Chiller Plant Upgrade

John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas needed additional capacity and reliability for its central utility plant. Insight provided MEP design for the chiller plant upgrade project, which installed 5,600 tons of chilled water and cooling tower capacity.

The project converted the existing system from primary-secondary to a variable primary chilled water configuration. This arrangement allows for increased control of chilled water flow and improves system efficiency. With the additional chilled water and cooling tower capacity, the project also replaced associated air handling units (AHUs), pumps, piping, controls, water treatment, and other accessories. Electrical substations were replaced and reconfigured to ensure necessary power for the additional and upgraded equipment.

The complexity of the project's scope meant coordination was the highest priority. Using Revit for 3D modeling, Insight was able to see how the equipment and system assemblies would look within the space. Working closely together to coordinate equipment and component placement ensured an efficient design solution. The phasing plan for the project was also closely coordinated with all members of the project team. Three phases on construction were planned to allow uninterrupted operation of the mission-critical hospital.