JJ White General Construction

J.J. White Helps University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine

University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

Situation

The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine operates a Hyperbaric Chamber used in the treatment of patients with conditions ranging from decompression sickness to smoke inhalation. This chamber is the only one of its kind in the area and is a great source of pride for the University. The Chamber’s operation relies on many factors, the most important of which is the supply of chilled water for process cooling, as well as comfort cooling. The two chillers providing chilled water to the device were in constant need of repair, and had reached the end of their functional lives. These chillers required replacement.

Challenges

As this is the only facility of its kind in the area, downtime is not an option. In addition, special care had to be taken to maintain the high standard of cleanliness and sterility in the chamber area. Cost issues were also a factor, as J.J. White is always concerned about providing the highest-quality service at a reasonable cost.

Solutions

Rather than incurring the cost of two new chillers, J.J. White and the University decided to utilize the chilled water produced in the University’s central utilities plant. Over a three-month period, J.J. White installed a primary chilled water loop, plate and frame exchanger, tertiary chilled water loop, pumping station, four chilled water coils, and associated DDC controls. The work was done in and around the area of the chamber, and at no point was service restricted or interrupted. Once installed, the existing system had to be removed and disposed of, also without interrupting the service of the chamber. This portion of the project was possibly a bigger challenge than the installation in that all of the dust and debris needed to be contained so as not to contaminate the patient environment. Employing all methods of isolation outlined in the company’s ICRA brochure, J.J. White was able to achieve this task with relative ease.

Results

J.J. White’s vast experience in the medical and healthcare field was perhaps the single most important factor in completing this job successfully. J.J. White’s ability to plan work and execute this full-blown mechanical renovation to completion without disturbing the staff or patients was an impressive accomplishment. In fact, J.J. White walked away from this project with many compliments on both its workforce and workmanship.