Stony Brook University, West Heating/Cooling Plant Upgrades

Stony Brook University recently began a multi-million-dollar, multi-phased project at the campus West Heating Plant to replace outdated mechanical equipment and add a 3,250 square foot building addition to house electrical switch gear equipment.  The project offers many unique challenges, including the phasing of building deconstruction to facilitate removal of outdated boilers and associated equipment.

Watts preformed the pre-renovation survey for asbestos, lead-based paint and polychlorinated biphenyls.  Hazardous materials were found to be present in most of the equipment scheduled to be removed and in many of the existing building materials.  In light of this, Watts prepared the environmental design to remove all hazardous materials prior to renovation and demolition operations.  

Sections of roof removal have been orchestrated to accommodate extraction of oversized and abandoned equipment in multiple areas without compromising the structural integrity of the building.
 
At the end of the removal and replacement process, 10,000 square feet of the plant will receive a new roof.  The building is also on a site that is highly visible from the campus ring road, and tightly bordered by adjacent structures.  Tight site constraints coupled with a steep drop off next to the existing plant provided building and site design challenges that required unique civil and structural solutions.

Watts is providing civil, structural, environmental and architectural design services for each phase of the Heating Plant project.