SharkBite EvoPEX & PEX Used for Cancún Hotel

3 min read

The Job at a Glance

With more than 30 years of experience in hotel construction, engineer Enrique Armendariz Olan has seen his share of large-scale construction jobs. Olan is the General Director for Grupo AirPei, an all-Mexican construction company that specializes in mechanical installations, including HVAC, hydraulic, sanitary, fire prevention, control and automation.

In 2019, Grupo AirPei was assigned to a prestigious hotel project in Riviera Maya for Grupo Barceló. This project, entitled Barceló Fourth Phase, consisted of Hotel Barceló Riviera Maya Adults Only and Barceló Maya Arena, and is located about 30 kilometers away from the city of Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo.

This 10,000-square-meter project included 850 hotel rooms and a central area with specialty restaurants, buffet, boutique shops, a motor lobby, event rooms and a convention center. Cisterns, water treatment plants and power generators were also part of the infrastructure for the project.

Maximizing Productivity & Efficiency

Hydraulics were a key component of Barceló Fourth Phase, and the crew had to ensure that all the products they used met or exceeded the required standards for hydraulic installations.

One of the core values of Grupo AirPei is to keep innovating through new technologies, new materials and tools that will help make their work easier, more efficient and of better quality for their customers. It was through this search for innovation that Grupo AirPei found SharkBite™.

When deciding which method they wanted to use to complete the project, Grupo AirPei analyzed the cost of installing a conventional pipe system such as CPVC, PVC or PPR compared to SharkBite PEX and the SharkBite EvoPEX™ system. When they discovered the cost savings, easy installation and better labor performance of SharkBite versus other options, Olan said the decision was clear. He also mentioned that working with lighter PEX coils was much simpler, and since installing SharkBite requires no special to minimal training, the crew was able to increase their productivity.

A single worker can install many meters of pipe and many fittings in a single day, Olan said. Our people are very satisfied with SharkBite. They consider it a very good option for hydraulic installations. We don’t need to use additional materials or discard materials. We’ve had zero problems.

Enrique Armendariz Olan, General Director of Grupo AirPei

In addition to SharkBite PEX and EvoPEX, Grupo AirPei used SharkBite Universal fittings for the project. They were able to perform fast, clean installations because SharkBite fittings are easily connected. Olan also added that he respects the RWC brand because of its strong international presence and on-time delivery of reliable and quality materials. The timely delivery has helped his project on schedule too.

Grupo AirPei plans to complete Barceló Fourth Phase by November 2019. When the project’s complete, the crew says they will have used about 80,000 meters of SharkBite PEX and 30,000 SharkBite EvoPEX fittings.

Project Highlights

Barceló Fourth Phase project consisted of Hotel Barceló Riviera Maya Adults Only and Barceló Maya Arena and is located about 30 kilometers away from the city of Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo.
The 10,000 square-meter project included 850 hotel rooms and a central area with specialty restaurants, buffet, boutique shops, a motor lobby, event rooms and a convention center. Cisterns, water treatment plants and power generators were also part of the infrastructure for the project.
Grupo AirPei chose SharkBite EvoPEX System and PEX System because of the cost savings, easy installation and better labor performance of SharkBite versus other traditional options.