Appalachian Regional Healthcare System: Watauga Medical Center

This project is a result of a complete Facility Condition Assessment conducted in 2018. The project is phased to minimize disruption to hospital operations and to allow fast track construction. It is broken down into several elements described below:

- Hospital Renovation: The renovation and relocation of approximately 8,000 square feet of space to accommodate a new Cardiology Department. Minor modifications to the main and Emergency Department entrances.

- Hospital Expansion: An approximate 100,000 square foot expansion. Takes place on 4 floors.

- A new two-story Central Energy Plant (CEP) to replace the aging existing, housed in a new freestanding building adjacent to the existing. Designed to increase capacity for future expansion. It includes 3–600 ton chillers and cooling towers, 2-300 BHP boilers, a deaerator/surge tank and boiler feed system and a triplex condensate return pumping station. The steam boilers serve the existing hospital and renovation and 5-6M BTU hydronic condensing boilers serve the expansion. 4-750 KW exterior emergency generators in enclosures are located adjacent to the new CEP. 2-30,000 gallon above ground fuel tanks serve the generators and boilers. N+1 redundancy is incorporated into all aspects of the CEP. The 1^st floor contains the fuel fired heating equipment (boilers, hot water pumps, heat exchangers, etc). The 2^nd floor contains the cooling. equipment (chillers, chilled water pumps, condenser water pumps, water side economizer, etc). The cooling towers are located on the roof of the CEP. The new CEP allows the existing to remain in operation until we are ready to connect into existing systems, thereby minimizing down time and risk.