23 00 00 HEATING, VENTILATING, AND AIR-CONDITIONING (HVAC)
- Former user (Deleted)
- Pete Clarke
- Former user (Deleted)
Owned by Former user (Deleted)
23 00 01 Owner General Requirements and Design Intent
.01 HVAC Design General Requirements
- General: HVAC Design Professional services and documentation shall include the following:
- Comply with 01 00 00 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.
- Develop the HVAC component of the Basis of Design document to meet Owner’s Project Requirements and update at each design phase submission.
- Perform all necessary design analysis and calculations.
- Submit load summaries. Provide breakdowns for zones, major areas, subsystems and equipment loads. Include common engineering check figure ratios such as cfm/sq. ft., heating BTUH/sq.ft, and cooling sq. ft./ton.
- Sound and Vibration control analysis: Perform calculations and selection of attenuation provisions for HVAC systems to maintain sound and vibration within acceptable levels for each application.
- Economic / Life Cycle Cost Analysis: Perform and submit as required to confirm selection of base systems and potential options for alternate bids.
- Performance Requirements Compliance Documentation: Coordinate with lead Design Professional to submit application portions. Comply with requirements in 01 80 00 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS.
- All drawing sets shall include:
- Coordinated single line diagrams shall include both existing and new work as applicable.
- Overall building airflow diagram(s) showing interrelationships of air handling units, exhaust fans, duct risers and mains, primary dampers and air balance / pressure relationships.
- Overall building hydronic and steam system diagrams showing interrelationships of main heating/cooling plant equipment or central utility source, heat exchangers, pumps, pipe risers and mains and primary isolation and control valves.
- Diagrams shall include connected and cumulative design capacities and flow rates which can be toggled on during design phase for review purposes and off if desired for final construction documents.
- Clear delineation between demolition, existing to remain, and new work on plans and riser diagrams.
- For areas with special pressure relationship requirements that must be properly controlled, the Design Professionals shall include plans in the construction set of drawings showing simplified pressure relationships and tabular summaries of overall air balance for each pressure controlled space and summaries of system airflows.
- These plans shall be the basic floor plan (clearly identifying all room names/use - not just numbers) with easily recognizable tags for any room that is not neutral pressurization. The tag would indicate airflow direction (e.g. + and - or POS and NEG) and airflow (cfm).
- The drawing would also have a table indicating system level summaries of airflows per floor. (i.e. System SA (max/min), RA (max/min), General Lab Exhaust (max/min), Fume Hood Exhaust (max/min), General Exhaust, Transfer Air (including intended source - adjacent system), and any other special exhaust systems).
- The purpose is to have easy to follow summaries to help everybody involved understand the design intent during all phases of the project and for the record set for future operation and maintenance reference. Showing transfer air on a complicated duct drawing does not work well. The concept is similar to having simple Life Safety Plans for accurate and quick understanding.
- DESIGN FOR COMPLETENESS: All projects are expected to be complete at their conclusion, meaning that the project generates no need for additional efforts beyond the planned scope. Any expansion or renovation of conditioned space must include an assessment of the adequacy of the utilities infrastructure. Above all, the campus maintenance staff is not available to complete projects or provide remedies to problems caused by the project.
- Architectural Coordination:
- Space Planning: Comply with requirements in 01 05 05 Space Planning, .01 Planning for Engineered Building Systems
- Coordinate generous space programming allowance for equipment and shaft space for M/P/E distribution systems, including future flexibility for future expansion.
- Plan for and clearly label any future equipment space needs on drawings.
- Drawings shall include equipment sizes and locations, showing locations of all required service areas to be kept clear, including coil and tube pull and adequate space for major component replacement,
- Coordinate locations of supplementary structural steel above and/or clear space above and around equipment for portable gantry crane for rigging of large component replacement.
- Thermal Comfort: Comply with ASHRAE 55 Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy. Coordinate with Architect to integrate thermal envelope design and HVAC design iteratively such that thermal comfort criteria is met in the section 5.2 Method for Determining Acceptable Thermal Conditions in Occupied Spaces. Perform calculations and analysis for representative spaces.
