Health Care
Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center
“When the project suddenly changed from a standard design bid to a fast track project, I was deeply concerned that we could meet the deadlines for timing and mechanical accuracy. Because Norman S. Wright was our HVAC supplier, the job went incredibly smooth. Our change order rates were extremely low. We had very few start-up problems, which was amazing. Norman S. Wright had the expertise to do it right.”
Mechanical Engineer
Health facilities face major energy consumption, cost, and code compliance challenges. The HVAC system must provide highly sensitive air filtration, room pressurization, airflow measurement, and humidity control. Norman S. Wright’s products help to ensure human health and safety with high-precision environmental control systems and components—sound attenuators, gas-engine chillers, absorption chillers, modular chiller plants, cogeneration equipment, and custom air handling units.
Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center
Facts
- Carson City, Nevada (elevation: 4,500 feet)
- 80-acre hospital campus
- 352,000 square feet
- 138 private rooms, laboratories, urgent and emergency care, surgery services, pediatrics, and women and children’s center
- $132 million project
Description
The new main medical center building included every patient service function from cardiac laboratories to operating rooms. Norman S. Wright assisted the mechanical engineer in providing customized HVAC equipment designs for the main hospital and separate central plant.
Challenge
When construction plans were 20% complete, the hospital’s financial lender demanded a guaranteed maximum price. Norman S. Wright worked closely with the mechanical engineer to help with multiple equipment designs that complied with a wide range of hospital guidelines. Under an accelerated deadline, the Norman S. Wright sales team overcame multiple project demands to provide an accurate bid and meet project requirements.
Solution
Norman S. Wright’s long-term factory partner provided an immediate and precise design of the custom air handlers in order to finalize the footprint, components, and weight. The design team decided to equip: 1) isolation rooms with high-end filtration systems; 2) surgery rooms with custom air handlers, including air-to-air heat exchangers and gas-to-steam humidifiers; and 3) water-cooled chillers with VFD for the central plant.
When the location of the helicopter landing pad was moved to the roof, the custom air handlers’ configuration was quickly modified to help control noise issues and prevent fumes from entering the building. In lieu of exposed duct work, specialized fiberglass underground duct work was selected for the three-story lobby to maintain architectural details. Despite the budget and time pressures, Norman S. Wright supplied the HVAC products that ensured the new hospital was successfully operating by the commissioning date.
Outcomes
- Met strict budget and construction deadlines
- Minimized HVAC change orders
- Handled every equipment detail to achieve HVAC system requirements
- Worked within a staging situation that included 48 semi-trucks and 12 custom air handlers
Products
- (2) 1200-ton water-cooled chillers with VFD
- Base-mounted pumps in the central plant
- (12) custom air handlers
- Air distribution, fan coils, make-up air units, fans, bag-in/bag-out filtration, terminal units, and fire smoke dampers
