Showcase Projects
Dynalectric Tackles Complex Data Project For Defense Department

Football and baseball star, Deon Sanders, is a true phenomenon. Sanders is a versatile athlete who taps his full potential, playing on two major league sports teams - and performing at an all-star level. While many athletes compete at the professional level, few have the stamina to break into two arenas.

Similarly, Dynalectric exhibits the drive and proven experience it takes to compete in both the electrical and data fields, offering comprehensive design, installation and maintenance services. Many contractors offer commercial and industrial electrical services; others provide strictly data installation. Dynaletric offers customers the complete package: electric, data, fiber optic, and other low voltage services.

"We feel that our blend of electrical and data experience is an added benefit to our customers," said Dynalectric president, Gene Belew. "There is expertise that comes from each of the specific service areas. While each discipline is very different, they do relate. In some cases, challenges that we face on one side, may help us streamline processes on the other," he explained.

While Dynalectric has been doing data work for ten years, the company recently completed its largest data job to date, for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service - a branch of the U.S. Department of Defense. The contract included the installation of a complex data system for the Columbus Center, located at 3990 E. Broad Street, on the Defense Supply Center Columbus (DSCC).

Dynalectric earned this bid from General Contractor P.J. Dick. It encompassed both the data wiring, which included all cable, telephone and computer lines, and much of the LAN routing systems in all the communications rooms.

"This contract followed the competitive bid process," said Jon Abbey, vice president of P.J. Dick. "Based on our past experience with Dynalectric, we felt comfortable that they could meet the tight construction schedule and manage a project of this size and scope," he added. "And Dynalectric did the job at a fair and competitive rate."

The DFAS Columbus Center was already under construction at the time Dynalectric was brought in for the data work, so timing was critical. "The greatest challenge on this job was coordinating the efforts of all of the contractors. The three buildings, or pods, which each had seven floors, were finished one floor at a time," explained Abbey. "We had to have Dynalectric come in, get their work done, then move on so that the next contractor could get in." Finishing ahead of, or behind, schedule could throw the whole project off track. "That is where Dynalectric really shined," Abbey said. "Their work was completed in the allotted timeframe, and it was done right."

DFAS houses administrative offices, with over 2700 individual workstations. Dynalectric was charged with installing the specified complex data network to support each of these areas. For each workstation, six cables were pulled, totaling 508 miles of cable throughout the facility.

"Dynalectric designed and built rack networks on each of the 21 floors in the complex," said Mike Kvasnok, Dynalectric project executive. "These racks were the termination points for 13,628 cables, which ran out to the individual office areas." In addition, Dynalectric performed tests on each of the fiber and data wires, to ensure that the lines were functioning correctly.

Data wiring is different from traditional electrical lines in that data cables are more sensitive. "The data wires are not as rigid as electrical lines," said Bruce Girardi, Dynalectric’s project foreman who managed the DFAS project. "When working with data, special care must be taken in handing and pulling the wire. The radius of the wire must meet certain requirements so that the cable operates properly."

With a delicate touch, Dynalectric approached the DFAS job in a thoughtful, systematic manner. "As we started this project, we realized that there would be a lot of repetition. What we did on the first floor, we would have to repeat 20 times," Girardi noted. "Given that, it was important for us to remain focused and efficient as we moved along through each phase of the job." To achieve that, Girardi and his team analyzed each first-time process and identifiedits strengths and weaknesses. "From there, we developed a mock-up plan that we followed for each subsequent task," said Girardi. The approach was key in organizing the data installation effort.

The fiber optics work was a large component of the project. Dynalectric pulled 24 strands of multi-mode fiber on each floor. "That’s 500 strands that had to be tested at two different speeds," Girardi explained. "The fibers had to be terminated on both ends, which totaled 1,000 terminations on the fiber cables alone."

In addition to its initial data contract, Dynalectric was asked to do wiring work in the existing DMC Mega Center. For this aspect of the project, Dynalectric pulled four 1,800-pair cables over 1,000 feet. Challenged by both time and limited space requirements, Dynalectric completed the additional contract on time and on budget. "Dynalectric came through with shining colors on the control room project," said Abbey. "They were able to conform to thechanges and requirements that the client had set, and completed the extra work in a short period of time."

The 3-year project is slated for completion in December 1999. Dynalectric’s work was condensed to a nine-month period. The contractor came on site in September 1998, and the first DFAS associates moved into the office complex in June 1999. "The entire process has gone very smoothly," noted David Sennett of the Corps of Engineers.. "Dynalectric came on in the middle of the project and has kept in stride ever since," Sennett said. "We’re extremely pleased with the end result."

Data Project Facts
Defense Supply Center Columbus: Down To The Wire
Project duration: 1 year
Amount of wire installed: 508 miles
Number of data drops: 13,628 drops in three buildings
Number of locations wired: 2,526 individual workstations
Number of Dynalectric Employees - peak: 15

Back to top