The State of Colorado and 360 Engineering have a strong partnership, built throughout multiple mechanical engineering projects completed for the Colorado Capitol Complex buildings and other State buildings. The State hired 360 Engineering to provide HVAC Commissioning Services for Phase 2 and 3 of an HVAC Replacement at 1881 Pierce Street, in Lakewood, Colorado. The Phase 2 project scope involved replacement of two air handling units (22,200 & 24,475 CFM) with hot water and chilled water coils and the two associated return fans. The Phase 3 project scope included replacement of approximately 50 VAV boxes.
360 Engineering developed the detailed commissioning plan establishing individuals’ roles and responsibilities in the commissioning process, requisite documentation, meeting schedule, equipment readiness prerequisites, equipment start-up requirements, functional performance test procedures, acceptance criteria, and O&M training obligations. 360 Engineering reviewed design documents, equipment submittals, system verification checklists, test and balance procedures, and functional performance test results.
During commissioning, 360 Engineering discovered the like for like replacement of the air handling unit did not achieve the fan performance specified and further examination revealed an existing section of ductwork was short circuiting the return fan and needed to be corrected by the design engineer to achieve proper operation.
The new 13,000 square-foot South Adams County Water and Sanitation District Administration building was constructed on the site of the District’s existing facility. Construction was phased to allow administrative functions to remain operational until the transition to the new space. The new building, twice the size of the original, was designed to operate at a similar utility expense.
Mechanical design for the project consisted of utilizing a large concrete reservoir system as the heat sink for a heat pump system. The reservoir water is pumped into the building, through a heat exchanger, and then returned to the reservoir with an overall temperature rise of less than 2° F on design day conditions. A separate closed-loop system of condenser water is located within the building and is pumped through the heat exchanger and out to the heat pumps located throughout the building.
The overall building was also reviewed and studied with the architect to site the building with reduced window exposure in the summer, utilizing overhangs to shade the south and west windows, keeping a careful eye on the window to wall ratios, and evaluating the insulation used in the walls and roof for a highly energy-efficient building.
360 Engineering provided evaluation and design services to replace existing expansion tanks in several Colorado State Capitol Complex facilities: The State Office Building heating water system, Centennial Building heating water system, 1881 Pierce Street Department of Motor Vehicle Building heating water system, Colorado State Capitol domestic cold water booster pump system, and Annex Building domestic cold water booster pump system. Based on an evaluation of detailed site observations, the team recommended various long-term solutions for each building.
For the seven-story Colorado’s State Services Building (SSB), part of the State Capitol Complex, 360 Engineering helped find a long-term solution for replacing the building’s main waste riser. The team began by documenting all the known issues, then performed an evaluation of the waste riser that included collecting pipe fittings and coupling samples for material testing, measuring pH balance throughout the building complex, and determining pipe conditions with camera scoping. Based on their findings, the team provided recommendations along with cost estimates and construction documents. The selected alternative rerouted the steam condensate pump discharge, added two new pumping stations, and replaced the waste riser. In addition, 360 Engineering provided construction administration services, including a pre-bid walk through, pre-construction meetings, weekly owner-engineer-contractor (OEC) meeting/visits, submittal review, answering RFIs, punch list visits, and a final acceptance walk-through.