- Criteria to be evaluated with respect to thermal envelope design includes:
- Operative Temperature (average air temperature and Mean Radiant Temperature)
- Allowable Radiant Temperature Asymmetry
- Allowable Vertical Air Temperature Difference
- Allowable Range of Floor Temperature
- Notify the Project Manager if comfort criteria is jeopardized due to impact of thermal envelope and/or if HVAC systems are being expected to overcompensate for lack of high-performance of the thermal envelope.
- Coordinate outdoor and rooftop HVAC equipment locations and screening requirements per 01 05 01 Site Requirements
- Inform and help guide space planning when applicable with respect to efficient equipment zoning for efficient operation and accommodating unoccupied shutdown.
- High-Performance Energy-Efficiency: Professional shall design each HVAC system and equipment application for optimal operating efficiency, and flexibility with the lowest life cycle cost.
- General: Comply with requirements in 01 81 13 Sustainable Design Requirements.
- Equipment Selection: Design Professional shall carefully evaluate and properly select the most effective equipment type and to best suit the needs of the application with emphasis on minimizing operating and life cycle cost, rather than minimizing size and first cost.
- Part Load Operation: Carefully evaluate system turndown requirements. Consider modular, multiple unit configurations where effective and practical for proper and efficient low part load operation and to help prevent complete system or building shutdown upon failure of a single primary HVAC system component.
- Primary and Terminal Equipment Zoning: The simplest and most effective method of energy conservation is to turn things off when not in use. To this end, zones with similar uses, environmental conditions, fresh air ventilation rates and occupancy schedules should be grouped together, to the extent possible, on the same HVAC system, to accommodate unoccupied shutdown.
- In general, general offices should be grouped together, but separate from classrooms and both should be separate from lab/research zones requiring 24/7 operation and/or 100% outside air.
- Define and keep separate special use zones with continuous process cooling loads such as main TNS and College Server rooms or audio-visual closets with high load densities that require independent cooling systems to accommodate unoccupied shutdown of central systems.
- Reliability and Redundancy: Professional shall determine the adequate amount of redundancy for each application of mechanical equipment to meet the Owner’s Project Requirements.
- Confirm Owner requirements for redundancy are clearly defined.
- Install fully redundant (N+1) stand-by chillers for extremely critical applications (such as critical research laboratories and computer centers) and/or as otherwise defined specifically in the Owner’s Project Requirements.
- For non-critical applications (such as general office spaces, general purpose classrooms, general commercial type spaces) full redundancy/complete standby is typically not required.
- Determine and specify applicable emergency power requirements. (research, process or other specific critical application).
- Check with Failure analysis to determine weak links in system and revise as necessary.
- Flexibility: Consider potential future expansion. Extent of expansion will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Consult with the University Project Leader and Engineering Services.
- Utilities / Infrastructure Coordination:
- General: Comply with requirements in 33 00 00 UTILITIES
- Perform analysis of existing utilities and/or existing HVAC infrastructure and submit summary of required upgrades to support new work.
- Utility Demand and Consumption Form: Submit and update throughout design phase.
- UTILITIES IMPACT POLICY: Each project is responsible for funding all utility infrastructure upgrades made necessary by that project.
- UTILITY DESIGN:
- Designer shall consult with current drawings, planning connections, and upgrades.
- University is in the process of developing master plans. Contact Project Manager.
- Mechanical Identification: Coordinate identification nomenclature with University Standards per 23 05 01.06 Mechanical Identification.
- HVAC Controls / Building Automation Systems:
- Comply with requirements in 25 00 00 INTEGRATED AUTOMATION.
- Coordinate control design with OPP Building Automation System (BAS) Application Engineering.
- 25 90 00 GUIDE SEQUENCES OF OPERATION: Designers shall use guide sequences of operation, whenever available. These “master” guide sequences have been developed and implemented at University Park in conjunction with existing BAS vendors and shall form the basis of the main sequences to maintain overall uniformity. Guide sequences shall be edited as necessary to meet project specific requirements. Fundamental modifications shall be reviewed and approved by the manager of the OPP BAS group. Do not cut and paste portions into designer’s “office standard” sequences.
