Want to join a team at a small business which allows you to gain experience in an assortment of tasks?  Like a company with a comprehensive benefits program for eligible employees, designed to add more value the longer the employee dedicates their service?  This could be a fit for you, and a self-motivated candidate could see potential for growth in responsibilities as some of our seasoned employees are nearing retirement.  Please have your applications sent in before June 1st.

**Click for Application for Employment here.**

Duties:

• Operate 25’ brake press teamed with another employee (majority of time)
• Wrap, bundle, and label formed materials
• Operate fork lift
• Learn how to do various shop duties to do occasionally:
  • Operate shear
  • Apply decal
  • Build frames
  • Count bolt box items
  • Load semi-trailers
  • Assist drivers in shipping / receiving
  • Deliver parts to construction jobsites

Qualifications:

• Must have good attention to detail
• Must be able to work well with others & have good communication skills
• Must be organized
• Must have a valid driver’s license
• Must be punctual and dependable

Education and Training:

• This position is considered to be entry-level or likely for a candidate with a couple years of experience, with opportunity to grow to more responsibilities with time.
• Minimum Education Required = High School Diploma

Wages:

• $12-$14 per hour
• $28,080 yearly ($13.50 per hr x 40 hrs per week x 52 weeks)

Company Overview

Tsui Manufacturing / Tsui Manufacturing is a leader in designing and fabricating steel canopies mainly for gas stations.  We’ve primarily served the fast-paced & nostalgic petroleum industry since 1926.  We are a small business with about 14 combined office & fabrication employees, which allows an employee to gain experience in an assortment of tasks and to have variety in their duties each day.

Benefits Summary

In comparison to other companies, Tsui Manufacturing puts a stronger emphasis on benefits than hourly wages, most evident in the retirement (profit sharing) plan.  We sponsor a comprehensive benefits program for eligible full-time employees, designed to add more value the longer the employee dedicates their service.  Benefits include:

• Unity Health Insurance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Life, Accidental Death, and Dismemberment Insurance
• 100% Employer-funded Retirement Plan (Profit Sharing)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Educational Assistance Training and Professional Development
• (8) Paid Holidays
• Vacation Time based on years of service

Supplemental insurance (Dental, Vision, additional Life, and more) is available for purchase with the eligible employee responsible for the full amount of the premium.

Ways to apply:

• In person from 8am to 5pm Monday thru Friday
• Email applications/resumes to Chris Jacobs cjacobs@tsuimanufacturingcompany.com  (There is a link to click under the first paragraph of this article.)
• Mail applications to Chris’s attention

Thank you!

In 2008, the American Concrete Institute (ACI) completely revamped Chapter 4 regarding the durability of concrete.  This code is used in correlation with IBC 2009 and IBC 2012.  The ACI code now asks the engineer of record to designate an exposure category and class.  This designation comes with a required minimum concrete strength.

F1 and F2 Exposure Class

Northern states have footings subject to cycles of freezing and thawing.  Footings at sites that have a concrete pad under the footprint of the canopy will be mostly protected, having only occasional exposure to moisture.  The footing concrete will be designated an F1 exposure class (moderate), which comes with 4500 psi minimum compressive strength concrete which also needs to be air-entrained.

We will encounter the F2 exposure class (severe) in northern states for sites where the canopy does not have a concrete pad beneath its footprint, and columns go directly into gravel or grass.  These locations will have freezing and thawing cycles, as well as frequent exposure of moisture on the footing.  Expect more air-entrainment.

Strength vs Durability Requirements

Previously, we have specified a minimum compressive strength of 3000 psi, very standard in the construction industry.  For our canopies, especially in northern states, we are using a 4’ deep footing to get the bottom of the footing below the frost line.  The strength of the concrete is not critical in the footing design due to having 4’ thick of concrete.  What governs our footing design are stability and bearing checks.

Even though the 3000 psi strength of the footing is sufficient in carrying loads, by code we must use the more stringent of what’s required for strength vs durability.  For northern states, we must go with 4500 psi strength concrete.  For southern states, the concrete will be designated as F0, which comes with 2500 psi minimum compressive strength concrete, no air-entrainment.  For southern states, our previous standard of 3000 psi will still be specified.

Designated      Minimum Compressive                      Max                   Max.                    Air-Entrainment

Exp. Class        Concrete Strength 28 days (psi)      w/cm                 Aggregate           (± 1.5%)

F0                      3000 (strength)                                   N/A                   1.5”                      Not required

F1                       4500 (durability)                                 0.4-0.5               1.5”                      4.5%

F2                      4500 (durability)                                 0.4-0.5               1.5”                      5.5%

Example of general notes for our F101 footing drawing:

“Specifications are for canopy footings of normalweight concrete.  Slump shall not exceed 4”.   The concrete shall attain a minimum compressive strength of 2925 psi at 7 days, and 4500 psi at 28 days.  The concrete canopy footing is designated as F1 exposure class.  Concrete supplier shall follow requirements of ACI 318 Chapter 4.  Maximum water to cementitious material ratio (w/cm) is 0.40-0.50. Concrete shall be air-entrained a minimum of 4.5% (± 1.5%) for 1.5” max aggregate size.

