Edition. What is SMACNA and what does it mean to the installer?
SMACNA is an acronym for the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors
National Association. The SMACNA Association was founded in 1943 to establish
minimum HVAC installation standards and a commitment to a higher level of
installer competence.
SMACNA has a 60+ year history of developing and instituting standards of
quality within the mechanical trades. These standards are utilized and
recognized worldwide by the construction and design communities.
Quality workmanship and total job performance value are paramount to SMACNA
contractors. They result naturally when trained SMACNA contractors apply their
unequaled understanding of sheet metal manufacturing, fabrication, and
installation.
The purpose of the SMACNA Association is to provide intensive HVAC industry
education, foster relationships between members of related organizations, to
research and develop standards, provide adequate studies on present and future
industry issues, and to provide journeyman and apprenticeship training of
industry members.
Ap.pren.tice (a-pren'tis) to teach. 1. A person under legal agreement to
work a specific length of time for a master craftsman in a craft or trade in
return for instruction and support 2. Any learner or beginner; novice.
Apprenticeship is the concept of a skilled craftsman passing his knowledge and
trade on to a young person who has made a commitment to learn a trade and make
a career plying those hard-earned skills.
A SMACNA apprentice must fulfill 576 hours of classroom training and 10,000
hours of on the job training. Subjects include, but are not limited to:
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pattern making and layout
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drafting
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sheet metal trade mathematics
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triangulation
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radial and parallel line development
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architectural sheet metal
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safety training
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and, most importantly, proper duct design installation procedures.
SMACNA technical standards are voluntary. While they are not "code," SMACNA
standards have found worldwide acceptance by the construction community. ANSI,
The American National Standards Institute, has accepted SMACNA as a standards
setting organization.
SMACNA standards and technical manuals address all facets of the sheet metal
and duct-board industry; from duct construction and installation to air
pollution control; from energy recovery to roofing; from seismic restaurant
guidelines of mechanical systems to duct cleanliness for new construction; from
duct sealing to proper smoke/fire damper installations; from duct fitting
selection to builder code updates.
 Why do your customers specify SMACNA
standards in their bid packages?
Let's suffice to say that the SMACNA standards are a higher level of
installation.
SMACNA has invested in their standards over 60 years of experience with what
works and what doesn't work, and has addressed many congruent problems with
solutions. They have written it all down in technical manuals and developed the
corresponding apprenticeship training.
Your customers ask you to meet SMACNA standards because they know that these
standards meet a higher level of performance for the installation. Plainly
said, SMACNA standards are just the right way to do it. How can you determine
if your installation meets those standards?
As stated earlier, SMACNA standards training is long and intensive. But a
quicker, easier resource, the SMACNA technical manual, may assist you in
determining if your HVAC system installation design rises to the higher level.
For additional information about SMACNA, visit their website at
www.smacna.org.
So, set your sites on the SMACNA standards until we meet again in . . . The
Comfort Zone.
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