- Variable Frequency Drives for HVAC Motors: Designers shall use guide specification in 26 29 23 Variable-Frequency Motor Controllers. Guide specification shall be edited only as required to meet project specific requirements. Proposed modifications shall be reviewed with OPP Engineering Services.
- Miscellaneous OPP Additional Resources and Links:
.02 Related Documents
- The general requirements of the Penn State Office of Physical Plant Design and Construction Standards, including the Introduction, General Notes to the Professional and Contract Administration Division and General Conduct of the Work and Special Requirements apply to the work specified in this Division.
- For convenience, other sections with additional University-specific associated requirements related to HVAC work, include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:
- 01 00 00 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
- 01 56 10 Temporary Protection of Outdoor Air Intakes
- 01 56 16 Temporary Dust Barriers and Construction Indoor Air Quality Control Plan
- 02 00 00 EXISTING CONDITIONS
- 13 00 00 SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION: HVAC requirements for special purpose spaces such as Classrooms, Bookstores, Labs, etc.
- 14 00 00 CONVEYING EQUIPMENT: ventilation and environmental requirements for elevator machine rooms
- 27 00 00 COMMUNICATIONS: Minimum Standards for Telecommunications Facilities, 5.1.2 Environmental requirements
.03 Definitions
- Reserved for future.
.04 Submittals
- Design Calculations: The University requires calculations to be submitted for all projects.
.05 Standard of Quality/Quality Assurance
- General (Reserved)
- Pressure Vessels
- All pressure vessels shall be in accordance with the requirements of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Labor and Industry Code for Unfired Pressure Vessels.
- Tanks and pressure vessels shall be inspected, stamped and certified to be constructed in accordance with the above code and the ASME Code for Unfired Pressure Vessels.
- Operating certificates shall be turned over to the University upon completion of the project.
.06 Coordination and Space Planning
- General: Refer to Space Planning requirements in the Introduction of the Design and Construction Standards.
- Mechanical Rooms:
- Mechanical rooms shall be designed in accordance with the most current version of all applicable codes.
- Mechanical rooms shall be planned with sufficient size and equipment laid out to provide adequate maintenance clearances for all equipment; (i.e. for filter changes, tube and coil pull spaces, repair of components, etc.). Adequate means of access shall be provided for replacement of largest piece of equipment without removing general construction or moving other equipment. Minimize the need to do maintenance from ladders. Provide overhead structural steel with portable chain hoists to lift heavy motors, compressors, fans, etc. Provide adequate lighting.
- Mechanical rooms shall be provided with an automatic ventilation system.
- Mechanical rooms shall be provided with a minimum of one floor drain. Floor drains shall be piped to sanitary system.
- Provide mechanical rooms with minimum one hose bibb with backflow preventer in supply piping.
- All equipment drains, blow down lines, etc. shall be piped to a floor drain with an approved air gap fitting.
- Mechanical rooms shall be located to provide access directly from the building exterior. Mechanical rooms shall not be located where vibration and/or noise would be objectionable.
- Janitor Rooms
- Janitor rooms are not accessible to maintenance employees. Therefore, mechanical equipment, valves, electric panels, thermostats, etc. are not to be placed in these rooms.
- Refer to Division 23 00 10.03 for janitor room ventilation requirements.
- Equipment Locations
- Terminal units and air handling equipment shall not be located above an occupied space unless prior approval is received from the University. All equipment must be readily accessible for maintenance.
- Floor mounted equipment shall be installed on concrete housekeeping pads. Pads shall be isolated from the surrounding slab if vibration requirements warrant.
- All equipment installed on grade outdoors shall be installed on reinforced concrete pads. Foundation requirements shall be analyzed for large pad-mounted equipment.
- Locations of mechanical equipment which affect the aesthetics of the building and Campus shall be approved by the Environmental Quality Board. Discuss approval procedures with the Project Manager.
