The heart of UPMC Somerset Hospital's MEP system hadn't been updated in nearly 30 years. Gatter & Diehl was engaged to orchestrate all aspects of planning, engineering, construction administration, and commissioning to support the primarily HVAC driven upgrades.

 

The project included upgrades and new site selection involving installation of new facility cooling towers, underground utility road crossing design and permits, new air handlers and exhaust upgrades, building control system upgrades, and equipment replacement to service the ICU, CCU, OR's, patient area's, administration and facilities. The project also entailed upgrades with new chiller equipment, pumps, and associated electrical systems.

 

A new cooling tower enclosure was designed with emphasis on aesthetics and movement away from the hospital's prime parking lot. Efficiencies yielded by the upgrades include a projected 30% decrease in energy consumption, greatly improved comfortability, redundancy in systems reliability, and will better serve the hospital in regard to Joint Commission compliance.