Engineering Program
What do Engineers do?
Engineering staff are responsible for maintenance and repair of the building and infrastructure systems at Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College. These systems include the building envelope (roofs and exterior walls), foundation systems, interior walls/floors/ceilings, heating/ventilating/air conditioning systems, electrical and illumination systems, access controls, vertical transportation systems, fire and life safety systems, energy management systems and automated building controls, plumbing systems, etc.
Trainings
Engineering staff also maintain the District's fleet of vehicles and equipment, which includes: 74 vehicles, 25 driving lawnmowers, tractors, backhoes, frontloaders, topdressers, aerators, street sweepers, and forklifts; 34 pushmowers, edgecutters, hedgetrimmers, chainsaws, whackers; 41 power tools including saws, drills, underground conduit locators, pipe threaders,. floor buffers, carpet shampooers, vacuum cleaners, and other miscellaneous equipment.
One of the most critical activities our Engineering staff performs is preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance ensures that systems are in proper working order, increases the service life of newly constructed or remodeled facilities. Preventive maintenance is a solid investment: PM not only pays for itself, but it also produces a huge return.
- $350,000 in preventive maintenance today equates to a net present value of over $17 million over the next 25 years
- The return on investment of a PM program is 545%
Our Engineering staff are committed to Facilities Excellence. They are responsible for maintenance and repair of:
- 48 miles of underground pipeline (for electrical, communications, sanitary and storm drain, water supply, gas, irrigation)
- over 1000 exterior light fixtures
- 65 buildings with over 1.2 million gross square feet
- additional structures, such as dugouts, storage sheds, bus stop shelters, etc.
- 65 roofs, 560 exterior doors, 2045 interior doors
- 24 elevators
- 576 pieces of mechanical equipment (air handlers, pumps, boilers, chillers, fans)
- 13,780 interior light fixtures
- 183 restrooms (with multiple sinks, toilets, urinals in each)
Engineering Standards of Care & Maintenance (Engineering Program Review)
Beginning in February 2002 and continuing through Spring 2004, we performed program reviews of our Engineering operations. This program review allows us to develop best business practices, to qualify and quantify what we do, and to do more with less by working smarter - not harder.