Telus Plaza North
At over 430,000 ft2, situated on Jasper Avenue, overlooking the river valley and the North Saskatchewan River, TELUS Plaza North houses many businesses as well as a variety of shops and services. Since TELUS Plaza North is such a large hub for business, proper design and management of mechanical systems is all the more vital to maintain an enjoyable place for people to shop, work and enjoy.
ES Engineering was retained by the property management company of TELUS Plaza North as the prime consultant. As the prime consultant, ES Engineering not only manages the other engineering disciplines such as electrical and structural as required to properly complete a project but also handles construction administration; ensuring construction conforms to the prepared construction drawings, standards and specifications. As well, ES Engineering acts as the primary contact and source of information for the client.
North Tower Mechanical Room
The expansion of the penthouse mechanical room in the North Tower required the coordination of mechanical services between several floors to minimize disturbing existing equipment as much as possible. Placement of new mechanical equipment was done in such a way as to allow for easy future expansion and movement of large pieces of equipment. Electrical switchgears as well as a large electrical generator installed in this expansion presented a unique situation with how to ventilate the space while still adhering to the strictest fire protection codes.
North Tower Floors 4 – 9
Designed with a footprint of 17,000 ft2 for each floor, the tenant was to take over floors four to nine, this totals to over 100,000 ft2 of space. This area was to house offices as well as many pieces of extremely large server equipment, this presented a challenge with how to handle the heat generated as well as still maintaining occupant comfort. Existing mechanical equipment was reused but a “free cooling” design was engineered and installed to minimize energy consumption while still maintaining occupant comfort.
North Tower Mechanical System Review & Cooling System
After an extensive review of the mechanical system present in the North Tower, the system was retrofitted to provide additional cooling to the building while not having to install additional equipment in the mechanical rooms. Existing equipment was found to be underutilized and with the addition of fan coils throughout the building, additional cooling was provided while reducing wasted energy that occurred before a review the building mechanical system had taken place.
North Tower Elevator Shaft Pressurization
In case of a fire in the building the elevator shaft is to be pressurized to prevent the rise of smoke to other floors. The fan that was to pressurize the elevator shaft existed in the building, however it was not put to use for many years. By modifying the fan, an efficient system was designed while reusing existing equipment making the purchase of new equipment unnecessary.
North Tower Stairwell Pressurization
Creating a slight pressure in the buildings stairwell prevents the rise of smoke throughout the building in case of fire. When the stairwell is pressurized, it is free of smoke allowing occupants to exit the building safely and giving emergency personnel easier access to each floor. A mechanical system that safely and effectively pressurizes the stairwell in TELUS Plaza North was designed.
North Tower VFD Drives
The “Stack Effect” that occurs in buildings can cause problems with the opening and closing of doors as well as drawing in of unwanted air from outside the building. Having the typical properties of a VFD such as lower operating costs and increased control over the equipment, VFD installed on supply and return fans helps to reduce the stack effect. The propagation of smoke from a fire to other floors is more likely in a building that has a prominent stack effect. A VFD system was designed and installed for both the supply and return fans in the TELUS North Tower.
Chiller and Condenser Piping Design
A new pump was selected to help serve the existing condenser water system, a vital piping network in any large mechanical system. The piping layout was designed such that it integrated the new pump into the existing system as effectively as possible.
Food Court Tenant
An canopy hood required duct work to be laid out to properly exhaust and ventilate the cooking area. A design was created that utilizes existing duct work to minimize material costs.
