By: RK Mechanical

Hospital construction requires perfection from conception to completion. To ensure safety, healthcare building design is governed by codes, standards and regulations.

The most recent change in healthcare building standards was to the NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities Code. This code establishes criteria for healthcare systems or services based on the risk to the staff, patients or visitors in healthcare facilities in order to minimize the hazards of fire, explosion and electricity. This code applies to all healthcare facilities other than home care. It’s intended for professionals involved in the design, construction, inspection and maintenance of healthcare facilities, as well as to the design, manufacture, and testing of equipment and appliances used in patient rooms within healthcare facilities.

This latest edition, 2012 NFPA 99, presents significant changes for the first time since 2005. It has undergone a complete restructuring from prior editions and is now a risk-based code document instead of a facility-based document. The occupancy-based approach was replaced by a categorization of each healthcare facility system regarding its risk to patients’ welfare. Earlier requirements have been removed and replaced by a focus on risk instead of occupancy. New chapters have been introduced for IT and communication systems, HVAC, plumbing, security, emergency management and features of fire protection unique to healthcare facilities.

NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities Code guides users to first determine the level of system category contingent upon the risks to the patients and caregivers within the facilities. The system categories are determined by following a defined risk assessment procedure. Depending on these results, and the system category classification of the healthcare facility, the minimum criteria for gas vacuum, gas equipment, gas electrical system, electrical systems and equipment, plumbing, HVAC, IT and communication systems, emergency management, security management and fire protection features are then determined.

RK Mechanical has worked on several major healthcare facilities both locally and nationally. We understand the complex requirements and have the experience to keep your staff and patients safe­—and your facility operational.

Looking to build or renovate a healthcare facility? RK Mechanical would be happy to discuss our services with you. Contact RK Mechanical at communications@rkindustries.com for more information.

Sources:

www.csemag.com, NFPA 99: Health care facilities code overview
www.nfpa.org, NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities Code

By: RK Mechanical

Green building initiatives, including LEED for healthcare v4, and new patient care models have impacted healthcare construction. Sustainable, patient-focused facilities are designed and constructed to be safer, resource efficient and financially beneficial.

Green facilities reduce resource waste through LEED v4.

Building owners, facilities managers and contractors are focusing on green building strategies for new construction and renovation projects to ensure facilities are in good shape to serve patients now, and in the future. The LEED v4 rating system, specific to healthcare, places guidelines on specific energy- and water-efficiency prerequisites, including building reporting and disclosure requirements. A Future Trends article from Medical Construction & Design highlights popular sustainability advancements to meet the LEED requirements, including motion and light sensors to reduce energy, solar shading to increase natural day light and decrease internal heat gain and low-flow faucets and fixtures with auto-off controls to conserve water.

Patient-focused designs lower operating costs.

The popular W-shaped hospital layout limits patient exposure to noise and infection while improving navigation, keeping doctors closer to patients and promoting collaboration between medical specialties. Sustainable facilities reduce waste, contamination and greenhouse emissions while conserving water, energy and natural resources. Financially, LEED-certified buildings are designed to lower operating costs now and increase ROI in the future.

RK has completed several LEED-certified projects locally and nationally. We have the knowledge and expertise to work closely with project teams in sensitive healthcare environments. Let us help you with your healthcare facility needs! Contact us at communications@rkindustries.com for more information.

By: RK Mechanical

The healthcare field is vast and frequently progressing. As death rates decrease and life expectancy increases, people are living longer creating a demand for new and updated healthcare facilities. Thankfully, prefabrication has allowed healthcare facilities of all sizes to be built in record time.

According to The 2015 SmartMarket Report on Prefabrication and Modularization published by McGraw-Hill Construction, contractors believe that prefabrication can decrease project schedules by four weeks or more. In addition, 65 percent of contractors believe that prefabrication leads to a decrease in budget and, because of that, more than 49 percent of healthcare projects now incorporate prefabrication.

