LabCorp Main Campus HVAC Replacement

Renovating an Occupied Laboratory

Burlington, North Carolina

Later, new piping distribution mains and branches will be installed in each renovated area until the old piping is no longer needed and the old equipment and temporary piping can be removed.

Our team designed a fully redundant mechanical, electrical, and plumbing system for LabCorp’s main lab, including all specialty compressed air and deionized water systems.

The electrical infrastructure and extension of the Powell South Building’s building automation systems digital controls’ infrastructure was installed prior to the new HVAC equipment.

This six-part renovation project resulted from a lack of properly functioning heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment across LabCorp’s Powell North Building. The facility’s existing HVAC infrastructure had been installed anywhere from 25-40 years prior to the renovation and was well beyond its expected service life. In an effort to prevent a loss in revenue from operating activities, we designed a new HVAC system and phased the construction project in such a way that allowed staff to continue working in the space during the renovation.

6

phase renovation

45

planned utility shutdowns

We explored two options for performing the HVAC replacement through an initial feasibility study. The selected option included a building addition, complete replacement of more than 30 air handling unites (AHU) and significant increase in the electrical scope. A new mechanical penthouse above the addition, built using offsite prefab construction, provides centralized cooling and heating plant for the lab buildings. The penthouse and structure shell is sized to accommodate fully redundant (N+1) chilled and heating water system equipment, including chillers, cooling towers, boilers, and pumps.

Owner

Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp)

Client

PNP Design Group

Square Footage

318,000 SF

Cost

$28 million

Services

Engineering

Markets

Health and Wellness
Industrial

Regions

Southeast

703.849.0100