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Case Study June 6, 2023

Case study: Combined compartmentalization strategies

A research lab fire and life safety design team determined the use of sprinklers would be used where possible

By Jack DeVine
Case Study May 9, 2023

Case study: Designing a lighting control matrix

In this office building, control intent and sequence of operations for a lighting control system were created

By Brandon Stanley
Case Study April 4, 2023

Case study: Arc energy protection schemes

Different arc energy reduction methods used on a standardized simple electrical system

By William McGugan
Case Study February 3, 2023

Case study: Upgrading storage to meet NFPA 99 requirements

A hospital facility reached out to provide a study of two locations within a hospital facility where medical gases were being stored

By Nick Walters and Hailey Stewart-Hofer
Case Study September 29, 2022

Case study: Selecting electrical systems for water, wastewater plants

In these two examples, electrical systems are compared for a water pumping station and a wastewater treatment plant

By William McGugan and Tyler Roschen
Case Study September 23, 2022

Case study: Specifying condensing boilers

A surgical center optimized efficiency with condensing boilers

By Paulina Diaz
Case Study September 21, 2022

Case study: Smart buildings

Two case studies highlight the aspect of smart buildings

By Consulting-Specifying Engineer
Case Study September 16, 2022

Case study: Cost comparison of power feeder installations

Experienced designers and contractors will choose power distribution feeders to meet the specific needs of a project

By Timothy Paap
Case Study September 7, 2022

Case study: Community and recreation facility

A swimming pool roof at a recreation facility required dehumidification. The facility in question was built in a town located approximately 125 miles north of Toronto, Ontario, circa 2012-2013

By Chander Thusu
Case Study August 17, 2022

Accelerated project delivery amid a global pandemic

AEI provided mechanical, electrical, and piping/plumbing under an accelerated project schedule to meet ownership goals of being operational in just ten months.

By Affiliated Engineers
Case Study July 26, 2022

Case study: Airport electrical system upgraded

A Houston airport renovation added switchgear for additional electrical support

By Taiwo Atoki, PE, LEED AP
Case Study July 25, 2022

Case study: Government building includes VRF system

An award-winning new council chamber for City of Johannesburg uses variable refrigerant flow and displacement ventilation HVAC systems

By Pieter de Bod
Case Study July 20, 2022

Case study: Hospital emergency power upgrades

MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital emergency power upgrades

By Philip E. Mackey
Case Study June 8, 2022

Case study: Window sprinklers for exterior wall protection

Selecting window sprinklers for fire protection

By Kyle J. Lehman
Case Study May 27, 2022

Case study: How the Texas freeze event affected fire sprinklers

The deep freeze in Texas affected many systems, including fire sprinklers and backflow prevention devices

By Jarron Gass
Case Study May 24, 2022

Case study: Theater HVAC issues resolved

A theater’s rooftop units were replaced to aid in dehumidification

By John Song, PE
Case Study May 19, 2022

Case study: Vulnerability analysis of a health care facility

A vulnerability assessment uncovered gaps at a federal health care building

By Ryan Searles
Case Study April 20, 2022

Case study: Calculating an exhaust system

Referencing code and using the correct calculations will allow the design to exhaust a battery room properly

By Randy Schrecengost
Case Study April 11, 2022

Case study: Hospital surgical suites rebalanced

A hospital’s air handling system had to be reconfigured so that pressurization remained at the correct levels

By Larry Wilson
Case Study March 21, 2022

Case study: Hospital sprinkler system

A retrofit sprinkler system in a hospital required additional waterflow switches

By William E. Koffel, PE, FSFPE, Koffel Associates, Columbia, Md.
Case Study March 21, 2022

Case study: Reducing the impact of nuisance alarms

By using the correct type of programming, smoke detectors initiated a supervisory signal instead of nuisance alarms

By William E. Koffel, PE, FSFPE, Koffel Associates, Columbia, Md.
Case Study February 22, 2022

Case study: Hospital HVAC design pivots to meet COVID-19 needs

Incorporating pandemic response design into design/build hospital project

By Fred L. Marr and James P. Gleba
Case Study January 18, 2022

Case study: Health care building lighting controls design

A lighting sequence of operations met energy codes in this medical building

By Tony Staub
Case Study November 11, 2021

Case study: Office building has daylighting, energy-efficient lighting

The PGA Tour Global Home was designed with a cohesive lighting design strategy in mind

By Tim Milam and Ross Bush
Case Study October 29, 2021

Case study: Duct-mounted UV system

A duct-mounted UV system experiment showed bacteria was killed

By Rick Wood, Jennifer Marsh and Craig Barbee
Case Study July 14, 2021

Case study: Laboratory opts for electrification

New laboratory building is fully electrified to help achieve energy efficiency

By David Conant Gilles and Megan Gunther
Case Study July 13, 2021

Case study: Office chiller and cooling plant controls replacement

Chillers, pumps, and plant controls were replaced at a high-rise commercial office building in downtown Chicago

