HAWA Assists with Boiler Plant Replacement at the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC)
Principal, Mechanical Department Manager
The Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) is one of the busiest convention centers in North America. Owned and developed by the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority (FCCFA), the GCCC completed a $140 million expansion and renovation in the summer of 2017. Part of this renovation project included the replacement of the boiler plant. Since its installation three years ago, some boilers have prematurely failed to operate. To significantly improve the operations in this 1.8 million square-foot facility, the FCCFA decided to replace the boilers.
As the lead design professional on the project, HAWA provided engineering and design services including a study phase where our team evaluated what could have caused the premature failure of the existing boilers. Multiple equipment options were provided to the owner. The selected solution included six 4 million BTU and two 3 million BTU condensing boilers. HAWA team members include electrical engineer Jeff Sparks and lead mechanical engineer Luke Harmon. I serve as the project manager.
With cold weather season approaching, this project was set on a fast-track for completion. With this expedited project, the study was complete in two weeks and bid documents were completed in eight weeks. The design has been completed and HAWA worked with FCCFA to award contracts this week. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of Jan. 2021. From beginning to the end, this project, which would normally take about 36 weeks, will be completed in about 24 weeks.
In addition to tight timelines, other challenges include designing a replacement boiler plant while maintaining heat to the existing facility. To achieve this goal, we designed multiple phases consisting of a pre-demolition phase, a boiler relocation phase, demolition phase, piping modification phase, equipment relocation phase, a new boiler installation phase and a final piping stage.
The $1.1 million total construction project is under budget and currently on track to be completed on time. What can HAWA’s design team bring to your next project? Contact us today!
