HVAC Duct Cleaning & System Improvements
General Administration Building, Olympia, Washington
The General Administration Building is a 236,000 sf, five story building with a diverse occupancy. Seven separate HVAC systems serve the building. The building was constructed in 1956, and no major improvements have been made to the HVAC system. Over the past few years, there has been concern regarding the indoor air quality.
Washington Engineering was selected to perform an indoor air quality survey of the facility and to recommend and design HVAC modifications to improve indoor air quality. The project scope included extensive air quality sampling for VOC's, temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide levels and lead contamination. The work also included field investigation to define current conditions and perform flow monitoring at all diffuser locations.
The IAQ study indicated that the ventilation ducting should be cleaned to remove dirt and debris that has accumulated since the last cleaning in 1981, and that modifications to the filter banks were necessary to reduce the level of airborne contaminants in the outside air stream.
A construction document set was designed to perform a thorough cleaning of the entire HVAC system including ductwork, plenums, coils, air handling units, etc. All filter banks were modified to improve sealing of the filter housings and on five systems, additional filters were installed. In the field investigation process, several instances of damaged ducting were identified; the construction document package provided for repair and/or replacement of damaged ducting.
In the construction process, the presence of asbestos was noted in the main supply air intake plenums; the contract documents were modified to abate about 300 linear feet of asbestos insulation and install new piping insulation.
The basement HVAC system which was originally designed to serve a raised floor computer application was completely reconfigured for office space usage. New ducting and diffusers were installed in a new reflected ceiling. The HVAC supply fan and controls were modified for the new application.
Key Project Features:
- Mechanical: HVAC Systems, Energy Management & Control Systems, & Plumbing Systems
- Engineering Support: Architectural Design, Structural Engineering, Asbestos,
- Deliverables: Reports, AutoCAD Drawings, Specifications, Cost Estimates, & Construction Support