By Daniel McJacobson, PE, LEED AP, BCxP
Case Study May 24, 2021

Case study: Standby power installations

How two standby power systems weathered a hurricane in 2004

By Paul Pouliot and Michael T. Alford
Case Study April 30, 2021

Case study: Wireless lighting system achieves energy efficiency

California office building retrofit goes totally wireless

By Michael McTavish
Case Study April 14, 2021

Case study: Airport expansion includes rooftop units

The HVAC system at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport required two new rooftop units

By Jon Silhol
Case Study February 3, 2021

Case study: Using a hotel as an alternate care site

According to this study, there are both challenges and solutions when converting hotel rooms to hospitals

By William E. Koffel, PE, FSFPE, Koffel Associates, Columbia, Md.
Case Study February 1, 2021

Case study: District heating supply from a combined heat and power plant

Development and operation of the combined heat and power district heating system in Jamestown, N.Y., provides energy efficiency, environmental and economic development benefits to customers

By Ishai Oliker
Case Study January 21, 2021

Case study: laboratory design

A lab expansion used IoT sensor technology to gather building data

By Tim King and Ray Mans
Case Study January 13, 2021

Case study: University science building control systems

The Central Michigan University biosciences building included a detailed controls approach

By Casimir Zalewski and Derek Crowe
Case Study December 15, 2020

Case study: Designing VRF for an office

Using an office building as an example, a variable refrigerant flow system is designed to meet the owner’s needs and current standards

By Gayle Davis
Case Study December 11, 2020

Case study: Manufacturing plant BAS update

A manufacturing facility restructured its building automation system, which created several returns on the investment

By Jaco Cronje
Case Study November 20, 2020

Case study: EPSS retrofit at water treatment plant

A water treatment plant required an electrical distribution system upgrade

By Mario Vecchiarello, Jeff Donaldson and Tyler Roschen
Case Study November 10, 2020

Case study: Upgrading a hospital’s EPSS

Engineers corrected for NFPA 110 section 7.2.3 for an existing hospital campus

By Richard A. Vedvik, PE
Case Study November 9, 2020

Case study: Integrating medical building lighting

A health care campus took an integrated approach to its lighting systems in its first building, a medical office building

By Kate St. Laurent
Case Study October 30, 2020

Case study: How clients benefit from VR

Virtual reality can aid in the client’s experience and overall acceptance of the project’s design

By Joel Martineau, Jim Marchese and James Mazza
Case Study October 29, 2020

Case study: Designing for tornadoes in the Midwest

The Kansas City University College of Dental Medicine created a dual-use space to meet resilient design needs

By Nancy Kohout, John Rushing, Bill Wood and Valerie Berstene
Case Study October 23, 2020

Case study: Autodesk’s generative design artificial intelligence

Generative design sped up a building project for a research space

By Karen Pierce
Case Study October 21, 2020

Case study: Hospital pivots to adjust for COVID-19

For the Parkview Regional Medical Center Core Tower expansion, engineers were able to modify design to accommodate COVID-19 patients as the project was in progress

By April Woods
Case Study September 30, 2020

Case study: Office building’s smart potential

An office building renovation project included a host of considerations to retrofit the space into a smart building

By Owen Dalton and Sal Bonetto
Case Study September 21, 2020

Case study: Retrofitted heating system

A wastewater treatment plant heating system required conversion from generating low-pressure steam to heating hot water

By Ian Marchant and April Ricketts
Case Study September 21, 2020

Case study: Hydronic heating system

A new heating hot water system was included in the design of a water treatment plant

By Ian Marchant and April Ricketts
Case Study September 11, 2020

Case study: College water heater

A hybrid campus building’s water heater was selected using the time-based evaluation method

By Michael Scruggs
Case Study August 31, 2020

Case study: Tracking multiple high-performance buildings

A company optimized capital expenditures through asset health analytics

By George Hawkinson and Jarrod McMains
Case Study August 27, 2020

Case study: Public safety meets resiliency goals

Mechanical, electrical and plumbing infrastructure needs to be evaluated during the design phase for added resiliency, based on the client’s requirements

By Cameron Brown
Case Study August 24, 2020

Case study: Hospital achieves resilient design

Well in advance of COVID-19, Silver Cross Hospital designed for resiliency measures no one could have predicted

By Mike Zorich
Case Study July 17, 2020

Case study: Stantec leads by following

Learning from the success of other architecture, engineering and construction firms is vital

