Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
On construction documents, designers should show coil pull, filter
pull, and motor access space requirements to ensure that piping, race-
way, or other equipment does not intrude into these spaces.
Designers must ensure that flood control is provided in all fan
rooms; a single, uncontrolled water leak can do hundreds of thousands
of dollars worth of damage to a building. All floor openings should be
protected with 2”-4” high curbs or pipe sleeves to “dam” any loose wa-
ter on the floor. Adequately-sized floor drains must be provided, with
floors sloped to these drains.
Mechanical Equipment Rooms for Boilers and Chillers
A boiler room, if required by the application, will house one or
more boilers and required support equipment. For a hot water boiler
system, space for pumps must be provided. For a steam boiler system,
the space requirements are significantly greater, requiring support space
for the feedwater and/or deaerators and water treatment systems.
Chiller rooms must be separate from boiler rooms and require
space for the chiller(s), chilled water pump(s), condenser water pumps,
and water treatment systems. ASHRAE Standard 15, adopted by many
code authorities, classifies a chiller room as a “refrigeration machinery
room” if the amount of refrigerant in the largest chiller exceeds certain
specified levels.
Ifsoclassiied,theroommustbeconstructedtohigherstan-
dardsandadetailedcodereviewforthesespacesiscritical
.
The space required for a boiler room and chiller room can vary sig-
nificantly due to the number and arrangement of boilers and chillers. A
reliable primary system will include at least two boilers and/or chillers
to provide standby capacity in the event of equipment failure. Hospi-
tals, research facilities, etc. will have at least three boilers and chillers
(each sized for 50% of the load) so that the failure of one unit will not
impact the ability to meet peak loads.
As a general guide, the following are the
minimum
space alloca-
tions for primary HVAC equipment rooms:
Hot Water Boiler Room: 0.7 % of the gross building area
Steam Boiler Room:
1.0 % of the gross building area
Chiller Room:
1.5-1.7 % of the gross building area
Room Height:
14'-18' clear below the bottom or the roof or
floor above structural elements
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