The South Campus Central Chiller Plant provides chilled water to support critical functions and operating rooms throughout the OSU medical campus, including the new Critical Care Tower. The three story building stands 125 feet above grade and includes a basement built in the flood plain - designed as an inverted bathtub to ensure the equipment remains dry and functioning. A 35-foot screen wall at the top of the building conceals cooling towers.
This project was a trial for the construction reform law in Ohio and utilized the Design Assist method. Through this delivery method, we coordinated with the steel and precast fabricator much earlier in the project. This additional early coordination resulted in innovative precast connections and panel design that reduced the steel tonnage required to support the cladding.
The structure was required to support extensive equipment and piping loads, including chillers weighing 127,000 pounds each, cooling towers weighing 121,000 pounds, and 42” diameter pipes. Extensive coordination was required to properly support the equipment and allow user flexibility in the future while keeping structure costs within budget.
