Work Continues, Steam, Revit
Okay so a couple days turns into a four weeks. Workload has shifted over the last month. More of my projects are under construction, all financed well before the great economic meltdown for our country. For some upcoming projects they're holding out for financing. Others are not, having squared away financing well in advance and making sure the deal would still work.
Still have design work happening. One is a remodel of a building constructed in 1960-61. Two old recip chillers at about 50-tons each. An old straight fire-tube boiler and pumps. Air handling units on three of the four floors, all shoehorned into place. All the old equipment will be replaced with the old equipment demolished and removed in pieces through an existing opening at the lower garage level enlarged to accommodate installation of new equipment. It's all a pretty tedious scheme made all the more difficult by the need for a tenant to remain at 2nd floor. Still have a bit more work to do on the job. It's been out for 90% pricing to confirm the project. The balking over cost has begun.
Had some steam design work to do for a high-rise condominium, one with 500+ residences, using a vertical stacking water-source heat pump system. Cooling towers at the roof, closed-circuit type. Steam from the district utility system is used on plate heat exchangers to warm the condenser loop. Steam is used for pool, spa and snowmelt systems, all fairly small. Steam side is 16,000 lbs/hr including domestic water heating. I started the project two years ago. A coworker took it over to finish. He left and I got it back. Not all the steam work was done and the main return riser, 400-ft high, was deleted to save money. I've had to size new flash tanks and condensate coolers for the penthouse mechanical room, pool equipment room and the steam entry room. Had to create new details in the process and it took a couple weeks of hit-and-miss time. Still have other issues to overcome this week on the steam control valves, PRV stations and cooling tower bypass valves.
Took over a the mechanical design of a VA Rehab facility specifically to add the HVAC design for a prosthestic lab. There was a bit of slow process in getting all the information to consider for working out a design. Dust collection and fume hood exhaust is being provided under a subcontract to a supplier having their own sheet metal contractor. The design was finished about two weeks after the original due date because of the info flow problem. Plans were issued for permit review. Building department wanted the Phase 1 & 2 areas isolated into separate plan sets. So this week involves graphical work to do just that. Putting those good old CAD drafting skills to work.
On a completed high-rise office building, the 1st floor is half restaurant and half art gallery. The underside of the structure above is sprayed with foam insulation. The level above that starts four floors of parking that aligns with an adjacent parking structure. Both of those 1st floor spaces were design with large areas not having a ceiling. Last week some of the spray-on insulation started dropping off to the floor. The building owner owns the art gallery and has decided a ceiling shall be added to the gallery and the main dining area of the restaurant. A lay-in ceiling is being specified. That means a lot of ductwork to insulate, diffusers to change out or make the ceiling fit, fire sprinkler revisions, added ducting for new diffusers, lots and lots of return grilles, modifications to smoke detectors, etc. They also want it all done this coming week so they can open next week.
We're shifting our focus for a Revit project. Our original Revit project was a high-rise hotel but the project seems to have some hiccups getting rolling. The new project is one with stacking plumbing fixtures similar to a hotel but I'm not sure if it's a hotel or apartment building. The key issue was the stacking plumbing fixtures and mechanical systems to keep the complexity to a minimum. Hopefully, this one keeps progressing. This also means we have to get our Revit activity moving once again. I figure we'll need to add another 2Gb RAM to each Revit machine.
Our associate principal in charge of the CAD Group left us two weeks ago for serious family reasons and moved back to his birthstate. Not any easy decision for him and his wife but we all understood the process and have great respect for him. It seems that has by some reason left me, another associate principal, the default backup to take over as being the replacement principal. We still have our CAD Manager but I would serve as the conduit to the partners for discussion over various CAD issues that arise. Historically, I've avoided such a position simply because I am too close to the CAD process and might not have an impartial view when dealing with particular issues and situations. I'm okay with taking over the responsibility but I really need to keep an eye on myself.
Not saying anything about return timing to avoid messing it up.
Still have design work happening. One is a remodel of a building constructed in 1960-61. Two old recip chillers at about 50-tons each. An old straight fire-tube boiler and pumps. Air handling units on three of the four floors, all shoehorned into place. All the old equipment will be replaced with the old equipment demolished and removed in pieces through an existing opening at the lower garage level enlarged to accommodate installation of new equipment. It's all a pretty tedious scheme made all the more difficult by the need for a tenant to remain at 2nd floor. Still have a bit more work to do on the job. It's been out for 90% pricing to confirm the project. The balking over cost has begun.
Had some steam design work to do for a high-rise condominium, one with 500+ residences, using a vertical stacking water-source heat pump system. Cooling towers at the roof, closed-circuit type. Steam from the district utility system is used on plate heat exchangers to warm the condenser loop. Steam is used for pool, spa and snowmelt systems, all fairly small. Steam side is 16,000 lbs/hr including domestic water heating. I started the project two years ago. A coworker took it over to finish. He left and I got it back. Not all the steam work was done and the main return riser, 400-ft high, was deleted to save money. I've had to size new flash tanks and condensate coolers for the penthouse mechanical room, pool equipment room and the steam entry room. Had to create new details in the process and it took a couple weeks of hit-and-miss time. Still have other issues to overcome this week on the steam control valves, PRV stations and cooling tower bypass valves.
Took over a the mechanical design of a VA Rehab facility specifically to add the HVAC design for a prosthestic lab. There was a bit of slow process in getting all the information to consider for working out a design. Dust collection and fume hood exhaust is being provided under a subcontract to a supplier having their own sheet metal contractor. The design was finished about two weeks after the original due date because of the info flow problem. Plans were issued for permit review. Building department wanted the Phase 1 & 2 areas isolated into separate plan sets. So this week involves graphical work to do just that. Putting those good old CAD drafting skills to work.
On a completed high-rise office building, the 1st floor is half restaurant and half art gallery. The underside of the structure above is sprayed with foam insulation. The level above that starts four floors of parking that aligns with an adjacent parking structure. Both of those 1st floor spaces were design with large areas not having a ceiling. Last week some of the spray-on insulation started dropping off to the floor. The building owner owns the art gallery and has decided a ceiling shall be added to the gallery and the main dining area of the restaurant. A lay-in ceiling is being specified. That means a lot of ductwork to insulate, diffusers to change out or make the ceiling fit, fire sprinkler revisions, added ducting for new diffusers, lots and lots of return grilles, modifications to smoke detectors, etc. They also want it all done this coming week so they can open next week.
We're shifting our focus for a Revit project. Our original Revit project was a high-rise hotel but the project seems to have some hiccups getting rolling. The new project is one with stacking plumbing fixtures similar to a hotel but I'm not sure if it's a hotel or apartment building. The key issue was the stacking plumbing fixtures and mechanical systems to keep the complexity to a minimum. Hopefully, this one keeps progressing. This also means we have to get our Revit activity moving once again. I figure we'll need to add another 2Gb RAM to each Revit machine.
Our associate principal in charge of the CAD Group left us two weeks ago for serious family reasons and moved back to his birthstate. Not any easy decision for him and his wife but we all understood the process and have great respect for him. It seems that has by some reason left me, another associate principal, the default backup to take over as being the replacement principal. We still have our CAD Manager but I would serve as the conduit to the partners for discussion over various CAD issues that arise. Historically, I've avoided such a position simply because I am too close to the CAD process and might not have an impartial view when dealing with particular issues and situations. I'm okay with taking over the responsibility but I really need to keep an eye on myself.
Not saying anything about return timing to avoid messing it up.
posted by Sketcher | 9:24 PM
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