Mechanical contractors are capitalizing on this approach and are experiencing great success. Prefabrication has proved to increase efficiency through less wasted material and improve the speed of construction. Repetitive processes lead to consistency and fewer mistakes, leading to better quality products. Prefabricated mechanical systems, specific to healthcare facilities, include bathroom components or whole bathroom pods, MEP racks, wall systems and exterior elements. As prefabrication advances, new applications include modular mechanical rooms and patient and exam rooms.

Prefabrication creates safer working environments for employees. Prefabricating mechanical systems in a controlled environment means that as little as 20 percent of work is done on-site, reducing health and safety risks. And, more than one third of McGraw-Hill survey respondents using the approach say they have seen safety improve company-wide. Weather is not an issue and ladders and platforms are rarely needed. Fabrication in a warehouse and installation onsite allows multiple construction activities to be performed in parallel. According to a recent article published by Sourceable, between 60 and 90 percent of the prefabricated portions of healthcare facilities are assembled off-site.

Prefabrication is essential for operational facilities. Construction crews are able to perform work and install systems with less congestion and disturbance to facility employees and patients. Cutting down the construction schedule is also a key benefit because the sooner construction is finished the sooner they can expand the amount of care that they are able to give.

RK Mechanical has extensive experience working in the healthcare industry prefabricating and installing mechanical systems for projects including:

• Audie Murphy VA Memorial Hospital, San Antonia, TX
• St. Anthony Hospital, Denver, Colorado
• Fort Carson Soldier Family Care Center, Colorado Springs, CO
• Vail Valley Medical Center (VVMC), Vail, CO
• Swedish Medical Center, Englewood, CO
• Northern Colorado Medical Center (NCMC), Greenly, CO
• U.S. Air Force Academy Hospital, Colorado Springs, CO
• Denver Health, Denver, CO
• Castle Rock Adventist Hospital, Castle Rock, CO

Looking to build or renovate a healthcare facility?  RK Mechanical would be happy to discuss our services with you. Contact RK Mechanical at communications@rkindustries.com for more information.

By: RK Mechanical

RK Mechanical, Inc. won two Award of Excellence trophies at the ABC-EIC awards on October 19th. One was awarded for the new Rooftop at Coors Field and the other was for the work that RK did on the Aspen Art Museum. RK also won a second place Award of Merit trophy for the Denver Union Station project.

The Denver Union Depot, located at 17th and Wynkoop, opened to the public on June 1, 1881. Constructed by the Union Depot and Railroad Company of Colorado, it was the largest building in the West, at the time, at 500 feet long and 65 feet wide. Shortly after opening to the public the Depot was hosting between 60 to 80 trains each day heading to both mining towns and Plains cities.

1894 brought significant changes for the station. A portion had to be rebuilt after an electrical fire. The original Depot center was demolished that same year, due to increasing railroad operations and travel volume. The renovations were completed in 1914 and the Depot was renamed Denver Union Station. The iconic “Travel by Train” signs were added over the exterior clocks – their bright orange glow dubbed a new neighborhood landmark.

The west continued its explosive growth and Denver was no exception. In 2001, Denver Union Station was purchased by an RTD organized consortium, who has since been implementing a master plan, with the intent of creating one of the nation’s largest transportation hubs. Construction began on December 3, 2012 and in July of 2014, on its 100th Anniversary, Denver Union Station reopened to serve the Mile High City – restored and revitalized to meet the modern needs of an ever changing metropolis.

The new elegant and modern Denver Union Station is a mixed-use, transit-oriented hub featuring The Crawford Hotel, a 112-room independent hotel on the upper levels, 22,000 square-feet of ground floor space for up to 10 independent retail and restaurant operations, 12,000 square-feet of public common space, the ‘Great Hall’ and 4,000 square-feet of outdoor plaza space – all created with a faithful and confident nod to the iconic history that has played a vital role in the growth of Colorado and its capital city.

