LOCATION: Washington, D.C.
MEP ENGINEER: MIN Engineering, Inc.
COMPLETION DATE: NOVEMBER 2014
Heffron Company was contracted by Pepco Energy Services as the mechanical partner in a design-build project at the Harry S. Truman Building in Washington, DC with the objective of dramatically reducing GSA steam usage in the 2.5 million square foot headquarters to the United States Department of State. The project was scheduled for completion during a single summer cooling period with the requirement that the new heating systems must be in place and operational prior to the winter heating season. During construction Heffron employed more than forty (40) pipefitters, welders and plumbers who installed 15,000-feet of pipe alongside other Heffron subcontracted tradesmen who installed support infrastructure throughout the building for the new heating and domestic hot water systems.
Heffron demolished five (5) existing steam domestic hot water heat exchangers, six (6) existing domestic hot water storage tanks, two (2) existing cold water head tanks and all remaining ancillary domestic hot water generation equipment. Heffron also demolished approximately sixty (60) steam coils serving fifteen (15) existing air handler units located in five (5) mechanical rooms throughout the building. Heffron replaced the existing domestic hot water systems with two (2) sets of four (4) new high efficiency gas fired hot water heaters and replaced existing steam coils with new hot water coils connected to nine (9) new 6-million Btu gas fired condensing boilers and three (3) new 75-hp pumps with variable frequency drives and supplemental harmonic protection.
Heffron scheduled a single day to rig the boilers from 23rd Street to the new mechanical room. Heffron employed the services of a 600-ton crane to perform the nine (9) boiler lifts along with at least fifteen (15) additional lifts varying from several sticks of 6-inch random length pipe to the new roof hatch. The heaviest lifts that day were the new boilers with each boiler weighing in at over 10,000-lbs.
Heffron had to overcome numerous logistical obstacles that come with operating at all corners of such a large building located one (1) block from the National Mall in the heart of Washington, DC. There were at least ten (10) different project work areas on different floors including the roof spread over two (2) city blocks. All of the work areas were at various stages of activity for the entire duration of the project. The coordination effort and high level of cooperation between Pepco Energy Services, the Facility Management Team, the Facility Security Detail, the Building Operations and Maintenance Contractor and Heffron Company were the keys to the success of the project.
