Page 74 - spaces4learning, Fall 2023

spaces4learning
CAMPUS INFRASTRUCTURE
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARTERS BROTHERS
campus loop immediately outside of the CHP. Any work to the university's active utilities network would have varying degrees of influence, but re-siting a substantial portion of the infrastructure distributed from the CHP could have implications across campus.
The new underground piping alignment runs parallel to the existing tunnel system, which heads south and east through central campus at the intersection of College Road and Library Way–– meaning complex connections to the existing infrastructure within the Plant, Pettee Hall, Morrill Hall, College Road Tunnel, and Library Way Tunnel. This strategy was intended to minimize the impairment of the campus loop system via a short-term cutover, but would not be without its challenges. The bulk of the pipefit-
of pipe, valves, and fittings into eleven separate deliveries across the summer. As challenges mounted, CBC worked with RMF to resequence its original plan on several occasions, workshop- ping routing solutions and evaluating stress analyses, allowing segments of the project to continue moving forward while oth- ers awaited delayed shipments.
Coordination and flexibility were critical in navigating the in- evitable unforeseen obstacles that emerged as summer turned to fall. Despite UNH’s extensive and up-to-date records of the un- derground utility networks on campus and the pre-construction investigative efforts during RMF’s design process, existing, un- documented telecommunications and alarm wiring duct banks were discovered that interfered with the initial routing plan. The wiring fed the campus dispatch center and could not be relocated or disrupted at all, so the only option was to find an alternative routing for the new piping. RMF and CBC worked together to find a solution that would meet the design requirements while also making the best use of the fabricated pipe already on site.
Solutions Today for Tomorrow
Understanding existing campus assets will enable UNH to more effectively and strategically plan future utility renewal and growth-oriented projects––allowing administrators to focus more on the "want to have" improvements than the "need to have" in- vestments. This project provided an opportunity for UNH's Util- ity team to laser scan the new utility runs as they were installed,
ting work had to be completed the CHP shutdown and cut over to the cooling season following commencement, and the start of the subsequent fall of 2022 heating season. Further, coordi- nation with the existing––and already congested––under- ground utilities was critical for the design and subsequent task of excavating, forming, reinforc- ing, and placing a 20’ x 20’ cast- in-place concrete vault to house the piping, tees, and valves that facilitate campus-wide utility distribution.
between the critical milestones of
74 FALL 2023 | spaces4learning.com
UNDERSTANDING EXISTING CAMPUS ASSETS WILL ENABLE UNH TO MORE EFFECTIVELY AND STRATEGICALLY PLAN FUTURE UTILITY RENEWAL AND GROWTH-ORIENTED PROJECTS— ALLOWING ADMINISTRATORS TO FOCUS MORE ON THE ‘WANT TO HAVE’ IMPROVEMENTS THAN THE ‘NEED TO HAVE’ INVESTMENTS.
tested, and backfilled, as well as verify the existing infrastruc- ture the campus already had in the ground––documenting the as-built locations via GIS map- ping for the archives and future utility locating. RMF and CBC also worked together during the project to ensure the ease of safe operations and mainte- nance for many years to come with the inclusion of additional meters and valves within the plant and remote operating valves at the site structures to allow access from the surface.
Purely due to the overall
width of the trench needed to support the large diameter piping and required clearances, a significant amount of green space, hardscapes, and the roadway were disrupted and then restored after the project. Included within that footprint was a road that provided access to another ongoing construction site on campus, as well as a fire lane for several buildings adjacent to the project site that had to be main- tained and approved by the State Fire Marshal for student access.
The Power of Coordination
To execute RMF's highly technical underground utility design while balancing a complex construction schedule, CBC devel- oped a coordinated procurement strategy with the piping man- ufacturer which broke down the more than four thousand feet
These measures contribute to a more reliable, safe, and effi- cient utility infrastructure network that serves students, faculty, and staff equally. UNH's new system went live in late November of last year, successfully bypassing the aging tunnel and resta- bilizing the heart of campus for its next era––complete with all-new hardscape and landscape for the academic community. In addition to enabling the advancement of UNH's mission, the modernization project has since received an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Excellence in Construction Award.
Elizabeth Nolder, PE, is a Principal with RMF Engineering. Brad Charters is a Principal and Michael Bean the Vice President of Project Management with Charters Brothers Construction.