- Equipment above the finished floor level or roof level shall be provided with access platforms or walkways suitable for maintenance activities.
- Equipment accessible to the general public shall be provided with screens, fences, or enclosures to deter vandalism and to prevent access to dangerous conditions.
23 00 10 Systems Selection and Application
.01 General
- Construction documents shall clearly record all pertinent information and criteria related to the design, construction and intended operation of the HVAC systems. Such information shall include, but not necessarily be limited to:
- Critical space temperature and pressure relationships to be maintained.
- Construction phasing planning as required to minimize disruption to existing facilities and occupancies.
- Future provisions including:
- Intentional oversizing of equipment or distribution systems and intended future connection points.
- Floor Space to be kept clear for future additional equipment.
- Provisions for major equipment replacement such as removable louvers or knock-out panels, etc.
- Special operating instructions of systems, special purpose valves, dampers or manual/emergency type controls.
- Shut-down and emergency instructions.
- Intended summer and winter operating and change over instructions.
- Any other special operating or maintenance instructions.
- Equipment (Non-typical)or Process Load Criteria: Design criteria for specialized, non-typical equipment or process heat gains (excluding people, lights, conduction, and solar loads), in critical and special areas such as computer rooms, microcomputer labs, research labs, etc. shall be scheduled on the drawings by room number for future reference.
.02 Design Conditions
The following are general design guidelines for inside and outdoor design conditions.
Area Description Season Indoor Outdoor Comments Comfort Areas Summer
Winter75°F DB/50%
72°F DB/25%90°F DB 74°F WB
0°F DB1, 4 5 Labs & Critical Areas Summer
WinterConsult w/User
Consult w/User92°F DB 74°F WB
0°F DBNote 5 Animal Rooms Summer
WinterNote 3
Note 395°F DB 75°F WB
-10°F DB2, 5
2Cooling Tower Selection Summer
Winter77°F WB
Notes:
- Consideration shall be given to morning warm-up cycle.
- Typically these systems are required to be 100% outdoor air systems, therefore, the outdoor design conditions are altered for these and any other 100% outside air systems. Specified discharge air temperatures shall be maintained at all times.
- As specified in the latest edition of "Guide for Care & Use of Laboratory Animals".
- Operating control setpoints shall be as follows:
- Comfort Areas such as general office/classrooms
- Occupied: 70 heating, 75 cooling
- Unoccupied: 60 heating, 85 cooling
- Holiday Setback: 50 heating, 85 cooling
- The University Park Campus chilled water system distributes chilled water at a supply temperature of 43°. Therefore, all chilled water coils must be selected to function at a supply chilled water temperature of 43° with a minimum of 12°. The exception to this requirement is chilled water coils that are expected to provide cooling year-round to isolated zones that are not practical to serve via airside economizer (examples: telecom/data closets, elevator equipment rooms). These chilled water coils must be selected to function at a supply chilled water temperature of 48°, which is the winter “free cooling” maximum supply water temperature.
.03 General Pressure Relationship and Ventilation Requirements for Certain Areas
- General: Ventilation systems shall be designed to achieve high indoor air quality by providing adequate amounts of fresh air to maintain adequate and safe breathing air, control odors, and associated exhaust to remove contaminants from occupied spaces for each application. Proper pressure relationships shall also be maintained where required with adequate differential airflow between adjacent spaces in the direction from most clean (positive) to most dirty (negative).
- Codes, Standards and Guidelines: In addition to minimum requirements of the Building Code, ventilation systems shall be designed in accordance with the following current editions of industry standards and design guidelines.
- ASHRAE 62.1- Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality
- ASHRAE HVAC Applications Handbook: Follow the guidelines for the General, Comfort, and specialty Industrial/Process/Research Applications associated with the project scope
- ANSI/AIHA Z9.5 - Laboratory Ventilation
- The purpose of this standard is to establish minimum requirements and best practices for the design and operation of laboratory ventilation systems to protect personnel from overexposure to harmful or potentially harmful airborne contaminants generated within the laboratory. This standard:
- Sets forth ventilation requirements that will, combined with appropriate work practices, achieve acceptable concentrations of air contaminants.
