Northeast Ohio Medical UniversityBuilding Statistics I
General Information
Building Name: NEOMED Research and Graduate Education Building and Comparative Medical Unit
Location: Northeast Ohio Medical University campus, located at 4209 Ohio 44, Rootstown, Ohio 44272
To view a campus map/guide, click here
Building Occupant Name: Northeast Ohio Medical University
Occupancy Type: Research/Education
Size: 63,000 SF RGE, 14,500 SF CMU expansion
Number of Stories: 4 stories above grade
Project Team:
Firm Name |
Role |
Contact info |
|---|---|---|
| Ellenzweig | Architecture/Planning | 1280 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138 |
| TC Architects | Architecture and Interior Design | 755 White Pond Drive, Suite 401, Akron, OH 44320 |
| Schumacher Design | Interior Design | PO Box 115 Bath, OH 44210 |
| PSI, Inc. | Testing | 5555 Canal Road, Cleveland, OH 44125 |
Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineering |
311 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA 02472 |
|
Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineering |
1540 Corporate Woods Parkway, Uniontown, OH 44685 |
|
Civil, Structural Engineering and Landscape Architecture |
520 South Main Street, Suite 2531, Akron, OH 44311 |
|
Construction Manager |
6931 Ridge Road, Sharon Center, OH 44274 |
|
| Owner | Northeast Ohio Medical University |
4209 Ohio 44, Rootstown, Ohio 44272 |
Dates of Construction: May 2011- broke ground
December 2011- site package prepared, began construction
February 2012- original bid packages issued
August 2013- building opened for use
Project Cost: $38.8 Million
Project Delivery Method: Design-Bid-Build with Multiple Prime Contract
Architecture
Program: The project is comprised of three additions to the NEOMED campus. The main addition is the Research and Graduate Education Center (RGE), a four-story biomedical research building. The first three floors are fully built out with laboratories, support rooms, and offices, while the top floor is shelled in and will be built out as the research program grows. There exists a basement with mechanical plant covering the western third of the RGE footprint. The second component is a Comparable Medical Unit (CMU), providing animal care services. Lastly, several existing laboratories in Building D were renovated and branded as the Research, Entrepreneurship, Discovery and Innovation (REDI) zone.
National Codes: The following building codes were followed:
Ohio Building Code (OBC 2009)
Zoning: the RGE building is classified as non-combustible Type II B construction (offices/laboratories), with an accessory use H-3 (hazardous material storage). the CMU addition is also classified as Type II B construction.
Maximum height: four stories, 55'-0"
Allowable Building Areas: 23,000 SF
Building Enclosure
Facade: the majority of the RGE Building is covered in a modular face brick, anchored to the structural frame with vertical control joints roughly every 20 feet. The north face has a section of extruded face brick with a long sheet of storefront glass paneling where the open-write-up rooms are.
Roofing: 12inch by 12inch concrete pavers cover most roof space, due to the need for mechanical rooftop unit access. Outer portions of the roof are covered by metal roofing.
Building Statistics II
Construction
The construction of the RGE and CMU expansion was overseen by a General Contractor as part of a Multiple-Prime Contract. Before RGE construction could begin, several existing utility lines needed to be relocated.
Structural
The RGE structure was designed in accordance with the 2011 Ohio Building Code. The RGE rests on a concrete footing foundation designed for an allowable soil bearing capacity of 8000 psf. Basement floor construction and ground level first floor consists of 4 inch thick normal weight concrete slab on grade with welded wire frame reinforcing on a vapor barrier, resting on 4 inches granular drainage fill. Typical floors are 3 inch 20 gage composite metal deck with 4.5 inch normal weight concrete. A composite beam floor system is present at level 3 and 4 to the east end where offices are located.
The structural frame consists of steel W shape columns, beams and joists with hollow-structural-steel brace framing with field-bolted connections. All steel structural members and decking is black (not primed) with the exception of canopy framing members.
Typical roof construction is 3 inch 18 gage composite metal deck with 4.5 inch normal weight concrete slab, meant to support the mechanical units on the roof; along the north edge, type N roof deck is welded to structural steel. Both the bridge from the RGE to Building D and the Bridge from RGE to CMU are a low roof/canopy construction comprised of narrow-ribbed type A roof deck welded to supporting steel members.
Electrical
The RGE has a new main electrical service with a single-ended normal power switchboard rated at 480V 3000A. A pad-mounted distribution stepdown transformer takes the 480V down to 208/120V. This transformer is rated at 1500 kVA and is three-phase, four-wire. Power is then circuited throughout the building via double-throw branch automatic transfer switches. A 400kW/500kVA diesel emergency generator sits outside to provide power to the 225A emergency branch serving emergency light and power fixtures. The generator also is connected to a 300A circuit legally required for the fire pump, and an optional 800A standy circuit for HVAC components and select lab equipment.
Diesel Emergency Generator. Photograph from Scheeser Buckley Mayfield with permission
Lighting
Lighting in the RGE is mostly fluorescent. All lighting fixtures are suspended from the building structure rather than the ceiling system. Sensors and controls are provided to perform daylight dimming in perimeter areas and zero-occupancy shutoff.
Mechanical
The project has utilities independent of the campus infrastructure. Contained within the RGE basement are four 3MMBTU natural gas-powered condensing boilers for heating, two 300-ton electric centrifugal chillers for cooling, and three 1000lb/hr medium pressure vertical steam boilers for humidifiers and laboratory process equipment.
RGE basement chillers. Photograph from Scheeser Buckley Mayfield with permission
Most air handling units on the project were custom made by Air Enterprises. Two 100% Outdoor Air AHU's, sized at 37,500 CFM each, serve the lab areas to the west in the RGE. Serving the offices on the east is a smaller AHU at 25,000 CFM and 30% outdoor air. A small constant-volume 4,500 CFM air handler is located in the RGE basement to provide ventilaion and space conditioning. The CMU expansion has a new 85,000 unit with 100% outdoor air similar to the two serving the RGE labs.
Plumbing
Running water for the project is provided by a new 6-inch water service. Domestic hot water is provided via duplex 250-gallon gas-fired condensing water heaters located in the RGE basement. THe building is designed as a single zone with full recircualtion back to the water heaters. A separate supply and return branch provides hot water for the lab equipment and is outfitted with local backflow preventers. The plumbing system is equipped with a duplex water booster to assist in serving the upper floors.
Fire Protection
The RGE building is fully outfitted with automatic sprinklers. Sprinkler system is designed to meet Ordinary Hazard Group 2, with maximum spacing of 130 SF coverage per sprinkler. A new 1000-gpm fire pump is located in the basement, with a jockey pump to maintain 65 psi system pressure. All fire protection equipment is connected to a new 8 inch fire service. The existing CMU is non-fire-suppressed, so the expansion remained non-fire-suppressed with rated fire separation walls between it and the existing building
Telecommunications
Existing Telecommunications system in the Comparative Medical Unit are extended to the expansion and the new RGE Building. 120V power sources, obtained from the emergency/standby system, provide power for alarms and access control system.
Laboratory Equipment
A number of utilities not typical of buildings are present on the project due to the needs of the laboratory areas. Natural gas, steam, and compressed air are fed to various areas of the labs and vivarium. A lab vacuum system and waste system serves the project along with a special animal watering system for the CMU addition.