Engineered Systems - February 2008 - (Page 45) Predicting State-Of-The-Art or practical. Therefore, the driving criteria were reliability and preventing catastrophic system failure. To accomplish these goals, Astorino employed multiple equipment systems that were interconnected. For example, there were seven major air distribution systems developed for the facility. Each system was designed with 15% spare capacity for future growth in HVAC needs. These systems were all designed with multiple AHUs headered together so that a single failure of any AHU would not render a portion of the facility without essential HVAC, except for the hematology/oncology suite that had a single AHU with dual fans. The major air distribution systems deliver over 1 million cfm to provide HVAC to the patient care and support areas. • Emergency department • Operating suite • East CSB inpatient and outpatient services • West CSB inpatient and outpatient services • North CSB inpatient and outpatient services • Hematology/oncology services • Central sterile and support facilities Another topic of particular concern for the owner and design team was the multitude of low voltage LAN-based systems that would be employed within the facility. The low-voltage LAN systems include structured cabling, the network, building automation, telecommunication, data, security, fire alarm, medical records, imaging, and other intelligent building systems. Technologies currently available for the built environment offer tremendous value opportunities that are many times unsuccessfully implemented. Typical design and procurement processes for the MEP systems limit the designer’s ability to take advantage of available innovation and integration opportunities. Rapidly evolving system technologies limit both the engineering and the traditional contractor’s ability to perform and properly construct and commission the systems. The design was structured to add a systems contractor (SC) to install all the intelligent building systems. The SC is responsible for the installation of all low-voltage, network-driven systems. Furthermore, the SC is responsible for the TAB of all MEP systems and providing and managing the systems’ FPT (commissioning). The many advantages to this approach include ensuring construction quality, efficiency, and performance. This approach also supports improved MEP systems construction quality by allowing the MEP contractors to focus on their core competency, such as installing equipment, ductwork, pipe, and wire and conduit, without getting slowed down by networking and integration issues involved with these low voltage systems. Resolutions to the design and construction challenges presented above, and the multitude of challenges that were not presented, were accomplished through perseverance, dedication, and hard work of many individuals. The success of the CHP project cannot be attributed to any one individual or company; it is the result of the collaboration of owner, design and construction teams. In reflection, I think all the individuals involved knew that the project must succeed because of its importance to the region’s and the world’s children. There is significantly more to designing and constructing a stateof-the-art medical facility beyond brick, glass, steel, concrete, pipe, duct, and equipment. All stakeholders put forth a monumental effort to make the facility a success. You will not find better pediatric care anywhere, and this will be especially true when the new CHP facility opens in May 2009. The Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh advertisement, “If you have kids, be glad you have Children’s,” sums up the new state-ofthe-art medical facility. ES IRIS DAMPERS BRILLIANTLY SIMPLE! Easy to - Install, measure, balance & control airflow - Provide 100% shut off Available in - Galvanized - Stainless steel - Motorized - Positive seal Ideal for - VAV applications - Individual comfort control - Clean rooms - Laboratories Bell has over 23 years of experience designing HVAC, plumbing, fire suppression, and automatic temperature control systems for hospital, commercial, institutional, laboratory, residential, educational, governmental, industrial, and high-tech industrial buildings and facilities. His experience includes construction of field engineering-mechanical systems; HVAC systems design and operation instruction; O&M mechanical systems engineer and technician; contractor training coordination; 2,600-ton chiller plant operator; 1,050-hp, 350 °F heating water boiler plant operator; and mechanical systems startup engineer. Bell has also authored two HVAC technical manuals published by McGraw-Hill: HVAC Equations, Data, and Rules of Thumb, 2nd Ed. and HVAC Design Portfolio, 865 Flow Diagrams and Details, Airside Systems. IRIS DAMPERS … A SIMPLY BRILLIANT SOLUTION FOR FAST & ACCURATE CONTROL, BALANCE & MEASUREMENT OF AIRFLOW! better AIRFLOW by DESIGNTM Continental Fan Manufacturing Inc. 203 Eggert Road, Buffalo, NY 14215 Tel: 800-779-4021 Fax: 716-842-0611 www.continentalfan.com FREE INFO: 51 w w w. esmag a zin e. c o m 45 http://www.continentalfan.com http://www.continentalfan.com http://www.continentalfan.com http://www.esmagazine.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.