Projects

Westside Regional Medical Center’s steam-distribution system relied upon a pair of aged boilers for operating room sterilization, kitchen equipment and other hot water needs. Well past their useful life, the 46-year-old boiler system required frequent repairs and became undersized as facility demand increased. Upgrades and new equipment were postponed or deemed impractical due to the boiler room’s layout constraints.

After conducting a full assessment of the boiler system’s condition, serviceability, performance and compliance with relevant codes and standards, Burns recommended a complete renovation. The $2.5-million overhaul involved:

• Installing temporary boilers, fuel supply and steam piping to minimize the renovation’s impact on hospital operations.
• Redesigning the boiler room layout to maximize floor space and to simplify maintenance.
• Replacing steam boilers with two new 50-BHP, dual-fuel units.
• Connecting the boilers to a backup diesel supply tank, creating a more resilient emergency fuel supply.
• Replacing the blowdown separator, heat exchanger and deaerator with higher-efficiency equipment.
• Installing a condensate surge tank to minimize long-term buildup of corrosive gases.
• Constructing a new boiler stack that includes enhanced enforcements, complying with high wind-zone requirements.
• Updating lighting systems with new LED fixtures for improved visibility and safety.
• Integrating boiler system controls with the hospital’s building automation system, enabling maintenance staff to remotely monitor boiler function and track energy consumption.

Construction is expected to be complete in 2021.

Similar projects include central heating system improvements for Blake Medical Center, Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point and Highlands-Cashiers Hospital as well as a boiler plant upgrade at University Hospital & Medical Center in Tamarac, Florida.