Project:
Patrick Henry Building, Richmond, Virginia
The Challenge:
ColonialWebb Contractors made history while assisting on the renovation of the Patrick Henry Building, built in 1939. The $32 million project updated the building to serve as a temporary home for the state governor, his officials and other departments while the state Capitol was renovated.
ColonialWebb provided new systems and equipment and encountered numerous obstacles that required progressive thinking and skill. Placing modern technology in tight, outdated spaces took integrated planning. We installed completely new duct, piping and plumbing systems.
Our Approach:
Starting 30 feet below street level in the sub-basement, the building stretches up to its eight-level mechanical penthouse. Floor elevations varied from 7 to 17 feet, so retrofitting the building with more than 300,000 pounds of metal and more than 45,000 feet of pipe was not easy.
ColonialWebb managed this challenging task with careful consideration. Our detailing team spent more than 3,000 hours in one year leading the mechanical and piping coordination process. The team proactively discovered conflicts with fitting our duct system and equipment within the existing structure. We were forced to make innovative alterations in order to maintain critical ceiling heights.
We installed the following equipment:
- 16 new central-station air handling units
- 240 VAV terminal boxes
- 48 fans
- Two new 400-ton chillers
- Two cooling towers that also serve the newly renovated Virginia Capitol
Our field team installed some of the most densely packed mechanical systems in our company’s history. The sub-basement has a ceiling height of between 5 and 10 feet. We set in place 10 air handling units with associated ductwork and piping, much of which filled the space from floor to ceiling.
Our technicians made provisions to place access doors on both sides of the equipment. Going through the unit itself was the only way to get from one side to the other.
ColonialWebb completed the project in accordance with the strict regulations of the state’s inspectors.