In order to help bring their conceived facility to life, Sage Hospitality Group, Larimer & Associates and Amtrak partnered with Milender White Construction Company for general contracting and Tryba Architects. With a proven track record of successfully completing complex multi-use downtown projects, RK Mechanical, Inc. was selected as mechanical contractor.

As an ASME and AISC certified contractor, RK Mechanical is rooted in tested processes designed to deliver predictable results. Surprise internal audits throughout the duration of the project helped to ensure that the team was doing what they said they would do with the appropriately trained and certified personnel, as well as properly documenting progress along the way. By ensuring clarity of goals and expectations, the RK Mechanical team was able to effectively work with on-site personnel at the mechanical manpower peak without compromise to standards.

Tracking deficiencies while building a hotel can be difficult due to the sheer number of rooms and spaces. Without a system to thoroughly document installation, it’s likely that quality could slip, creating lengthy punchlists. To avoid any unforeseen errors on the Denver Union Station Hotel, RK Mechanical implemented BlueBeam Studio software. The team loaded drawings onto Bluebeam Studio and coordinated walks with small business partners to ensure transparency and open communication. By using Studio, the team was able to do live updates to the drawings so that crews could walk the building and update the drawings at the same time.

In addition to BlueBeam, quality deficiencies were noted and photographed and the pictures were posted directly to the drawings and rooms where the issues occurred. These drawings were then shared with the entire construction team so that crews could stay on the same page and correct outstanding items. This method saved time in documenting progress and keeping the time sensitive punchlist items to a minimum.

There were a number of challenges regarding scheduling on the project that occurred before RK was on-site, including delays on large-scale orders of equipment from factories. These two factors had a ripple effect that stalled the rough-in finish on floors near the end of the project. To combat these unforeseen delays, the project team created weekly plans and schedules that included an extra meeting and walk-through of each floor with all trades. After the meeting and walk-through, the combined crew of trades would put together one week schedules, outlining trade-specific tasks with extremely tight sequencing. Each activity had a ‘sign-off’ that was posted on the floor plan to document that each trade was progressing as planned – this let the subsequent trade know what work was then available to them. Through this process, the team was able to overcome the project delays and stay within the original contract schedule.

Due to the building’s rich history and meaningful presence in Colorado, the transit hub has been a venue worth saving. In light of that, the project team was forced to work with and abide by the historical requirements set in place by the National Park Service (NPS). An agency of the United States federal government, the NPS manages all U.S. national parks, monuments and other conservation and historical properties. During the construction process, the NPS would randomly walk the jobsite and make special requests they deemed necessary to preserve the historical integrity of the building. It was nearly impossible for the construction team to anticipate what the NPS would find, often making their visits disruptive to work flow and schedules. However, while it was a great challenge to meet their high expectations while being mindful of budgetary concerns, RK Mechanical values the role it played in restoring the historic facility.

One of the main difficulties encountered in completing the project was an incorrect existing structural 3D model. The 3D model that was provided to the team for coordination and installation purposes was wrong. This error meant that when the CAD department drew in pipe or duct, it was often in conflict with existing structural beams or columns. To correct this potentially disastrous issue, the team placed two dedicated CAD team members on-site and left a field person at their disposal. The selected field person would run back and forth from the on-site CAD station to various structural elements within the building to verify the location of actual beams and columns. The RK crew was able to correct the structural model so it could be used as a tool to properly coordinate installation on the rest of the project.

By: RK Mechanical

RK Mechanical, Inc. won two Award of Excellence trophies at the ABC-EIC awards on October 19th. One was awarded for the new Rooftop at Coors Field and the other was for the work that RK did on the Aspen Art Museum. RK also won a second place Award of Merit trophy for the Denver Union Station project.

While the original plan for Coors Field, located at the now-famed corner of 20th and Blake Street in Denver, was for a modest stadium of 43,800 seats, the first season of Rockies baseball, played at Mile High Stadium, set an all-time MLB single season attendance record of 4.5 million. Due to the mass amount of fans and interest, the construction team added an additional section to the stadium plans – specifically the right upper deck.

