Project Summary
The University of Central Florida (UCF) chose Hanson to perform an equipment condition assessment (ECA) for 60 facilities on UCF’s main campus in Orlando, Florida.
Performing an ECA on major existing systems is a strategy that helps a project owner evaluate equipment condition and anticipated lifespan and calculate estimates that assist in developing capital budgets for replacements and renovations. This data will aid UCF in its 10-year capital renewal and modernization plans and seeking approval from the university board of trustees to move forward.
Hanson’s services have included providing a visual survey and evaluating the characteristics of the facilities’ equipment. At each facility, Hanson has assessed equipment, such as cooling towers, air-handling units, hydronic pumps, boilers and chillers, split-system and packaged heat pumps, fume hoods, fan coil units, exhaust fans, chilled beams, variable-air volume boxes parallel fluidized thermal backfills (FTBs) and Series FTBs, lab air valves and zone reheat coils.
For each equipment unit, the visual evaluations were based on factors including unit tag, unit type, location, manufacturer, model number, serial number, electrical characteristics, installation year, age, ASHRAE-recommended life span compared to age, estimated life based on age, condition rating, date the condition was assessed, estimated replacement cost and general observations. Subsequently, Hanson was tasked with providing these same types of assessments for nine additional buildings on the UCF main campus.
Hanson is also providing equipment condition assessments for facilities and utilities equipment within the UCF main campus. There are more than 80 facilities, including classroom buildings, laboratories, research and simulation facilities, faculty office buildings, library, the central energy plant and the combined heat and power plant. In addition, Hanson is performing assessments for utility equipment such as lift stations, raw water well stations, campus irrigation pumps and water treatment.
At each facility and utility equipment station, Hanson will provide a visual survey of the mechanical equipment, including cooling towers, air-handling units, pumps, boilers, chillers, split-system and packaged heat pumps, terminal units, fan coil units and exhaust fans — and evaluate the characteristics of each, including age, life expectancy and noticeable issues.
Finally, Hanson is providing an opinion of probable cost for any equipment that is deemed to be within five years of its useful life expectancy. UCF is using the information gathered in the ECAs to update its equipment database, as well as to prepare a replacement roadmap budget for equipment on campus.