Central Utility Plant
400 ton
LEED
Energy Reduction Strategy
797,000
On-Site Hours
Project Description
The Seattle Convention Center Addition, also known as the Summit building, is a 1.5 million-square-foot facility and 250,000 square feet of parking and retail. The project doubles the size of the current Convention Center, with the additional facility boasting a 4,000-Ton Central Utility Plant.
MacDonald-Miller’s scope for the Summit included providing and installing all the HVAC systems, including mechanical piping, sheet metal, and controls. We were selected for this complex project based on project team experience and prefabrication expertise. The project includes more than 1.6 million pounds of ductwork, with many long runs to accommodate the exhibition halls and gathering spaces. Some of the ductwork is more than 20 feet wide. The most unique aspect of this project included prefabricating a 4,000-ton central plant, creating complex life safety systems, and using a unique construction method due to the large building footprint, which required the steel structure to be installed in phases and presented several sequencing challenges.
The project was successful due to the immense preplanning and collaboration of all team members, who were focused and committed to delivering this new space for both the local community in Seattle and the many visitors who will enjoy what the Summit has to offer for years to come.
With 1.5 million square feet of single rooms spanning multiple city blocks, the construction sequence and logistics of this project are like nothing else in the country. Adding the hurdles of the pandemic hitting during our peak crew size, a concrete strike, and challenging labor and procurement markets, the level of difficulty only increased. These challenges were met head-on by the project team, and we executed them with distinction.Ryan Hunter, Project Manager at MacDonald-Miller
Highlights
Safety
This work consisted of more than 797,000 hours, was executed safely, with a Recordable Incident Rate of 0.5. To put this into perspective, the national average Recordable Incident Rate in the construction industry is 3.9.
Construction
The size and scope of these systems is incredible, with many duct sections bigger than a full-size train car. The project includes more than 1.6 million pounds of ductwork, with many long runs to accommodate the exhibition halls and gathering spaces. Some of the ductwork is more than 20 feet wide. The most unique aspect of this project included prefabricating a 4,000-ton central plant, creating complex life safety systems, and using a unique construction method due to the large building footprint, which required the steel structure to be installed in phases and presented several sequencing challenges.
Logistics
Most construction projects start on the ground and move up, so one of the biggest challenges of this site was that it was built in a billboard sequence. This unique plan organized the construction into five towers or “billboards” lined up in a row, to brace one another and support the load. Area one went up first, then area two, and so forth, until all 14 levels were completed.
Related Content
Seattle Convention Center Receives LEED Platinum
The Seattle Convention Center Summit Building received LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Summit is among a few North American convention centers to reach this highest level of achievement.
Seattle Convention Center Now Open
After more than three years of construction, the building opened to the public on January 25, 2023.
Project Completion
After several years of preconstruction work, MacMiller began onsite work at the convention center in September of 2019, setting the first 4 of 35 air handling units. After more than 3 years of construction, we are turning the building over for the first convention this week.
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