McKenney’s assembled and installed a modular lab with customized HVAC conditioning equipment and more for a federal laboratory.
The Challenge
A federal agency required an enclosure that could maintain precise conditions— within tolerances of ±0.2 °C temperature and ±0.5% relative humidity—for highly sensitive experiments. In an existing building with limited square footage, the McKenney’s team had to coordinate and manage many different trades outside the typical scope of mechanical contracting to complete the lab.
The Solution
As the prime contractor, McKenney’s created a coordinated schedule to manage a wide range of subcontractors for mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire protection, epoxy flooring, ACT ceilings, cabinetry and doors. The team also chose to prefabricate walls offsite to simplify HVAC installation onsite and minimize disruptions to other building occupants. Project management and equipment designers met regularly with building owners, engineers, agency personnel and others to monitor progress and revise the schedule as needed.
The Results
The climate-controlled laboratory enclosure was completed on-time, on budget and met all the tenant’s exact tolerance specifications for the facility while minimizing the impact in the existing occupants of the building.
