Project Profile

Providence Medical Center Central Plant
Portland, OR

With a 14-story patient tower starting construction in December 2005 and the existing utilities use exceeding capacity, Providence Portland Medical Center constructed a new Central Utility Building that houses new chillers, cooling towers, pumps, medical air equipment, medical vacuum equipment, oxygen system, heat transfer system and diesel emergency generators. The unique challenge to this project was that the new building housing the Central Plant equipment was an existing five-story post tension deck parking structure combined with a fast-track schedule. Doug Spencer, physical plant director, said, "That is like replacing the engine, electrical wiring, fuel systems and changing the tires on a car while driving down the freeway." Additonally, new piping to an existing boiler room with three 800 hp boilers was installed.

JH Kelly was contracted to perform the HVAC wet and plumbing work scopes. Work started in late January 2005 and finished in Fall 2005.

• Three 1,200 ton York chillers
• 2,000' of 24" chilled water main piping
• Three Evapco cooling towers
• 9,000' of domestic water, well water, waste and vent piping systems
• Won the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) Vista Team award for infrastructure