TG Gallagher Signs Projects for Harvard, Mass Eye and Ear
Date: November 5, 2008
Cambridge, MA – Thomas G. Gallagher has announced the signing of three new projects in the greater Boston area, two for Harvard University and one for the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Two of the projects will meet the requirements for LEED certification.
For Harvard, T.G. Gallagher will be the mechanical subcontractor for a new research and administration building at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, and a new 250,000 square foot educational building for Harvard Law School in Cambridge. The Eye and Ear Infirmary project involves the rigging and installation of a 45,000 cfm air handling unit in the extremely tight confines of downtown Boston.
The Weld Hill research and administration building will provide Arnold Arboretum with a state-of-the-art greenhouse and research facility, as well as offices and meeting rooms. A highlight is a geothermal heat exchanger system which T.G. Gallagher will furnish, involving the drilling of 88 500-foot wells which will transfer thermal energy between the building and the steady temperature of the earth.
T.G. Gallagher will also provide plumbing, including a RO/DI system, dual containment piping for transgenic waste, a PH neutralization system, compressed air vacuum, storm drainage, sanitary waste and water and gas piping; and a wet and dry pre-action fire protection system. The $5 million project, a critical component of the Gold LEED certification for new construction, will be completed in 18 months.
The Harvard Law School project, involving the construction of a new building and the renovation of an existing one, will take three years. T.G. Gallagher will provide HVAC and plumbing for both buildings. The new building is designed to achieve Gold LEED certification. The HVAC systems consist of 385,000 pounds of ductwork, two high pressure steam stations, two hot water heating loops and a chilled water loop. Plumbing includes a full waste infrastructure, waterless urinals, steam domestic hot water heaters and three kitchens.
Harkness, the existing building, will be occupied during construction, requiring careful scheduling to minimize disruption, including maintaining one kitchen open through all stages of the project, which will take three years. The neighborhood has limited space for construction parking, difficult site conditions and noise restrictions in the early morning. The contract value for the mechanical work is $13.3 million.
T.G. Gallagher is the mechanical prime contactor for the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary project, which involves installing a dedicated HVAC system for the infirmary’s 6th-floor surgical center. Continuity of patient care and staff operations must be maintained at the hospital, which runs 24/7. The project wil take six months.
A 500-ton-capacity crane will be used to hoist prefabricated sections of the air handling unit, each weighing about 15,000 pounds, onto the roof of the building; this operation will begin on a Friday night and must be completed by Sunday afternoon so that downtown Boston can resume normal activity on Monday. Contract value of the project is $2.7 million.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) provides well-known and widely accepted standards for sustainable green building and development practices. Buildings earn points in such categories as water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental qualities. Depending on the points earned, a building may be Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum.
