Randy Hawes, an experienced concrete subcontractor, recently decided to use the COMMAND Center system to monitor temperature and test a local cement option to determine if it would be suitable for his project.
Challenge:
Local Cement Doesn’t Meet Project Specifications
While working on a project at a NASA facility in Wallops Island, Virginia, Hawes encountered an unexpected issue: Type II cement, originally specified for the job, wasn’t available locally. Sourcing it elsewhere would take 6 to 8 weeks, so he and his team decided to test a local alternative with a higher limestone content. To move quickly, Hawes needed solid data to confirm the mix would still perform well and remain durable. He began searching for a
temperature monitoring system that was accurate, easy to use, and quick to complete.
“The system was super easy to use.” -Randy Hawes
Solution:
Secure, Accurate Temperature Monitoring with Quick Setup
Although temperature monitoring wasn’t required for the project, Hawes decided to use COMMAND Center to go above and beyond. He wanted to track how the limestone in the cement would affect heat gain to see if the local cement option could satisfy project requirements. Additionally, he needed to ensure that the test data remained highly secure.
“We could acquire the data without radio signals or wireless options,” Hawes shared, highlighting one of the key benefits of the system. “I appreciated how COMMAND Center could be customized to track critical data points, such as specific temperature across a given time period.”
With a tight timeline to complete these tests, Hawes valued how straightforward and quick the set-up process was. “It came within days like we had asked. The order was 100% correct,” he said. “We could customize [COMMAND Center] to measure the data points that we really … needed (in terms of time scale and temperature scale),” he added.
Hawes set up the sensors and connected them to his laptop all while on-site. As a first-time user, he and his team were able to use COMMAND Center immediately and confidently without hours of training or onboarding. When the team did encounter questions, they quickly got in touch with a personalized and knowledgeable support team, unlike typical automated call centers.
“The customer service was spectacular. You’re dealing with real people. It was fantastic.” -Randy Hawes
Results:
Efficient Testing Process Accelerates Decision-Making and Project Start
COMMAND Center allowed Hawes to track concrete temperatures and determine if components of the local cement would cause any issues. The efficiency of COMMAND Center—from ordering and shipping to setup and use—enabled them to conduct the temperature tests quickly. This helped them make a faster decision on which cement to use and ultimately get started on the project sooner, avoiding additional expenses and costly mistakes.
“[When] looking for something that’s reliable and easy to work with, and if you need any level of service at all, to me there’s really no other option to go to,” Randy concluded.
