Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Upgrade Chiller Plant

Facing the challenge of preserving sensitive historical artifacts, Harris was the selected mechanical contractor for the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia. This chiller plant upgrade project was designed to replace three existing 1,200-ton cooling towers that had reached maximum capacity, with 1,400-ton towers for the central chilled water plant, provide 250-ton air cooled chiller for the supplemental load and to add six new ice building tanks to the building’s 24 existing tanks.

Working with general contractor HSU Development Company, the project was divided into four phases to minimize central plant outages and had the additional challenge of a fast-track schedule. Harris used BIM software to plan, design and construct the manufacturing of the main headers for the 18-inch water supply condenser and cooling tower return, which allowed the team to ensure the central utility plant was fully operational throughout construction. Piping for the new chiller was also manufactured. Having these items manufactured saved time and accelerated the schedule for both project tasks.