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Verizon's
building at 140 West Street, in Lower Manhattan serves some 300,000
voice lines, 3.5 million data circuits and circuits connected to
other telecom companies. Constructed in 1928, this 1,000,000 sq.
ft., 32-story landmark structure is the company’s largest
central office building in the United States and contains their
largest switching center. The building, which is directly across
the street from ground zero and next door to 7 World Trade Center,
was severely damaged by the Sept. 11 attacks. Many holes were ripped
in its walls and girders pierced it like arrows. Water from broken
mains and fire hoses flooded its basement vaults, shorting out
cables that had not been cut by the falling steel. The ducts outside
were covered by 30-foot-high hills of debris, denying access to
them for days.
In October of 2001, Syska Hennessy joined this multi-pronged rehabilitation
program and was responsible for the design of the following systems:
mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, fire life safety
and central utilities (steam, chiller plant) systems.
It was Verizon’s objective to re-build a state-of-the-art
facility, within Landmark Building guidelines, that would provide
for the needs of today, as well as those of the future. Significant
features of the project included the following:
- Variable speed drives and high efficiency motors were
utilized on fans and pumps.
- A centralized direct digital control building management
system was designed to ensure the optimal operation of MEP equipment
and systems.
- The MEP systems and equipment were designed to provide flexibility
and the capacity necessary for future additional telecommunications
equipment.
- A centralized FanFarm of mechanical equipment replacing 18 independent
MERs, including air handling units, was utilized for construction
cost savings, energy efficiency, and ease of maintenance for
Verizon staff.
- Four 800 tons electric drive chillers were designed to provide
chilled water to the facility.
- Normal and emergency electrical switchgear rooms were separated
by two-hour fire rated walls for higher system reliability.
- New Con-Edison 460 Volt electric service and distribution system
replacing existing 208 volt electrical service with Network Protectors.
- Four (4) new 2 MW diesel engine emergency generators.
- New fuel oil distribution system including pumps piping, 20,000
gallon fuel, control system and refurbishing of existing 20,000 & 17,000
gallon fuel tanks.
- Four (4) new 800 ton electrical chillers with associated chilled & condenser
water pumps for a N+1 capacity.
- Six (6) 63,000 CFM air handling units serving the administration
floors 11 thru 31st floor.
- Various upgrades to the existing Con-Edison steam service to bring
system up to the latest code requirements.
- New domestic water, domestic hot water, sanitary waste & very
systems, including central chiller drinking water system.
- New fire sprinkler & standpipe system including adding
sprinklers to the administration floors 11 thru 31st which
previously were
not sprinklered.
- Various upgrades to the existing Class “E” fire
alarm system.
- Various upgrades to the building’s existing DDC building
management system.
Additional efforts included a new central refrigeration plant
located on the first floor of the building. Chilled water is produced
by four 800-ton capacity electrical centrifugal chillers. The design
provides for a redundant chiller, and also includes provisions
for the addition of up to 1,600 tons of additional refrigeration
capacity should the cooling load increase in the future. The chiller
plant also includes two plate and frame type heat exchangers to
provide free cooling, when outdoor conditions permit. The new central
plant was designed to be installed while maintaining the existing
satellite chiller plant in operation, and without interruption
to the current operation of the facility. In order to avoid future
downtime from flooding, the chiller plant was relocated from the
basement to the first floor.
The project advanced state-of-the-art engineering by demonstrating
how engineers can provide cost effective, technically sound solutions
that improve the quality of life for all building occupants, as
well as telecommunications customers. Our design advanced the awareness
of providing systems that can be constructed efficiently, resulting
in first cost and operational savings. It also reinforced the benefit,
with respect to schedule and cost, of creating a collaborative
design between Engineer, Architect, Owner and other consultants.
Verizon was involved in continuous negotiations with its insurance
companies and because of these negotiations, the project budget
was continually changing. The budget revisions led to changes in
the scope requiring our team to design with flexibility. It was
the client’s intention to complete the building rehabilitation
as soon as possible. With a full construction team on-site, it
was decided that in order to expedite the process, design documents
would be issued on a monthly basis by trade. Plans were issued
in the following order: emergency generator fuel oil system, chiller
plant, FanFarm, electrical infrastructure, plumbing and fire protection,
and fire life safety.
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