Hailed as one of the most spectacular stadiums in MLB, Coors Field’s history goes beyond its 1991-1995 construction. In 1994, the construction team made a discovery of ancient archaeological proportions – a Cretaceous-era dinosaur egg, an unidentified dinosaur rib, and the crown-jewel: a 7-foot-long, 1,000-pound Triceratops’ skull. The discoveries of the fossils led to the birth of Dinger – the purple dinosaur mascot of the Colorado Rockies.

Coors Field officially opened for the start of the 1995 MLB season, hosting its first game on April 26th. Cultivating the next generation of fans, the Colorado Rockies announced in October of 2013 their plans to add a brand new rooftop viewing and entertainment area on the upper right field deck and concourse. Populous, the original architect on Coors Field, created a master plan for the new, two-level, 38,000 square-foot area to include multiple bars, restaurants and social gathering areas to be completed with a ‘LoDo’ (Lower Denver) theme, including stunning views of the Rocky Mountains.

In order to help bring the new rooftop area to life, the Colorado Rockies partnered with Mortenson Construction for their general contractor, Populous and ME Engineering. With a proven track record of successfully com­pleting complex stadium projects, RK Mechanical, Inc. was selected as the mechanical contractor for the Rooftop at Coors Field.

As an ASME and AISC certified contractor, RK Mechanical is rooted in tested processes designed to deliver predictable results. Surprise internal audits throughout the duration of the project helped to ensure that the team was doing what they said they would do with trained and certified personnel, as well as properly documenting progress along the way. By ensuring clarity of goals and expectations, the RK Mechanical team was able to effectively work with on-site personnel without compromising standards.

There were a number of challenges regarding scheduling on the project that occurred while RK was on-site, including an extremely short time line and the freezing temperatures that come with Colorado winters.

The crew worked outside in the dead of winter and experienced multiple delays due to   -20 degree temperatures. Not only were the team’s toes and fingers numb, the adhesive glues would actually freeze during installation, limiting expo­sure duration. On several occasions, the team would have to stop work for the inclement weather and work longer shifts the following week to make up for the schedule delays.

In order to meet the quick project deadline and combat the unpredictable weather, team members were asked to work 60-70 hours per week. This daunting task was met with employee perks and motivating incentives including weekly gift card drawings to those who worked over 60 hours the week before. This tactic kept employee morale high and inspired the team to keep pushing toward the project deadline.

Value engineering generates alternatives that secure essential system functions at the best project value. Implementa­tion and rigorous use of value engineering strategies help to keep the project within budget. RK Mechanical’s level of experience in selecting equipment, systems options, and constructability, all play a major role in the value engineering effort. On the Rooftop at Coors Field project, the RK Mechanical team followed strict processes to keep the project within budget, while maintaining the integrity of the design intention.

In addition to the quick schedule and wicked winter weath­er, the RK team was met with an additional obstacle – the stadium itself. Half of the area below the concourse level was above part of the stadium seating. In order for the team to complete the below slab plumbing, they had to erect a 250-foot long, 30-foot wide and 30-foot tall ‘dance floor’ scaffolding. The ‘dance floor’ allowed the team to reach the below slab to install the new plumbing system.

The team’s creativity was also tested while setting project equipment, due to the downtown location. The team was tasked with placing the make-up air units (MAUs) by flying them in over the top of the stadium without disrupting or hitting any of the expensive and hard to replace stadium lighting. Completing this assignment involved an extremely large crane and meticulous attention to detail. The crew was able to place all of the project equipment without error, due to constant communication and team collaboration.

The Rooftop at Coors Field project was finished in March of 2014 just before Opening Day in April. The new, 38,000 square-foot space hosts an abundance of food vendors, including the Tavern Ballpark, CHUBurger Colorado Craft Ca­sual Grill and Tuaca Terrace Bar. In addition to the new restaurants and bars, fans can utilize the new garden setting area and cabanas, watch the game on the outdoor TVs, enjoy pre-game entertainment and, of course, root for their Colorado Rockies to win!