Froedtert Hospital Mechanical Engineering
Milwaukee, WisconsinPavilion Building Mechanical System Features Formerly called the "iM-Wing," this project involved complete replacement of existing 1950's mechanical systems with new state-of-the-art systems in a nine story 120,000 SF wing of the hospital. Included in this project was extensive underground utility relocation, coordination with the demolition of 150,000 SF. of attached building structure and coordination with design of an adjacent 100,000 SF. laboratory addition. The challenge with this project was to replace the systems while maintaining occupancy. This required maintaining operation of all mechanical services throughout construction. All new equipment is located in basement and penthouse mechanical equipment rooms where the existing equipment was located. Our design required close coordination between the installation of new systems and the demolition of existing systems. Heating The heat for the pavilion is supplied from two existing building steam services provided by WEPCO. Separate 125 psi. and 15 psi. steam services enter the building in the basement mechanical equipment room. Steam pressure reducing stations reduce the 125 psi. steam service to 50 psi. and 15 psi. for various hospital needs and back-up steam source in the event of failure in the 15 psi. service. Redundant steam to hydronic hot water heating converters and heating pumps are located in the penthouse. Chilled Water Cooling for this building is supplied with chilled water through new piping back fed from the WEPCO chilled water service located in the new adjacent laboratory building. The existing chilled water service was abandoned and chilled water was temporarily back fed to this building from a second existing service until the laboratory building service was operational. Air Handling There is one central custom field- built dual fan 86,000 cfm variable air volume air handling unit located in the penthouse. This is a double-wide unit with each half capable of independent operation to provide for redundancy. Medical Gas Two existing central liquid oxygen storage tank systems located at opposite ends of the campus were replaced with a single central system. Interconnecting piping was installed throughout the campus consolidating the entire campus into one system. The existing 1950's medical air system compressors were replaced with a new duplex system. The existing medical air piping system was updated to comply with current NFPA standards with the removal of all pressure reducing valves located in piping throughout the campus. Plumbing The existing primary water service was maintained and fitted with a new water meter. Multiple existing domestic water services also supplying this building were removed and a secondary water service was back fed from the new adjacent laboratory building. The domestic hot and cold water piping system is divided into upper and lower zones. The lower zone serving lower floors of the building is pressurized directly from the water utility while the upper zone serving upper floors is boosted by a triplex domestic booster system. The existing fire protection sprinkler system pump was removed. Sprinkler system water supply was back fed from a new fire pump installed in the new adjacent laboratory building. Controls A Johnson Controls "Metasys" direct digital control system is provided throughout the campus. Additional alarm points are monitored for critical systems such as medical gas and laboratory room pressure relationships. All normal HVAC and plumbing system points are monitored and alarmed as needed. A remote alarm printer and PC operator workstation are located in plant operations. Included in the control system is a smoke control system that utilizes the central supply and return fan systems and smoke dampers to control migration of smoke between floors. The system is activated by the local fire department from a control panel located at the main entrance of the building.