June 2006
Medical Center A
Analysis of Building Systems and Modules--
Building Construction
Shell Systems
Structure:
Steel frame; rolled sections for columns, girders and beams; special "dropped"
girder to allow services in S-2 subzone to cross intermediate girder lines.
Platform:
Lightweight Portland cement concrete on steel deck.
Ceiling:
Suspended acoustical and GWB.
Partitions:
GWB on metal stud, non-bearing.
Integrated Service Systems
HVAC: Air handlers and crossovers of supply and return ductwork are located in Service Bay.
Air intake is by louvers in exterior wall of Service Bay. Main runs are in S-3 subzone; terminal
boxes and branch ducts are in S-4 subzone. Shafts for exhaust are located at Service Bays and
adjacent to elevator hoistways. Fans are on roof in penthouse. HVAC piping is in duct chan-
nels, parallel to ducts.
supply mains for water and gases are in S-3 subzone; supply branches and local distribution in
S-4 and S-5 subzones.
Electrical: The Service Bay electrical room is an expanded metal fence enclosure with vertical
bus risers, wall-mounted distribution and branch circuit panels, and ceiling-suspended stepdown
transformers. Branch circuits are installed in 4" x 4" wireways from the Service Bay electrical
room to throughout the interstitial space Zones S3/S4. Wireways are mounted `christmas-tree'
fashion on metal channel posts secured to the walk-on deck. The post supports are dedicated to
electrical distribution; telecommunications wireways are mounted on a separate `christmas-tree'
support system. The wireways are mounted at a 45-degree angle on the supports. The tele-
communications wire-basket cable tray and the signal systems wireways in the Service Bay
may violate the National Electric Code clear space above some of the electrical equipment. In-
terstitial lighting is by wall-mounted incandescent fixtures, which yield sufficient illumination but
also uncomfortable glare.
detailed in the construction documents as integrated systems, installed in three wireways.
Telephone/data and nurse call have dedicated 4" x 4" wireways, with the remainder of the sys-
tems installed together in a common 4" x 4" wireway. Telephone/data cabling is installed in wire-
basket cable tray above the electrical area of the Service Bay; the other signal systems cross
the electrical space in wireway. As was typical in the 1980's and 1990's, the telephone/ data ca-
bling was installed after construction by separate contract, and after the telephone/data wire
passes from the Service Bay into the interstitial space, it generally is not installed in the empty
wireways put in place by the original construction project. Cabling is bundled and relatively
neatly attached to the structural steel. The other signal systems, installed by the original con-
tractor, use the wireways as intended.
SUPPLEMENT TO RESEARCH STUDY REPORT
VA HOSPITAL BUILDING SYSTEM
APPENDIX A-5
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