The past three years, TP Mechanical has held multiple mechanical systems contracts for plumbing, HVAC, and fire protection with The Ohio State University for projects known as the South High Rise buildings. We started working in Park-Stradley Hall and then moved to Smith-Steeb & Siebert. We are currently working on new bid contracts for this renovation. TP Mechanical was hired as the lead contractor in MEP coordination and REVIT modeling.

For this massive undertaking at one of the country’s largest universities, TP Mechanical utilized fabrication in our ISO-registered shop to deliver critical cost reductions and shorten construction schedules. We successfully completed demolition and total remodel of all five buildings over the past three years. They were constructed in the 1950s with 1,455 dorm rooms utilizing community bathrooms. Seventy-five percent of the piping for the building remodels, including materials required for new semi-private bathrooms, public ADA and family restrooms, was fabricated in the TP Mechanical fabrication shop. This piping was installed in the mechanical room, the risers for each floor, and sanitary piping. Fabrication on this project helped to shorten the installation on each floor.

The original buildings were also originally constructed without air conditioning. The remodel included plans for integrating appropriate HVAC service. An additional challenge was utilization of valance/chilled beam units. These buildings are among the only ones on the OSU campus to utilize this technology. We also successfully integrated a central bunker chiller plant that serves all five buildings and much of South Campus and geothermal central heating and cooling plant, able to provide 3,200 tons of cooling and 40,000 Kbtu/Hr of heating and use 31% less energy.

The completed South High Rise buildings are constructed to be LEED Certified Silver. The MEP coordination included partners and subcontractors to meet a five percent EDGE/MBE participation rate required for the project.