Building Statistics Part 1

General Building Data:

- Building Name: Geisinger Health System- Center for Health Research and Rural Advocacy (CHRRA)
- Location and Site: West end of Geisinger Health System Campus
            100 N. Academy Avenue Danville, Pa 17822
- Building Occupant Name: Geisinger Health System
- Occupancy or function type: Office Building
- Size: 63,000 sq ft (housing 120 employees)
- Number of Stories above grade: 3 stories (1 below grade)
- Owner: Geisinger Health System
- Design/Architect/Engineer: Ewing Cole, Philadelphia, Pa (www.ewingcole.com)
- Construction Manager: Owner (GSS- Facilities Administration)
- Civil Engineer: Borton Lawson, Wilkes-Barre, Pa (www.borton-lawson.com)
- Date of Construction: May 2005- Feb 2007 (scheduled completion)
- Actual Cost Information: $18.5 million total project cost
- Project Delivery Method: information unavailable

Architecture
- Architecture: the main purpose of the architectural style was to “express idea of a crossroad where research and practice intersect and where ideas and knowledge can be shared and communicated to a larger group.”- Ewing Cole Architects and Engineers.  The curvilinear plan of the building follows the circulation from the main hospital and the Weis Research Center.  The sloping roof and unique shape make it stand out on the campus of more traditional architectural and identifies the building as a special purpose meeting place for the entire campus.  The glass curtain wall on the south facing façade was meant to incorporate the surrounding greenery into the open office and conference room spaces.

- Major National Model Code/s and Zoning:
            2003 International Building Code
            2003 International Energy Conservation, Mechanical, and Plumbing Codes

- Historical Requirements of building or zone where built:  This building is an addition to the already established Geisinger Health System campus; there are no historical requirements to the area.

- Building envelope including description of roofing system and all the various types of exterior wall systems used through the building: The Roof includes a roof garden on the two story portion of the building.  The roof garden is constructed of 5-1/4” concrete slab, sloped (1/4” per ft) insulation, 1/2” dens deck, waterproofing, 4” rigid insulation, floradrain, garden roof system and 4” of stone around the perimeter.  The roof level varies in height from the east end of the building to the west end.  The roofing slopes from a low point of one level above the ground level on the east side up to one level above the second level on the west side.   The roofing system is made up structural steel wide flange beams and girders ranging in size from W8x10 to W18x40 with the addition of curved exterior spandrel beams. The beams are sized for a maximum spacing of 6’-6” off center with 1-1/2” 18 gauge galvanized metal roof deck spanning the system.  The exterior wall system is a combination of a large, curved glass curtain wall on the south facing façade, and a metal paneling system on the north wall.  This aluminum system is a combination of metal panels and tempered glass panels in an architectural pattern.

System Descriptions:

-Electrical System: PPL Co. is supplying the Geisinger Health System Campus with a 12.47KV aerial service.  The Center for Health Research and Rural Advocacy (CHRRA) is hooking onto the existing dual radial feeders from the Plant Engineering Substation to transformers A, B, M, and S.  Transformer S is in the basement of the Weis Research Center, which is directly adjacent to CHRRA.  The feed from transformer S will go through existing manhole EMH-9A and new manholes EMH-9B and EMH-9C and then go through two Kirk key interlock and disconnect switches in switchgear ‘17’ into the electrical substation room in the lower level of CHRRA.  Transformer ‘17’ is a 1500/1750KVA, 3-phase, 60HZ transformer stepping down the 12.47KV service to 480Y/277V for the building usage.  Transformer ‘17’ will service the 2500A bus of substation ‘17’.  Substation ‘17’ supplies 480Y/277V power to the automatic transfer switches, the emergency generator and power panels for HVAC equipment.  The system is stepped down again to 208Y/120V which services all lighting loads and appliance panels (including receptacles). 
            The building has a new 1250KW, 3-phase, 60HZ emergency diesel fuel generator with ground fault sensing coil.  EG-CH-1 feeds emergency main switchboard EMSWBD-CH.  The (3) 500-ton chillers, emergency lighting panels, emergency dimming panel, and emergency stand-by motor control center are serviced from this switchboard.  The new generator will also service existing load from the adjacent Weis Research Center.