- Informs the designer of the requirements and conflicts among various criteria relative to laboratory ventilation.
- Informs the User of information needed by designers.
- This standard does not apply to the following types of laboratories or hoods except as it may relate to general laboratory ventilation:
- Explosives laboratories
- Radioisotope laboratories
- Laminar flow hoods (e.g., a clean bench for product protection, not employee protection)
- Biological safety cabinets
- Standards used by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International for Accreditation of Animal Facilities:
- Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources
- Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Research and Teaching
- Special Requirements from Users: Determine any project-specific research or process ventilation or pressure relationship requirements with the University User’s representative and review with Operations staff at OPP. Requirements may vary.
- Cooling of Utility Spaces: Use ambient/outside air for cooling of general mechanical and electrical distribution rooms to the fullest practical extent.
- The preferred typical temperature range for these spaces is 55°F minimum (heating) and 85°F maximum (cooling) to provide acceptable temperatures for equipment and service personnel yet balanced with goal of requiring minimal heating and cooling energy. Care must be taken in establishing a minimum temperature in order to avoid the risk of condensation in electrical equipment. It is permissible for seasonal, short-term (partial day) operation at a maximum of 10°F above the 99.6% Summer Outdoor Design DB temperature, but not to exceed the most stringent maximum ambient operating temperature ratings of any installed equipment.
- For applications that cannot otherwise maintain acceptable operating conditions per the above in a practical, cost-effective manner using either outside air or air transferred from adjacent conditioned spaces, provide mechanical cooling as required. Mechanical cooling systems shall be designed to operate only minimally as required to maintain recommended upper temperature limits for equipment expected to operate for extended periods at those conditions, in order to optimize service life. For spaces requiring continuous cooling, do not rely solely on central air systems serving multiple spaces with scheduled occupied/unoccupied periods. Design shall accommodate shutdown of central systems during unoccupied periods.
- Elevator Machine Rooms with electronic controls and/or solid state components shall be conditioned with split-system heat pumps.
- Centralized battery banks, equipment with large batteries such as centralized Uninterruptible Power Supplies and/or other similar battery applications shall be in spaces with temperature maintained for optimum battery capacity and service life – generally between approximately 65 and 80°F (confirm with battery equipment manufacturer’s recommendations). Ventilation of centralized battery rooms must be designed to limit any hydrogen concentration to lowest levels specified by accepted industry standards.
- Where fuel-fired equipment uses room air for combustion, do not use exhaust fans that will make the mechanical space negative and thus adversely affect proper combustion or venting of flue gases.
- Openings to the outdoors shall be screened/ minimally filtered to keep out insects, dust, pollen, etc. Air for the main station switchgear and motor control center rooms should be relatively clean. Any makeup air supplied from outdoors shall be filtered with minimum 30% efficient air filters.
.04 Standby Equipment for Critical Areas
- Standby equipment requirements shall be discussed with the Project Manager for systems serving critical areas such as:
- Labs
- Research Buildings
- Animal Rooms
- Main Frame Computer Rooms
- Elevator Machine Rooms (Required for buildings with four (4) or more stories above the egress level.
- Contract documents shall indicate equipment which is intended for standby service.
- Animal Rooms, in addition to being tied into the main building chilled water system, shall have a totally independent air-cooled, chilled-water system to serve as backup during summer operation and to provide a year round supply of chilled water.
- Auto changeover shall be provided for all standby equipment. Changeover shall be alarmed to CCS. Refer to Division 23 09 00.
.05 Emergency Shutdown
- All systems shall be arranged for emergency shutdown requirements outlined in the applicable codes.
- Emergency shutdowns shall be alarmed to CCS.
.06 Central Heating and Cooling Plant
- CAMPUS CHILLED WATER:
- Much of University Park Campus is, or will be, served by a campus loop chilled water system. The chilled water system of each new building must be designed so as to be compatible with the characteristics of the campus chilled water system. New buildings shall have chilled water pumps (in a booster arrangement from the campus distribution loop with check valves and automatic control valves). Refer to Campus Chilled Water System Building Service Entrance Details (with our without heat exchangers as applicable).
