EAB Founded in Dallas, TX
Walt Lipski founded Engineered Air Balance Co., Inc. in 1956 as the nation’s first provider of independent balancing services. Jim Reid joined him the next year and together this pathfinding duo embarked on a series of firsts.
EAB’s Founder and First President
Walter (Walt) L. Lipski served as EAB’s first President for 29 years.
Total System Balance was Coined
The term Total System Balance was coined, which Associated Air Balance Council (AABC) holds forth as the benchmark for the profession.
Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas
EAB was awarded the Women and Children’s Building at Baylor Hospital in Dallas in late 1958. Ever since then EAB has been involved within the Baylor Hospital system, helping them expand and maintain requirements for healthcare facilities.
Titan II Missile Silos
EAB pioneered the methods to pressurize Titan II nuclear missile silos and performed testing and balancing on 34 of the 50 sites located across the nation.
It all started in February 1962 when EAB met with the Corp of Engineers at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
AABC Founded
A small group of testing and balancing agents co-founded AABC, the industry’s first certifying agency. EAB was an original member.
Laboratory Testing
EAB developed procedures to test and balance laboratories.
Arkansas Nuclear One, Russellville, AR, 2nd Reactor
Arkansas Nuclear One in Russellville, Arkansas is a two-unit pressurized water nuclear power plant. Arkansas Nuclear One was the first nuclear plant EAB was awarded. This project provided the necessary experience for additional nuclear generating station opportunities. EAB worked on the second reactor starting with the P&ID drawings and continued until the second reactor was successfully completed.
Houston Office Opens
Engineered Air Balance expanded its services to a second Branch Office, located in Houston, Texas. The Houston office was managed by Gaylon Richardson from 1977 to 2016. Justin Garner was promoted to Branch Manager of the Houston Office in 2016.
Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Tonopah, AZ, Unit 1, Unit 3
The procedures we developed during this project for verification of calibration of instrumentation, specific balancing methods and flow diagrams of systems are still used today to keep the station operating safely and efficiently.
EAB’s Second President
F.J. (Jim) Reid served as EAB’s second President for 12 years.
Bexar County Jail Project: Development of ASHRAE Standards
The Bexar County Jail project, testing smoke control systems for jails, resulted in the development of ASHRAE guidelines for commissioning smoke management systems which was approved in 1994.
San Antonio Office Opens
Our third office was opened in San Antonio in 1991 and managed by Gaylon Richardson. Gary Miller was promoted and served as Branch Manager of the San Antonio Office from 2001 to 2016. Daryl Norris was promoted to Branch Manager of the San Antonio office in 2016.
Smoke Control at The Alamodome
In preparation of the Alamodome’s opening in May of 1993, EAB was hired to verify the temperature control system while the facility was set up for football, basketball, hockey and concerts.
Our findings were used by ASHRAE’s fire smoke committee to revise the mathematical models for all large-volume public assembly spaces.
EAB’s Third President
D. Earl Underwood served as EAB’s third President for 12 years.
Total System Balancing Standards
EAB staff members wrote AABC’s 2002 National Standards for Total System Balancing.
M.D. Anderson George and Cynthia Mitchell Basic Science Research Building, Houston, TX
The Cynthia Mitchell Basic Science Research Building on the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center campus was completed in September 2005 to further research in the areas of immunology, molecular biology and human cancer genetics.
Galveston National Laboratory
Galveston National Laboratory (GNL) is a high security National Biocontainment Laboratory housing several Biosafety level 3 and level 4 research laboratories.
Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing Procedures
EAB copyrighted their in-house Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Procedures Manual.
Building Commissioning at EAB
EAB made the decision to pursue Building Commissioning Services that would go beyond HVAC systems and offer its clients a commissioning process servicing all equipment and assemblies in modern buildings.
Since that time, EAB has built upon its TAB experience to create an outstanding team of dedicated commissioning professionals with expertise in mechanical, electrical, plumbing, building control systems and life safety systems.
EAB’s Fourth President
Gaylon Richardson served as EAB’s fourth President for 10 years.
EAB Commissioning Group
EAB formed a dedicated Building Commissioning group.
EAB’s Mission, Vision, and Core Values are Created
EAB moved to a Visionary Culture and redefined EAB’s Mission, Vision and Core Ideologies.
Eskenazi Health Campus
EAB had the privilege of working on one of the largest new hospital campuses in the United States. The 1.7 million square foot facility in Indianapolis contains 315 inpatient beds, 19 operating rooms, and several additional specialized treatment areas. The hospital links functionally and operationally to the adjoining Eskenazi Health Outpatient Care Center, which contains 110 exam rooms. The project also includes a 2,700-car parking garage.
Due to the out of state location and EAB’s commitment to quality, our team relocated to Indiana for the duration of the 2-year project ensuring its overall success. Because of EAB and the other project team members’ efforts, Eskenazi Health’s downtown campus achieved LEED Gold certification in 2015. The improved indoor air quality was a significant factor in this achievement.
Training Center Opens
EAB opened the Training Center in Spring, Texas, to train staff, engineers, contractors, Commissioning and Testing and Balancing personnel outside of EAB.
EAB’s Fifth President
Kevin Underwood currently serves as EAB’s fifth President.