-Lighting System: The lighting system in this building is connected to 208Y/120V as to Geisinger building standards.  There are (4) lighting panelboards (one per floor) which control the general lighting systems.  There are then (3) Dimmer Panels (2 on the ground floor and 1 on the second floor).  The dimmer panels control the lighting in the auditorium, multipurpose room, and executive conference room.  The dimming control is important in these spaces due to the many lighting zones and different lighting sources.  There are versatile spaces that require present scenes of lighting, making the dimming panel control necessary.  There are also (4) normal power relay panels for additional zonal lighting control.  These panels control lighting in the open office on the first and second floor along with the site lighting which is on an astronomical timer.
            There are (2) emergency lighting panels (1 on the first floor and 1 on the lower level) and an emergency dimmer panel on the ground floor and (2) emergency power relay panels.
            Due to the abundance of daylight in the building, photocells are incorporated into the lighting control system in both a dimming and on/off control algorithm. 

-Fire Protection System: A new fire service has been provided to the campus for CHRRA.  In addition, a sprinkler system has been designed to include protection for all areas in the building.  A wet standpipe system has been provided in each stair tower.  Also, a fire department valve has been installed on each floor level in the stair tower.  Sprinkler piping systems are black steel piping; sprinklers in occupied spaces are quick response, wet pendant, concealed sprinklers.  They are spaced for light hazard occupancy in the public and office areas.

-Voice/Data Communication System: CHRRA has a voice copper and fiber service and two data fiber services from two separate sources.  A 150 square foot MDF main telecom room is on the basement level, and there is an 80 square foot IDF room on each of the other floors.  Geisinger requirements are for only voice and data equipment to be located in these rooms.  There are three telecommunication rooms located throughout the building.  The communication system in CHRRA includes: voice data outlets, telephone outlets, podium floor box with power and voice data connection, floor box for video outlet, and junction boxes fro voice data at cubicles.

-Mechanical System: Part of the scope for CHRRA was to replace the existing chiller plant located in the Weis Research Center.  A 1,500 ton central chiller plant was added to CHRRA along with a 5,800 MBH steam to hot water exchanger plant.  The building has a single duct VAV distribution system with the following features to increase efficiency and sustainability: a plate and frame heat exchanger for free cooling during the winter months (able to turn off the chillers and save energy), variable flow primary chilled water pumping system (uses variable frequency drives on the pumps and chillers to vary flow), carbon dioxide monitoring and reset (minimizes the amount of ventilation air), daylight harvesting, and a full direct digital control system (controls the entire building including integrated lighting control).  (4) Air handling units ranging in size from 10-40 Hp are included in the single duct distribution system.  Linear ceiling diffusers were utilized in the main public spaces.

-Construction: Geisinger Health System Facilities worked as the CM on this project.  The construction for the 63,000 sq ft building was started in May 2005 and is scheduled to be completed in February 2007.  The total project cost is estimated to be $18.5M.

-Structural System: The allowable soil bearing pressure for the site is 5,000psi so a spread footing foundation system was incorporated into the structural system design.  The basement, which covers the majority of the blueprint, includes reinforced 4000psi concrete footings and basement walls along with 3000psi concrete slab on grade.  The slab on grade consists of a five-inch thick normal weight concrete reinforced with welded wire fabric and will be poured on a crushed stone sub-base and 10 mil vapor barrier.  The slab on grade is 6 inches under mechanical equipment areas. 
            Typical floor framing for CHRRA consists of 3-1/4 inches of 3500psi lightweight concrete on 2 inch 20 gauge composite metal floor deck.  The floor construction near the south-west facing curtain wall façade will be cantilevered from columns set back 10 feet from the exterior wall.
            The roof framing for this building consists of structural steel wide flange beams and girders spanning to columns. The beams are spaced at a maximum of 6’6” o.c. and support the galvanized metal roof decking.
            The lateral force resisting system on the north portion of the building consists of structural steel cross-braced frames between columns.  The cross-bracing frames to the basement shear walls.  For the south portion of the building, the resisting system is structural steel moment frames.

Special Systems:
- Auditorium:
            The 300 seat ellipsoidal auditorium includes stadium seating.  Patrons enter the auditorium from the ground level and then the seating steps down to partial infiltration of the lower level.  The auditorium is a column free space with roof spans of 50 feet.
Structural steel wide flange girders are located on the column lines and span across the auditorium to the perimeter columns. The beams and girders are designed for composite action to support the slab and to receive shear studs.