Overview
*ACASS Rating: Exceptional
The U.S. Capitol Power Plant (CPP) provides utility services to the U.S Capitol and 22 other buildings including the Supreme Court, House and Senate Office Buildings, and The Library of Congress, which account for17 million sf. With the construction of the 800,000 SF Capitol Visitor’s Center, upgrades to the existing utility systems were necessary. RMF’s work included developing a comprehensive master plan and designs for the renewal and expansion of the CPP and utility distribution system. This $80 million project has improved the operating efficiency and reliability of the plant and tunnels, while providing additional chilled water capacity to serve all of the proposed new buildings.
The U.S. Capitol Complex is served by 5 miles of tunnels which provide distribution of steam and chilled water, and first of these tunnels was constructed in 1908. Recent projects have been focused on the assessment and repairs to the entire system to improve the safety and long term reliability of the tunnels. The newest BIM software was utilized to create models of the tunnel system and design repairs.
Engineering Highlights
- 16,200 tons of industrial grade chillers, pumps, and cooling towers in a new structure, which will support 32,400 tons of capacity upon full build out.
- Free/pre-cooling heat exchangers and variable speed chilled water distribution pumping to optimize cooling system efficiency.
- Distributed Control System (DCS) for plant-wide system(s) control.
- 100,000 man-hours of RMF’s resources, including full-time on-site construction support over several years of construction, and multiple extensive assessment efforts.
