Washington State Convention Center Addition
:+ : By Jon Osman
Working through COVID-19
COVID-19 created many hurdles over the course of 2020 and 2021, but MacDonald-Miller was well equipped to face these challenges head-on as work continued at the Washington State Convention Center (WSCC). Our MacMiller safety team put in place well thought-out strategies that allowed field personnel to focus on the work ahead, while remaining safe throughout its execution. One of our main goals is to ensure that everyone makes it home safely at the end of the day. Amid the dangers of spreading COVID-19, MacMiller not only wanted to ensure the safety of our employees, but that of their friends and family as well.
Impressive equipment and material
We recently set the Air Handling Units (AHUs) and installed ductwork in the Level 6 North Mechanical Room. This mechanical room consists of five massive AHUs that serve the large Flex Hall as well as the smoke exhaust system for portions of the building. The biggest of these AHUs weighs upwards of 50,000 lbs and must be split into 6 sections just to get the unit into the building. To add to the scale, the ductwork being served by these AHUs is equally impressive with one section being over 17’ wide and over 6’ tall. This ductwork acts as supply air for the Flex Hall during normal operations and smoke exhaust for the Flex Hall and Ex Hall during an emergency.
Meeting challenges through innovation
A major challenge that comes to mind when looking at WSCC is the sheer scale of everything involved. This proposes unique obstacles, whether it’s simply handling large equipment and material or sequencing work in an efficient manner. The Level 12 Chiller Plant contains four large chillers with two of them having an operating weight of over 50,000 lbs. Unlike the AHUs, these units cannot be split up to decrease the pick weight. To set these units, a 650-ton mobile crane was brought out to the jobsite to pick the chillers all the way up to Level 12. There are very few cranes that size in the whole western United States, making this a unique event for the entire job. The picks went off without a hitch, and the chillers are now in place and rough-in work has begun in the chiller plant.
Our crews continue to work hard and stay safe as our progress continues. The anticipated completion date is July 1, 2022.
Meeting challenges through innovation
Meeting challenges through innovation