By Karen Pierce
Case Study June 23, 2020

Case study: Hospital heat recovery chiller

A 372-bed replacement hospital required integration of a heat recovery chiller

By Scott Battles, Jonathan Hulke and Stet Sanborn
Case Study May 18, 2020

Case study: Super-tall building smoke control system

The Wilshire Grand Center project includes best practices in smoke control

By Nathan B. Wittasek, PE, CFEI, LEED AP, CASp
Case Study April 30, 2020

Case study: Streamlining Sea-Tac Airport via passenger simulation

Using complex simulation and modeling techniques, designers were able to understand the flow of passengers through the future international arrivals facility at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

By Najim Afzalzada and Aarshabh Misra
Case Study April 23, 2020

Case study: Water filtration plant automation

The team had a large-scale automation project goal of integrating 121 water filtration plants

By David Ubert and Francisco Alcala
Case Study April 20, 2020

Rapid conversion of an isolation suite for COVID-19 patient care

UNC REX Hospital in Raleigh, N.C., modified its buildings to mitigate the spread of the virus and prepare for an increased number of COVID-19 patients

By Brandon Nevin
Case Study April 10, 2020

Case study: Specifying a water-cooled chiller plant

A new mission critical facility included a water-cooled chiller plant, which served all aspects of the building

By Mark Stehney
Case Study March 24, 2020

Case study: Office building pressurization

Consider the impact of infiltration and building pressurization on air systems in an office building

By Kevin Ricart, PE; Rosemary Hwang, LEED AP; and Connor Harrigan
Case Study March 17, 2020

Case study: Filter selection in a hospital renovation project

Various filters were selected to meet a health care facility’s filtration needs, plus meet total cost of ownership requirements

By Kevin Langan, PE, IMEG Corp., Rock Island, Ill.
Case Study March 6, 2020

Village of Plain: Green Technology Training and Enterprise Center (G-TTEC)

The Village of Plain Green Technology Training and Enterprise Center (G-TTEC) achieved LEED Gold certification.

By Affiliated Engineers
Case Study February 25, 2020

Case study: Hospital surgical suite HVAC system

The following case study examines unoccupied setback of an air handling unit dedicated to a surgery suite

By Roger Koppenheffer, LEED AP, and Kevin Miller, PE, LEED AP, Certus Consulting Engineers, Carrollton, Texas
Case Study January 28, 2020

Case study: Heating demands met with fourth-generation utility plant

A fourth-generation utility plant at Stanford University meets 88% of the campus and university hospital’s demand

By Kevin Krause, PE, LEED AP, Affiliated Engineers, Madison, Wisconsin
Case Study December 18, 2019

Case study: Manufacturing facility electrical design

This example of a manufacturing plant, lab and office building power distribution project walks through the electrical engineering decisions

By Robert Sander and Mario Caraveo, NV5, Las Vegas
Case Study December 11, 2019

Case study: Energy-efficient clean rooms

Designers formulated several energy-saving strategies that can be implemented into the HVAC system design of a pharmaceutical-grade clean room suite

By David B. Korzuch Jr., PE; and Christopher J. Barbieri, PE, CRB, Philadelphia
Case Study November 27, 2019

Case study: Historic university building lighting update

A historic university building underwent several updates, including to the lighting design

By Jerry Manavalan, Kohler Ronan LLC, Danbury, Connecticut
Case Study November 14, 2019

Case study: Ongoing commissioning at a park recreation center

The Wyandot Lodge, a net zero energy building in Columbus, Ohio, found ways to correct its lighting problems through ongoing commissioning

By Michael Chow, PE, CxA, LEED AP BD+C
Case Study November 11, 2019

Case study: Utility transformers for an office building

Three transformers serve electrical loads for an office building, data center and mechanical equipment

By Tarek G. Tousson, PE, Stanley Consultants, Austin, Texas
Case Study October 17, 2019

Case study: Wiring schools for the future

Educational facilities need flexible, cost-effective wiring solutions

By Stephen Berta, EI, NV5, Las Vegas
Case Study October 10, 2019

Case study: Using IPD to fast-track a hospital

Harnessing integrated project delivery allowed the team to complete a fast-track replacement hospital

By Robert J. Garra Jr., PE, CannonDesign, Grand Island, New York; and Brian Skripac, CM-BIM, Assoc. DBIA, LEED AP, CannonDesign, Pittsburgh
Case Study October 3, 2019

Case study: Eight steps to managing building cyberrisk

This case study documents a cyber journey and cyberrisk mitigation strategy implemented on operational technology systems in the HDR office building

By Tim Koch, PE, and David Hahn, HDR, Omaha, Nebraska
Case Study September 30, 2019

