Sparkies
A team of electricians led by the jovial Bob Mott runs more than 2 million feet of wire to power up 20,000 outlets, receptacles and light fixtures. They spend their first few months laying down junction boxes and "smurf" tube conduit that will be imbedded in Evo's concrete decks. Then a core team rigs each floor with switchgear — high-tech control units that serve as both main breakers and electronic power meters. After the interior framing goes up, a "rough-in" crew blasts through each floor, "boxing" (attaching wall boxes to the framing), "roping" (running wire through the walls), running "home runs" (wires that connect to a unit's subpanel) and "stabbing" (inserting the conduit into each electrical box). A data crew runs cable for Internet, phone and TV. Once it's all installed, tested and inspected, a crew unlocks the vault — an underground bunker where 34,500 volts are harnessed, bringing Evo the 4,000 amps it will consume when fully inhabited.
Interesting Facts
- Electricity travels at the speed of light — more than 186,000 miles per second!
- According to the American Society of Safety Engineers, construction workers account for six percent of the U.S. workforce, but 20% of the fatalities — the largest of any industry. The majority of electrical injuries on the job site are caused by contact with power lines.
- The first power plant — owned by Thomas Edison — opened in New York City in 1882. Edison invented more than 2,000 new products, including almost everything needed for us to use electricity in our homes: switches, fuses, sockets, and meters.
- As late as 1993, high-tech paraphernalia like computers, printers and video games had a negligible effect on power usage. Today, it's estimated to account for more than 13 percent of a typical household energy budget. By 2020, it could be as much as 25 percent.
Introduced in this Episode
Bob Mott
General Foreman
Morrow-Meadows Corp.
Mott, a first time supervisor, leads a crew in laying out junction boxes that will be buried inside each of Evo's concrete decks.
Ron Reeder
Deck Foreman
Morrow-Meadows Corp.
Reeder is brought in to help manage the extra wiring that will be needed for retail spaces and condos. He checks that the plans are being followed exactly.
Carly Williams
Apprentice Low Voltage Electrican
Morrow-Meadows Corp.
Since the age of 18, Williams has worked in construction. She is one of the very few female construction workers on this job. She wires up residential units.
