In April of 2022, Central Washington University's new Health Sciences Building opened with Swegon North America Chilled Beam supplied by Mechanical Sales, Inc. for T.W. Clark Construction LLC.
A total of 231 Chilled Beams can be found throughout various departments, classrooms, and labs. This $300 million investment across its Science Halls focused on renovation and construction for students and faculty for the coming years.
New Facilities, Labs, and Space
The Health Sciences Building features a variety of laboratories, classrooms, and shared spaces for students and staff in a variety of fields studying physiology, paramedicine, exercise science, public health food science and nutrition. The scientific space allows students access to advanced machinery in a spacious environment.
So why Chilled Beams?
The advantages of chilled beams over the more common systems of today such as fan coil, VAV, heat pump or VRF revolve primarily around improved comfort (both thermal and noise), reduced maintenance (no fan, filter, or condensate pan/drain) and reduced operating cost (reduced latent cooling, higher chiller efficiency, reduced fan power, and longer free cooling period).
Essentially, we can move a greater amount of energy via water than air. Another major advantage is the low profile design which allows for shallow ceiling cavities, and the ductwork is much smaller being sized for only the ventilation load. Information from Tech bulletin (PDF)
For Specs and Technical Info
Contact your MSI Engineering Sales Rep for additional info, schedule a lunch and learn for you and your office, and inquire about our notable projects with Chilled Beams. These units are a great solution for commercial buildings with large occupancies such as hotels, offices, schools, and higher education institutions.
Photos were taken by Shawn Toner of Explosive Illusions on behalf of TW Clark Construction.
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4Case Study: Boiler Enclosures with a Rooftop View
The Project
Shelter Works recently produced two fiberglass shelters for Mechanical Sales in Seattle, WA. Mechanical Sales designs, fabricates, and integrates reliable and cost-effective heating and cooling solutions for their customers throughout the Pacific Northwest. For this project, they needed protective enclosures for two boiler skid packages located on rooftops overlooking Seattle's Elliott Bay waterfront. Barry Jostol, Principal at Mechanical Sales, explained that both buildings underwent complete renovations for mixed-use office and lab spaces. The updated commercial use for the structures must meet different energy codes requiring large air source heat pumps. The boilers act as an auxiliary backup to those heat pumps. The skids' rooftop installation necessitated protective shelters to safeguard the electric boilers from the elements and provide a safe, dry location for an operator and service technician to work.
The Shelters
Both fiberglass enclosures, although of different sizes, have similar features.
Bulkheads - These fiberglass-only wall portions allow for penetrations over 2 inches in diameter. These sections allow for piping and electrical to run through the walls without compromising structural integrity or the shelter's 25-year warranty. Exhaust - Both shelters have 12-inch exhaust fans and vents to circulate air, providing a comfortable space for the operator and allowing hot air to vent out in the summer months. They also have matching fiberglass rain hoods to keep water from entering the interior of the enclosures. PE Stamp - Secure digital drawings by a Washington State licensed Professional Engineer, providing structural analysis showing compliance with wind, snow, and seismic loads.
Why Fiberglass?
Fiberglass was the chosen shelter material because its light weight makes it ideal for rooftop applications. Fiberglass is also corrosion-resistant and will stand up to the weather and humidity typical to the Puget Sound area, warding off weather conditions that could compromise the performance and longevity of the boilers.
Why Shelter Works?
When asked about their experience working with Shelter Works, Jostol stated, "It was easy. Shelter Works provided detailed submittals that included all the measurements and locations for penetration holes, so we knew what to expect when the shelter showed up. It was raining when the building arrived at the fabrication shop, but installation onto the skid package was quick and easy."
Calibrated Energy Savings for Very High Efficiency DOAS in Multi-Family Housing
This report is an initial investigation of the energy benefits of using very high efficiency DOAS in a multi-family building application. Mechanical Sales, Inc. supplied Swegon’s GOLD DOAS to an engineering firm for use in DESC Hobson Place.
Visit Better Bricks for more DOAS information
Swegon shines in NEEA’s report comparing two towers on the Downtown Emergency Service Center’s Hobson Place project. The actual performance of the Swegon GOLD units installed in the South Tower were measured after occupancy; not only did they meet their design performance levels, but they also exceeded them, resulting in HVAC energy savings of 40% over the measured performance of the North Tower where DOAS equipment from a different manufacturer was installed.
Read the report here to understand how Swegon offers world class ventilation performance.
MSI Installs Fulton Boilers at Ivar's Acre of Clams
The famous Ivar's Acre of Clams flagship location recently completed a down-to-the-studs remodel of its 77-year-old restaurant on Pier 54 in downtown Seattle.
With the assistance of Fulton representative Mechanical Sales, Inc., three Endura condensing hydronic boilers were installed in the renovated facility; two EDR-750 and one EDR-1000. Installed for building heat, these units were selected because of their ability to integrate directly into a primary-only flow installation. The Endura's rugged construction and easy assessibility for maintenance were also key benefits.