Case study: Meeting modern requirements for historic buildings

An office high-rise required a fire and life safety system renovation

By Peter W. McDonnell, PE, LEED BD+C, McClure Engineering, St. Louis
Case Study September 23, 2019

Case study: Comparing hydronic heating systems

Two different heating systems show how different the design and specifications can be

By Jacob Haddadin, EIT and Stephanie Khouri, CCJM Engineers Ltd., Chicago
Case Study September 20, 2019

Case study: Hospital integrates all stakeholders

Advocate Aurora Health’s Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center will include smart rooms and integrated building systems

By By Brad Kult, PE, CTS, HGA, Minneapolis; and Neil Osten, PE, LEED AP, Mortenson, Minneapolis
Case Study September 17, 2019

Case study: Data center piping

A data center required robust piping to transfer chilled water for cooling

By Saahil Tumber, PE, HBDP, LEED AP, ESD, Chicago
Case Study September 13, 2019

Case study: Performing a harmonic analysis

A harmonic analysis to study system operation and mitigation methods of a design-build wastewater treatment plant was conducted in April 2015 in Boston.

By Nick Holway, PE, CDM Smith, Boston
Case Study August 26, 2019

Case study: Office building addition

More than 10 years later, the lighting design still accommodates office staff

By Richard A. Vedvik, PE
Case Study August 23, 2019

Case study: Office building ventilation

This office building client required specific ventilation rates

By Carol Qing Li, PE, LEED AP, Interface Engineering, Los Angeles
Case Study August 22, 2019

Case study: Hospital electrical system design allows for expansion

A new hospital is in need of a state-of-the-art, safe electrical distribution system built to last 50 years.

By Danna Jensen, PE, LEED AP BD+C, Certus, Carrollton, Texas
Case Study May 29, 2019

Case study: Convention center addition

Thermal comfort was a key component of the Washington State Convention Center addition.

By Peter Alspach, PE, LEED AP
Case Study May 29, 2019

Case Study: New performance building

The nonprescriptive design turned out to be the better option for Seattle Opera at the Center.

By Peter Alspach, PE, LEED AP
Case Study April 25, 2019

Case study: Theater renovation includes VRF

A Chicago college theater renovation opted for heat recovery variable refrigerant flow systems as part of its heating and cooling plan.

By John Song, PE
Case Study April 24, 2019

Case study: Office space upgrades wireless lighting controls

An MEP firm’s experience upgrading its own office with wireless lighting controls provided insight into the potential benefits and pitfalls of the technology.

By Brienne Willcock, MIES, LC; and Karl Geil, IES, LC, Illuminart, a Division of Peter Basso Associates Inc., Troy, Mich.
Case Study April 22, 2019

Case study: University dorm renovation uses BIM

Language in the university’s scope of work for a dormitory’s renovation required clarity.

By Daniel Fagan, PE, CPD, LEED AP, CannonDesign, Chicago
Case Study April 15, 2019

Case study: Lab project uses both VDC, BIM

Still in the design phase, this confidential client is using virtual design and construction and building information modeling to execute a lab. 

By Daniel Fagan, PE, CPD, LEED AP, CannonDesign, Chicago
Case Study March 28, 2019

Case study: State-of-the-art health care system

A multidisciplinary commissioning project allowed a health care facility’s electrical equipment to operate as designed and established a platform for all critical information and statuses to be displayed.

By Vahik Davoudi, PE, LEED AP; Ander Sahonero, PE; Gaurav Thatte, EIT; and Rahul Mittal, EIT; Arup, Los Angeles
Case Study March 7, 2019

Case study: Chiller plant gets an update

A corporate campus reviewed its chiller’s performance data to determine what updates were needed. Metering and instrumentation helped achieve the engineer’s goals.

By Stacey Ayuthia, PE, LEED AP, NV5, Verona, Wis.
Case Study February 14, 2019

Case Study: Health care facility design and being code-compliant

It’s vital for consulting engineers to not only identify the applicable codes and standards but also know the building and owner’s needs.

By William E. Koffel, PE, FSFPE, Koffel Associates, Columbia, Md.
Case Study October 31, 2018

Case study: Hospital HVAC system benefits from IPD

A new and existing hospital building were delivered using IPD.

By Laurence V. Wilson, PE, ASHRAE HFDP, LEED AP, CDT; SmithGroup, Chicago

A Letter From The Editor

Consulting-Specifying Engineer is written and peer reviewed by engineers and industry professionals. These engineers design, specify and commission mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), fire/life safety, lighting and controls systems for nonresidential buildings. Consulting-Specifying Engineer covers codes and standards, smart and high-performance buildings and design specifications in a variety of commercial buildings.

Amara Rozgus - Consulting-Specifying Engineer