Vaughn Construction

Architect:

Shah Smith & Associates

Client:

University of Houston

Scope Of Work

The University of Houston hired Vaughn to remodel and expand the primary central utility plant on campus. The plant provided chilled water, electrical, and steam services for existing facilities but needed to accommodate several new facilities planned or under construction. As the primary plant on campus, it also needed to remain fully operational throughout construction.

The initial project plan included a five-phase, staged removal of the existing cooling towers synchronized with the construction of the new towers. We combined the first two phases of the plan by installing temporary cooling towers, so we could expedite the removal and replacement of the first two cooling towers. This approach allowed us to maintain the current cooling demands of the campus while we constructed the remaining three phases of the project.

As part of the chilled water system upgrade, we installed three new 2,700-ton centrifugal chillers with associated variable fan drives, and we upgraded the automated control system so the new chillers could be integrated with the existing chilled water system.

To update the electrical service to the plant and adjacent buildings, we installed all new switchgear and distribution panels, including a new electrical backbone, in the existing electrical room. During our commissioning of the electrical systems, we discovered the three existing transformers servicing the plant needed to be replaced. We sequentially removed and replaced the existing transformers with three new 2,500 KVA transformers to provide uninterrupted electrical service to the plant and surrounding campus.

For the steam system upgrades, we removed and replaced three existing boilers with new units that had a higher heating capacity and that were more environmentally friendly. We also added roof-top solar panels that connected directly to the plant’s electrical system to reduce electrical consumption from the grid.

The 53,100 SF central plant expansion included build out of 2,700 SF of new office facilities for plant operations. Our use of the temporary cooling towers at the beginning of the project resulted in a six-month reduction in the project schedule and no interruption of the university’s chilled water services. The subsequent steam system renovation and electrical upgrades ensured continued reliable service to the plant and campus for years to come.