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April 6, 2018 by patrick

Washington, D.C. VA Medical Center IDIQ

Owner

U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs

Location

Washington, D.C.
United States

Project Information

Multi-Year IDIQ Contract

Women's Health Pavilion,

Nursing Rehab Center,

4th Floor Patient Wards, and Auditorium

Sector

Government
Healthcare

The Women’s Health Pavilion renovation at the VA Medical Center in Washington, DC is a good example of Rhino’s creative problem-solving abilities as well as working in an occupied environment. Site surveys had to occur during normal business hours while the facility was fully occupied. The project involved renovation of the 5th floor (9,300 sf) in an occupied hospital. The architectural design called for a “Green Tree” floor plan to create a friendly, warm environment without any square corners.

This rounded corner architectural design posed problems for the design of the sprinkler and fire alarm system. Standard spacing of fire alarm devices and sprinklers were required as well as NFPA 13 and NFPA 72 spacing limitations enforced in a round room. Rhino worked with the Architect to provide the minimum number of devices, which reduced materials and installation costs and resulted in an esthetically pleasing space.

Services Provided

Building & Life Safety Code Consulting
Fire Alarm System Design
Fire Suppression System Design
Construction Phase Services

Markets: Government, Healthcare Services Provided: Construction Phase Services / Third Party Review & Inspection • Fire Alarm • Fire Suppression Systems • Life Safety & Code Consulting

April 7, 2016 by patrick

Canandaigua VA Medical Center Biomass Boiler Plant Addition

Owner

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Location

Canandaigua, VA
United States

Project Information

Renewable Energy Project
Occupied Campus Environment

Sector

Oil, Gas & Chemical / Industrial
Healthcare

In an initial phase, Rhino reviewed the sprinkler system design specification documents for the expansion of the Biomass Boiler Plant at the Canandaigua VA Medical Center in the Finger Lakes region of central New York. This facility uses biomass byproducts such as wood chips and bark salvaged from local lumberyards and logging operations to generate clean, steam-powered energy for the VA campus. The expansion building houses a steam-driven generator, automated conveyers, woodchip storage, emissions control equipment, and supporting utilities.

In a subsequent phase, Rhino developed the design of a deluge system to satisfy code equivalency requirements for fire rated construction between the wood chips silo and boiler rooms. We also designed a fire pump to provide the water supply to simultaneously support the deluge system and ceiling sprinkler systems.

Services Provided

Building Code Consulting
Life Safety Code Consulting
Special Hazard Suppression Design
Fire Pump Design
Construction Phase Services

Markets: Healthcare, Oil, Gas & Chemical / Industrial

March 1, 2016 by patrick

Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center IDIQ

Owner

U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs

Location

Richmond, VA
United States

Project Information

43,000 SF
Mulit-Year IDIQ Contract

Sector

Government
Healthcare

Rhino FPE was engaged to provide engineering, design, and consulting services under a multi-year IDIQ contract to the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center (VAMC). Task orders included construction of a new 2-story wing, relocation of occupants to the new space, and subsequent existing space renovations including Centralized Registration and Outpatient Lab areas. Another task order encompassed construction of a new Senior Management Building, a one-story, stand-alone facility for office use (10,000 sf). All work conducted in an occupied campus environment and required minimal disruption to patients and staff.

Rhino’s scope in all of these projects included design of standpipe and automatic sprinkler systems as well as extension of the existing hospital fire alarm system to protect the facilities. We also provided building code and life safety consulting to ensure that architectural designs met the VA Fire Protection Design Manual as well as applicable building code requirements.

Services Provided

Building & Life Safety Code Consulting
Fire Alarm System Design
Fire Suppression System Design
Construction Phase Services

Markets: Government, Healthcare Services Provided: Construction Phase Services / Third Party Review & Inspection • Fire Alarm • Fire Suppression Systems • Life Safety & Code Consulting

March 1, 2016 by patrick

Augusta Health – Conditions Assessment

Owner

Augusta Health

Location

Fisherville, VA
United States

Project Information

700,000 SF
Multiple Hospital and Medical Building Usage
atrium, special care pavilions, operating rooms

Sector

Healthcare

Augusta Health is required to comply with Joint Commission accreditation requirements and Life Safety code inspection. Rhino FPE was selected by the Owner to provide a conditions assessment of six buildings (A, B, C, D, Cancer Center, and Medical Office Building) in support of this effort. Our assessment encompassed a code compliance review as well as evaluation of construction and the fire protection and life safety features of each building.

Several challenges made the survey, evaluation, and analysis a complex task. Among the challenges: Multiple buildings constructed/renovated with differing codes, several use classifications, inter-connected buildings, and special building features or use characteristics (atrium, special care pavilions, operating rooms, etc.). Rhino developed a Conditions Deficiency Report detailing our findings as well as a prioritized list of recommendations with cost estimates for correction.

Services Provided

Life Safety & Code Consulting
Conditions Assessment

Markets: Healthcare Services Provided: Condition Assessment & Due Diligence Surveys • Life Safety & Code Consulting

February 29, 2016 by patrick

Battle Building – UVA Children’s Hospital

Owner

University of Virginia

Location

Charlottesville, VA
United States

Project Information

182,261 SF
3 story Atrium
Multiple Hospital and Medical Building Usage

Sector

Healthcare

Rhino FPE served as Fire Protection Engineer of Record for the new Battle Building, The multiple features of this high-rise hospital /medical facility required several interrelated fire protection systems including atria smoke control, stair pressurization, smoke compartment design, fire alarm with voice communication capabilities, seismic design, and multiple types of fire suppression systems (dry-type, pre-action, window sprinkler protection, wet-type, standpipe, and secondary on-site fire pump and tank water supply.

A challenge in the project was the narrow and long shape of the atrium. Rhino developed a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model using Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) to validate the design for the atrium smoke control system that was developed with prescriptive correlations. The ceiling configuration required special design for the smoke exhaust outlets to prevent plug-holing.

Services Provided

Fire Alarm Design
Fire Suppression System, Fire Pump & Water Tank Design
Life Safety & Code Consulting
Smoke Control System Design
Construction Phase Services

Markets: Healthcare Services Provided: Construction Phase Services / Third Party Review & Inspection • Fire Alarm • Fire Modeling & Performance-Based Services • Fire Suppression Systems • Life Safety & Code Consulting

Reston Virginia Office

12359 Sunrise Valley Dr. Suite 350 Reston, VA 20191

703·476·5034

Fulton Maryland Office

8115 Maple Lawn Blvd. Suite 350 Fulton, MD 20759

240·786·4535

State College Pennsylvania Office

412 Canterbury Dr. State College, PA 16803

814·933·5035

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