- Buildings served by a central chiller plant shall NOT have an automatic water make-up connection. Make provision for flushing and initial filling of the chilled water system using domestic water.
- Expansion tanks shall not be installed in any part that directly connected to the campus chilled water system. Buildings provided with a heat exchanger will require an expansion tank (bladder type) in the building side of the heat exchanger, but NOT in the campus side.
- Refer to Chilled Water System Sequence of Operation posted for the general requirements relating to Building Chilled Water Control Systems. Review and coordinate project specific modification requirements with University Chilled Water Utility Engineer.
- All buildings shall be provided with shut-off valves at the building entrance (inside the building) with manual air vents and drains on the plant side of the shut-off valves. Refer to Building Wall Penetration Detail.
- All isolation valves shall be high performance butterfly valve, lug style.
- Provide thermometers in thermal wells. Provide manifold pressure taps to a single gauge. Automatic air vents shall have isolation valves for replacement/maintenance. Manual air vents to consist of ¾” ball valves and necessary pipe/fittings to clear valve handle of insulation. Discharge from manual air vent valve to turn out horizontally from carrier pipe and be provided with hose bibb connection and cap on chain. Low point system drains are to be installed in similar fashion with ball valve, piping, hose bibb connection and cap. Provide air/water separators with a combination of manual and automatic air vents at all high points in system and drains at low points.
- Emergency chilled water tie-in points shall be provided on air conditioning critical buildings such as animal facilities, computing centers, medical facilities, etc. Discuss with Project Manager for application.
.07 Zoning
- Zoning of the systems shall be done in accordance with sound engineering judgment relating to varying load conditions, function of space, occupancy schedules, etc. Final zoning shall be discussed at conceptual design stage with the Project Manager. Rooms shall be individually controlled.
- All Classrooms are to be separately zoned to allow cooling all year long, including those times when building air conditioning is turned off for the season. Refer to Division 13 for further references to General Purpose Classroom document that includes information on HVAC needs related to Classrooms.
.08 Water Systems
- Glycol Dry Coolers
- Utilize free cooling option for computer room systems when it is cost effective.
- Refer to Detail [23 xx xx .xx]. Details are not yet available in WEB-based manual.
- Process Cooling Water Systems
- City water is not permitted to be used in "once through cooling" applications.
- Laboratory equipment and other applications requiring specialized process cooling water shall be appropriately designed by the Professional. Specialized process cooling equipment or heat exchangers and pumps connected to other building condenser water loops may be utilized, if applicable.
- The Professional's approach should be reviewed with the University early in the design process.
.09 All-Air Systems (General)
- Ducted supply and return systems are required. Return plenums are not permitted unless prior approval is received.
- One hundred percent shutoff VAV systems are not permitted. Minimum airflow must be maintained to satisfy ventilation requirements. Reheat shall be provided for all interior and exterior zone VAV boxes.
- Economizer cycle (temperature controlled) shall be utilized on all systems for areas requiring year-round cooling.
- For all systems five tons and over utilizing economizer cycles a separate return fan must be utilized to provide positive relief and also to provide standby capacity in the event of supply fan failure. Relief or exhaust fans are not allowed for this application.
- All sheet metal shall be specified to be constructed in accordance with the latest edition of SMACNA's HVAC duct construction standards.
- It is the intent that duct leakage tests will not be necessary since the Professional will be specifying a high quality duct joint and seam sealant or sealing system to be installed on all ductwork constructed to static pressure classifications of 1" and greater.
- The Engineer shall specify a duct static pressure construction classification, a duct seal classification and a duct leakage classification (when required) for all duct systems. All values shall be as recommended by SMACNA in "HVAC Air Duct Leakage Test Manual", First Edition-1985.
- Duct Leakage Tests shall only be required for air systems with a 4" or greater duct static pressure construction classification.
