Fortune 100 Enterprise Data Center
Cooling Tower Replacement
Project Type: Construction Manager
Location: Portland, OR
Date: October 2017
Scope of Work
SiTESPAN acted as the Construction Manager at-risk for the replacement of three original cooling towers, chilled water and condenser water pumps, secondary chilled water pumps, make-up water pumps and a heat exchanger. The project also included the addition of a basin sweep system, two overhead water lines to provide for the exterior connection of a roll-up truck to the chilled water system, and a new 6” redundant water main. SiTESPAN partnered with subcontractors to provide the client with seamless chiller plant operations at all times.
Project Detail
SiTESPAN replaced three existing cooling towers with one 460 ton and two 1,131 ton cooling towers with common supply and return headers. To increase efficiency, we also replaced three chilled water pumps, three condenser water pumps, two secondary chilled water pumps, two make-up water pumps, a heat exchanger, a heat exchanger pump, and an upgraded controls system. Filtration of the chilled water system was lowered to 5m by adding three basin sweeps, while the addition of a 12” overhead chilled water supply and return lines provide an additional level of redundancy with exterior connections for a portable HVAC truck. A secondary 6” water line was installed from the property line to the building to provide an additional water source for emergency use.
It was paramount to the client that we maintain at least a single layer of redundancy with the chillers, pumps, secondary pumps and cooling towers to ensure uninterrupted service to the client’s multiple business units within the facility. This required extensive scheduling and sequencing, as well as precise coordination with seasonal weather conditions and the client’s operations schedule. As each cooling tower came on line, it was commissioned to ensure redundant operation prior to the next unit being decommissioned. At the conclusion of the project, the entire system received final commissioning.