Owner is responsible for arranging and analyzing results of tests.  If test result for 7 days is less than required, construction on the footings shall halt until passing 28-day tests are attained. 

Installation of canopy on footings that have attained a minimum of 2925 psi (65%) of the total 4500 PSI designed F’c compressive strength within 7 days, is acceptable for this type of structure.”

Planning for 2016

It seems that some engineers have not caught on to the changes in the code on minimum durability requirements yet, so this was a breakdown for how it affects canopy piers.  The engineers for convenience stores and carwash buildings should also review the chapter and apply it to their designs and specifications.  It is a good time to make the necessary changes while we all plan for 2016 construction.

These address plaques are the first of a larger number of the same matching style for a growing sub development.  Our Missouri client, a business specializing in high-end mailboxes, found us online and sent a picture and description of the style they wanted.

Three layers

We fabricated the plaques using three layers.  The backer piece is steel plate, coated with our automotive-grade paint.  The middle layer is stainless steel to give impressive contrast and make the house numbers stand out.   The final top layer is plasma cut steel, using the client’s desired font style and including holes for fastening all layers together, also coated the same as the backing piece.  The end result is a unique and upscale plaque.  Most importantly, the client is thrilled with the results and ready to order more for the neighborhood.

Great job, Joe Barnes, for managing this project from start to finish.

Over the past 6 years I have noticed some changes in canopy light fixtures, and recently one that could be an issue for meeting energy conservation codes.  

Brief History

When LED lights made specifically for gas station canopies really hit the market about 6 years ago, it was cost effective to use the 72-99 watt fixtures compared to 320 watt metal halide fixtures.  It took a few years, but the increase in upfront material cost would be offset by the overall savings in power consumption.  At least one energy conservation code in 2011 would eventually require no more than 1.25 watts per square foot, eliminating metal halide lights as an option.  LED lights easily met that standard.  Soon, other types of lighting entered the market that also used less wattage, such as induction fluorescent. 

LED Wattage increases

While energy conservation codes and billing power companies care only about wattage, the light industry changed their focus to talk about lumens and brightness.  All the while, the LED fixtures most commonly used on a gas station canopy began creeping up in wattage consumption.  Today, it is not uncommon for an LED canopy light to use 114-140 watts.  This is still beneficial for power consumption compared to the many metal halides still in use.  

Decreased allowed wattage

However, energy conservation codes are trending to decrease allowed wattage.  A gas station canopy now can only use 1.0 watts per square foot in a highly commercial zone and 0.8 in other settings.  There are cases where a 114-140 watt LED light as typically spaced on a canopy may not meet the code.  I advise to double check the light fixtures meet the energy conservation code before sending any purchase orders, as the watts per square foot are dancing a finer line to meeting code. 

Sarah Weinberger

PEI’s August safety letter struck a chord here.  One of its anecdotes in the “hits and near misses” described a worker who was killed while trying to change filters, when the canopy collapsed.  There are many existing canopies that are in questionable structural condition, some due to old age (20 plus years) and some due to lack of maintenance causing poor condition.  We drew some recommendations from this, so that hopefully it will prevent workers from getting hurt.

Pre-task hazard assessment

Before climbing on top of a canopy, we recommend to inspect the column base where it meets the concrete driveway.  Especially in northern states, they can become deteriorated due to too much exposure to salt.  It is not advised to access the canopy if the columns have holes rusted thru – especially for an inline style canopy.  Also look up at the roof decking.  After time, the galvanizing on the decking wears down, and eventually shows signs of rust.  In extreme cases, it also can rust thru.  It is not safe to walk on a canopy with rusted thru decking, nor is it safe to be under, as it has lost its structural integrity to carry the snow, rain, and wind loads that will act upon it.  If there are concerns, an experienced canopy crew can inspect the canopy’s condition and an engineer may need to get involved.

Before doing any work at the site:

• Look around
• Identify hazards
• Eliminate hazards if possible
• Find a way to not be exposed
• Select appropriate PPE

Ladder or Lift?

In this scenario, the worker used a ladder to gain access to the canopy.  We have found this to be very dangerous, as there is always a significant drop from the top of the ladder down onto the walking/working level of the deck, often 2.5’ to 4’.  Not only is it tough to shift weight around the ladder to get up or down, but just climbing the fascia wall is cumbersome.  We recommend using a lift to line up to the top of the fascia line, and bringing a telescoping adjustable ladder as climbing assistance down onto the deck.

What to bring for Fall Protection

It was implied the worker did not have fall protection.  When you don’t know what to expect on the top side of the canopy, always bring a sliding beam anchor to attach to the top of wide flange beams (works for about 90% of upper Midwest canopies) and a loop anchor as a backup in case the sliding beam anchor won’t work for that scenario.  Then there is no excuse not to wear a harness.