- Duct systems constructed to static pressure classes lower than 4" shall be inspected for leaks by a representative of the Professional’s office or the University prior to insulation of the duct system. All sources of audible noise shall be identified and sealed in accordance with the project specifications.
.10 Computer Room Air-Conditioning Systems
- Main frame computer room air conditioning systems shall be package computer room units, glycol cooled, with free cooling option. In raised floor rooms, distribution shall be under the floor. Raised floor shall be high enough to provide adequate air circulation but in no case less than 12".
- Units shall be equipped with trouble indicators, audible alarms with silencers and auxiliary contacts for shutdown upon detection of fire. All alarms shall be interconnected with CCS and the Contractor shall be required to demonstrate to a University Representative that each alarm is fully functional and connected to CCS.
- Humidification shall be provided to satisfy computer requirements using building steam. Electronic steam generators shall not be used except where building steam is not available. Discuss exceptions with Project Manager.
- Standby equipment shall be discussed with the Project Manager.
- Refer to Detail [23 xx xx .xx] for piping. Details are not yet available in WEB-based manual.
.11 Micro and Personal Computer Lab Air Conditioning
- See Paragraph 23 00 10.10.A, except that raised floors are not normally installed and distribution may be ducted overhead.
- Humidification is not normally required.
- Standby equipment is not required.
.12 Laboratory Ventilation Systems
- General:
- Laboratory HVAC systems shall be designed to satisfy the specific parameters for each laboratory to provide a safe working environment for all personnel, maintain the necessary indoor environmental conditions to conduct the teaching and/or research within each laboratory, and meet the high-performance requirements in Division 1 of the Design and Construction Standards.
- The Design Professional shall collaborate with the University representatives in order to understand the function and associated parameters for each laboratory application and thus determine the most appropriate HVAC system selection and design.
- Ascertain as early in the design process as possible all HVAC design parameters with the laboratory supervisor, college/department safety staff, OPP Engineering Services, OPP Facility Automation Services, and Environmental Health and Safety.
- For areas or processes requiring user-controlled variable parameters, all such variable operating ranges must be carefully reviewed with the users to establish a clear understanding of expected operating conditions and system performance.
- All parameters shall be fully tabulated on the construction documents for each laboratory.
- Parameters shall include:
- Temperature range and allowable rate of change
- Humidity range and allowable rate of change,
- Minimum occupied/unoccupied ventilation rates for type of lab and associated hazard assessment
- Room pressure relationships
- Specific type(s) of laboratory containment/exhaust equipment with associated performance parameters. The identifying nomenclature of the type shall conform to the OPP Equipment Acronym List / Facility Asset Management Database.
- Application-specific alarming requirements, in coordination with the laboratory supervisor/safety staff, EHS, and OPP Facility Automation Services. Detailed requirements shall include:
- Alarm set points,
- Alarm notification class (General, Critical, Preventive Maintenance, Diagnostic, Life Safety, or other specialty if needed)
- For Critical, Life Safety or other specialty alarms, define the distribution list and preferred method (email, text, or voice message) of associated alarm notifications to key recipients,
- Air treatment requirements for process and safety, which can include any combination of particulate, HEPA, gas-phase filtration, and other air purification/sanitizing treatment of supply and/or exhaust.
- Defined spare capacities and/or control operating range allowances that can cost-effectively accommodate anticipated, potential changes.
- Specific requirements for standby equipment and emergency power to achieve system reliability and life safety.
- In general, EH&S recommends that ventilation systems (exhaust and adequate make-up air) serving fume hoods be connected to emergency power, to prevent toxic and/or flammable gas/vapor build-up in the event of a power outage, which has previously been related to a fire on campus.
- Emergency power is not an absolute requirement for all cases. Each project-specific application shall be assessed among the Design Professional, scientific staff, EHS, and OPP; and the capabilities and/or implications to the electrical infrastructure shall be determined.
- Operable window systems are prohibited in conditioned, pressure-controlled laboratory spaces due to the following reasons.
