Three I Engineering provided construction documents to install a 30 ton DX split system with steam reheat for each of two 900 square foot pharmaceutical filling rooms. The new system maintained precise room temperature, humidity and room pressurization when activated. The air entering the filling room through the new air handling unit is filtered by a prefilter, bagfilter and then a final HEPA filter located downstream of the supply fan. The controls are designed so that when certain products are being packaged the operator can flip a switch to disable the existing HVAC system and energize the new humidity control system along with a chart recorder to document room temperature and relative humidity during the filling process. Anytime the conditions are outside of the acceptable range an alarm will sound.

This project involved the rework of the air systems serving 24,000 square feet of laboratories containing 53 fume hoods with air handling units totaling 115,000 CFM. The existing air handling units were constant volume reheat and the fume hoods were auxiliary air type. The laboratories were converted to variable air volume with supply air tracking the exhaust air. The exhaust air is modulated to maintain a constant face velocity through the hood opening. The existing exhaust fans were removed and replaced with a manifolded system.

In addition to the above, the chiller plant serving this area was converted to a primary/secondary system with variable speed pumping. The chiller plant consists of six chillers totaling 1100 tons of cooling with seven secondary pumps serving different areas of the building.

This extensive renovation project included the installation of four downdraft necropsy tables and two fume hoods as the central focus of the HVAC system. A variable air volume central laboratory exhaust system was designed to serve the exhaust sources. The laboratory control system for this area maintains negative pressure relationship with surrounding areas with the use of a central exhaust fan and 100% outside air central station air handling unit for make-up and comfort air. Chilled water was the cooling source while steam was used for preheating, reheat zone control, and humidification. All of these devices as well as the zone supply air dampers were located in the penthouse for easy access. The downdraft necropsy tables required underground ductwork which was routed to a central duct chase. The duct chase houses the VAV dampers that serve the tables. A central exhaust main located in the ceiling space ties all of the exhaust sources together which is then routed to the exhaust fan in the penthouse.

The renovation also included extensive plumbing work as the necropsy tables required underground drain and domestic water services. The fume hoods required drain, domestic water and carbon dioxide services.

The HVAC system was designed in a new dedicated penthouse utilizing a variable air volume system with a central station air handling unit, full ducted return fan system, general exhaust system, and a variable air volume laboratory exhaust system. The area was divided into twenty-eight zones with each zone having a VAV terminal unit with integral hot water reheat coil for zone heating.

The laboratories were designed with a variable air volume laboratory exhaust control system that maintains a negative pressure relationship with the surrounding areas. This system also communicates with the main direct digital control system for outside air requirements for building pressurization control.

Chilled water from the site central cooling plant serves as the cooling medium while a hot water converter system was designed to provide space heating utilizing steam from the site central heating plant.

Plumbing work included renovation of existing locker areas with the addition of showers as well as new restroom facilities for the addition. The laboratories required utilities such as gas, vacuum, air, distilled water, and domestic water as well as acid resistant waste piping.

The fire protection systems included wet, double interlocked preaction, and clean agent fire suppression systems.

This project also included extensive site utilities relocation work as chilled water, steam and condensate, compressed air, natural gas, and fire protection piping serving the existing building had to be relocated for the addition.