For the full August safety letter, click below:

August2015SafetyLettersjw

On Sunday August 16^th, Tsui Manufacturing hosted a summer picnic for our employees at a park in Waupun.  Warren has always been proud to help support a number of families.  Tsui’s employees have been working hard all year.  With all the time spent away while at work, we wanted to provide an afternoon for them to enjoy with their families.

An afternoon with family and co-workers

We rented a bounce house for the children and young adults to enjoy.  There was food, music (boom box provided by Joe of course), M&M counting, bubbles, super soakers, and summer lawn games.  It was 90 degrees and humid, so Joe also took it upon himself to fill his truck bed with water for a take-along pool suitable for kids.  It was the hit of the day.

Special Thanks

Thank you to Mac’s BBQ for providing, delivering, and helping to set up the meat.  We enjoyed the pulled pork and chicken sandwiches, both at the party and throughout the work week.  Thank you to Jump Around for providing, setting up, and taking down the bounce house.  Thank you to all employees who helped plan, set up, and take down.   And thank you to all who attended and made the day fun and relaxing.  We look forward to another next year.

This morning a canopy top for an offload area at an Air force base in Georgia was lifted as a single unit and set into place on it’s columns.  The majority of the canopy was built just a few feet off the ground, and now covers a large obstacle of piping that makes a standard installation less possible.  Storey Fascia did a great job coming up with the installation plan and executing it nicely, impressing our client and the military officials.

Two new canopies near completion

All was part of a site upgrade to include two new canopies.  One covers dispensers; the other, this piping.  Both canopies were built using custom-order Dark Bronze decking to match the other buildings on the base.  The tightest coordination is reaching a close, and all that is left is the finishing work that makes our canopies and service stand out.

Future work for military applications

This is the second installation of its type, both successful.  The first was for an Army Air Support Field in Davenport, IA earlier this year.  Our client encounters many projects with piping obstacles such as this and anticipates more work for us in the future.

Sarah put together this informative guide to assist our clients who are in charge of setting up their canopy’s state of Wisconsin plan review (Click link at end of blog post).  It is written as a step-by-step based on the online Web scheduler.  The scheduler continues to change throughout each year.  We still offer the service of setting up the WI state plan reviews for clients for the cost of the review fee plus $100 for our time.  Feel free to call Sarah with any questions.

WI Plan Review Web Scheduler Notes

The first feature that we have added, which you are enjoying currently, is our new blog that we will use to continue to update our clients, and those with a love for canopies, on changes around Tsui Manufacturing Corp and the petroleum market. Our blogs will most likely include changes to the petroleum market in the form of governmental laws that change how we perform our design or installation of the canopy or what are expected of store owners, site inspections of canopies that we have designed, and other bits of information that may be helpful for someone looking at purchasing and maintaining a steel canopy.

Another feature that we have added to allow our current clients and potential clients is a page of links, Our Partners, which will give insight into repair, maintenance, and other aspects of steel canopies. The first section of links we have is petroleum marketers. These are companies that we work with that connect us with clients that may need a new canopy, a re-image of a canopy, or repair of a canopy. The second section we have is for repeat customers that we either build canopies for or manufacture metal machine parts for. Another section is for erectors of canopies that we contract. They also provide re-imaging and repair services. We have a category for other aspects of Tsui Manufacturing, whether that be supplies, trucking companies, or sites we use for the canopy process.

Another feature that will allow easier viewing of previous work, has also been implemented into our website. With our new picture sorting system, you will be able to sort the canopy based on fascia type, use of canopy, or whether the canopy is table or inline. This can be accomplished by selecting the desired button. For instance, if you wanted to look at pictures of canopies with illuminated fascia, you would select the illuminated button and all that would remain is pictures of canopies with illuminated fascia. This should reduce the time spent trying to find the type of canopies you are looking for.

Our last major feature is a price estimator for canopies. This will allow potential clients to figure out which style and size of steel canopy is in their budget and if they want to go ahead for an in-depth quote. To use the estimator program, input the desired width and length of the steel canopy. The type of fascia is then chosen from the three options; ACM (aluminum composite material), 18 GA. Steel (Stock White or Pearl), or 18 GA. Steel Any (1) Color. The fascia size is then chosen from 30”, 36”, 42”, or 47”. The last option is table style, two rows of columns along the width, or inline style, one row of columns along the width. The estimator program will then calculate a range for the canopy cost. At this point please feel free to request a more in-depth quote for more options and a more accurate price.

Thank you for visiting our site and please feel free to look around at the new design and features listed about. We would love to hear from you!

We see a lot of parallels in the inspection and maintenance of steel canopies, especially after they are more than 20 years. Many c-store owners are trying to figure out how many years of life they can expect out of each, and come up with an appropriate inspection, maintenance, and repair schedule. Sarah will be writing an upcoming blog about this topic as it relates to canopies.