- Life Safety Consequences: Loss of proper air pressurization control
- Random crossflows (drafts) in a space, created by wind, adversely affect a hood's ability to capture, resulting in an unsafe working environment.
- A windward (positively pressurized) opening in a laboratory space has the potential to over-pressurize an individual room, reversing pressures and forcing laboratory air into the egress corridor rather than safely collecting/exhausting air at the designated discharge points.
- A leeward open window can draw a significant quantity of air out of a lab, causing multiple consequences: reduced hood capture, "stealing" pressurized air from one location causing adjacent labs to be positive in respect to the corridor, and permitting exhaust effluent to potentially affect pedestrian areas outside the building.
- Energy Consequences:
- Uncontrolled airflow into or out of a window reduces the energy recovery capability of the exhaust system.
- An open window can arbitrarily drive the HVAC system to extremes, thereby increasing energy usages, and potentially causing adverse effect to adjacent spaces.
- Window seals break down over time, leading to leakage and comfort issues.
- Research Consequences (loss of controlled conditions):
- An open window can allow various biological, physical, and chemical constituents into the airspace, completely circumventing the air filtration or other air treatment systems, and thus adversely impact research in the space.
- Accurate temperature and humidity control cannot operate properly with a "rogue zone". Therefore, systems may not be able to operate within the user's tolerances for temperature and humidity.
- Laboratory space humidity cannot be controlled with an open window. Vapor pressure will always equalize, and quickly, regardless of wind direction.
- HVAC infrastructure serving laboratory spaces shall be flexible and adaptable. Research objectives frequently require changes in laboratory operations and programs. Therefore laboratory ventilation systems must be designed to be able to accommodate reasonably anticipated changes without significant modifications.
- The utilities, distribution and terminal equipment system design shall be flexible enough to supply ample cooling to support the addition of heat producing equipment without requiring modifications to the central HVAC system. Apply a minimum 10% safety factor to sensible cooling loads. Consult with OPP if higher factors are requested by laboratory users for more specific anticipated needs.
- Ventilation system infrastructure design shall be easily adaptable to allow programmatic research changes with associated modifications to the laboratory's ventilation system infrastructure to be kept within the confines of the individual laboratory area, and/or interstitial and utility corridors.
- HVAC construction document sets shall include drawings showing simplified pressure relationships and air flow summaries complying with requirements in Section 23 00 01 Owner General Requirements and Design Intent, .01 HVAC Design General Requirements.
- Maintain generous, safe, convenient service access to all laboratory HVAC system components serving and/or within laboratory spaces, including but not necessarily limited to, air terminal units, laboratory supply and exhaust air terminals, and BAS controllers, valves, actuators, terminal humidifiers, etc.
- Equipment must be readily accessible by ladder, without special accommodations.
- Equipment must be able to be removed without interrupting water, power, data, or fire protection services, or dismantling building general construction or fixed laboratory furniture.
- Avoid creating “confined spaces” for regular maintenance access, as defined by the Penn State Confined Space Program, and the OPP Confined Space Policy 05-005.
- Equipment installed in a prohibited or inaccessible location shall be relocated at no additional expense to the University.
- Codes, Standards and Guidelines:
- In addition to minimum requirements of the Building Code, laboratory ventilation systems shall be designed in accordance with the following (or current) editions of industry standards and design guidelines.
- ANSI/AIHA Z9.5: Laboratory Ventilation (2012)
- ACGIH Industrial Ventilation: A Manual of Recommended Practice (2013 edition, or current)
- ASHRAE 62.1: Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality (2010 or current)
- This standard shall supersede the associated portion of the International Mechanical Code for mechanical ventilation rates in Breathable Zone and associated procedures, Air Classifications, Recirculation and Outside Air Intake criteria.
- ASHRAE Standard 110-1995 (or current) -- Method of Testing Performance of Laboratory Fume Hoods
- ASHRAE Applications Handbook including, but not necessarily limited to, the chapters for Educational Facilities and Laboratories.
- NFPA 45: Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals (2015)
- OPP Design and Construction Standards: Including but not necessarily limited to the following:
- Other Laboratory Design Resources: