Roseburg, OR
Roseburg VAMC
Laundry HVAC and Chiller Replacement
GDM was tasked with designing replacements for the main air handling units for the Roseburg VAMC’s Laundry Service.
This project addressed several issues. Critical components included lead-paint abatement, and structural steel support design. Team members worked to meet rigorous pressure requirements and analyzed system geometries. They also tested and balanced existing and new conditions to ensure zones.
Designers had to make certain that clean and dirty air systems were separated to ensure no cross contamination occurred. For instance, push buttons on the doors separating zones must be integrated with the HVAC Controls system such that positive, negative, and neutral zones never cross contaminate one another. Outside air, dirty and clean air zones must be separate due to tuberculosis and COVID.
In researching issues with the existing system, team members learned from AFGE Union representatives that there were concerns about working conditions. These issues related to heat and potential cross contamination. During the process, the team learned that penetrations were not sealed around the washing machines and dryer. Design plans looked to correct it.
Team members also identified another issue with keeping laundry clean and sterile. Designs should call for an entry sally port, neutral zone, positive zone, negative zone and exit sally port to ensure hygienic conditions. Designers noted that poorly designed pressurization can lead to clean bedding and other laundry being contaminated.