Modular solutions: Winter construction heating with a hybrid strategy

by arslan_ahmed | March 11, 2024 2:09 pm

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By Jeremy Schoustal

Anyone who has worked on a construction project in a region with harsh winters is likely familiar with the challenges that come with trying to work through frigid temperatures. Many infrastructure projects in Canada have no choice but to proceed with construction through the extreme conditions which brings more inherent challenges, dangers, and expenses, such as downtime.

Some construction projects can wait for the spring; however, the majority do not have that luxury and many builders will continue working through the winter to finish projects on schedule.  While winters in Calgary are seen as mild in comparison to the far north, from October to April, temperatures hover around freezing during the day and plunge well below at night, meaning many construction projects need reliable heating equipment.

With construction at a large Calgary-area medical facility on the cusp of breaking ground and winter setting in, PCL Construction sought out a modular climate solution to keep their job site running through the Albertan cold—while being mindful of emissions and fuel costs. PCL required zero-CO2 emission from a heating solution, as being a medical project at finishing stages, emissions were not permitted within the structure.

The climate control partner rose to the challenge with fully in-house engineered heating solution designs to meet the client’s target interior temperatures. With a team of industry experts, the custom fitted heating solution was installed, maintained, and monitored throughout the duration of the project, which spanned over parts of numerous seasons. The modular assets provided heat for the construction of the facility and ensured winter would not bring work on the site to a halt.

The challenge

To provide the heating required on the project, general contractors often need to outsource rental equipment, such as HVAC, for major heating and cooling needs. With rental HVAC appliances, from heat exchangers to industrial air conditioning, customers gain the ideal solution for their project needs without having to invest in costly equipment and infrastructure.

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When the new Calgary-area medical facility was preparing to break ground, to secure the heating required on the project, their general contractor needed to rely on a company for rental HVAC equipment. The provider was chosen early-on in the bidding phase because of their extensive experience in heating applications and ability to provide the required amount of heating needed for their project.

Facing the challenges of distributing heat throughout the expansive square footage of this site, the project manager leaned on the provider’s HVAC experts to design and produce an in-depth plan to ensure construction on the project would stay on schedule despite the winter season.

The company chosen has been operating in Canada since the 1980s, and its experience in providing tailor-made modular power solutions across the country prepared it well for this construction project. With the implementation of a tailored HVAC solution, PCL Construction was able to successfully break ground on the Calgary-area medical facility just as winter set in.

The solution

In order to tackle the unique needs of the project, the temporary HVAC equipment provider supplied 1.2 m BTU hydronic heaters (42 of them precisely), coupled with hundreds of fan coils, and 28 indirect air heaters ranging from 500,000 to 700,000 BTU. The in-depth design and management of the solution ensured the project avoided delays and constraints.

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Hydronic heat and fan coils allowed for multiple points of distribution throughout the project site, and ensured that clean, dry air was supplied for the workers while reducing humidity within the construction space. Compared to an open-flame heater, the hydronic heaters resulted in much lower humidity and aided in providing a suitable climate for finishing the building. The use of hydronic heaters also ensured that energy usage and CO2 emissions would be lower, compared to alternative temporary equipment, which is a major advantage when working through winter.

To keep the project on schedule, the team was tasked with regularly re-adjusting and fine-tuning the heating system across the facility’s changing level of completion to ensure the entire square footage received the proper heating required to get to the project’s final required stage. The HVAC experts worked closely with PCL to ensure they had heat where they needed it, when they needed it, as PCL constructed the building’s interior in stages.

The impact

Working together with the general contractor, the provider’s experts and products were able to successfully provide the required heating to this project site for multiple years, from ground thaw to completion of construction, executing temporary heating needs on time and on budget throughout.

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The use of natural gas, paired with the hybrid appliances driven primarily by the highly efficient hydronic heaters, allowed the customer to reduce their fuel consumption and costs while decreasing their CO2 emissions. Compared to other heating alternatives, the hydronic heaters provide a more strategic approach to heating a construction site as they only require rerouting hose with minimal power to support with heating an area and they keep the combustion source and emissions outside of the building. Ensuring the emissions exhaust remained outside the building was critical, given the sensitive nature of the building’s use as a hospital.

While winter construction carries a number of unique challenges for contractors and developers, the experience at this Calgary-area medical facility demonstrates how keeping a site powered and heated does not have to be one of those concerns with efficient modular equipment.

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Jeremy Schoustal is the sales manager, Canada West, at Aggreko. With more than a decade of experience in the Canadian industry, Schoustal has extensive experience in executing complex projects for clients, all while keeping environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) goals and cost savings in mind. Backed by Aggreko’s team of expert engineers and technicians, Schoustal is committed to remaining a focused partner hydronicby providing premium-engineered solutions and rental HVAC or power generations to Aggreko’s customer base.

Source URL: https://www.constructioncanada.net/modular-solutions-winter-construction-heating-with-a-hybrid-strategy/

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