Mechanical & HVAC

Mechanical engineering services cover the full range of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems for new construction, renovations, and additions across commercial, institutional, healthcare, and historic buildings. Systems designed include packaged and split direct expansion systems, variable refrigerant flow, chilled water and heating hot water systems, central chilled water and heating plants, boilers and steam, dedicated outdoor air and energy recovery, exhaust and specialty ventilation, and building automation and controls. Services also include load calculations and equipment selection, energy code compliance, facility condition assessments, construction administration, and evaluation of existing systems with recommendations for repair, upgrade, or replacement. Each design is developed to fit the building type, the budget, and the way the space will be used.

Plumbing engineering services cover the full range of water, waste, and gas systems for new construction, renovations, and additions across commercial, institutional, healthcare, and historic buildings. Systems designed include domestic cold and hot water with recirculation and scald protection, water heating from point-of-use units to central plants, booster pumps and backflow prevention, sanitary waste and vent, grease and oil interceptors, acid waste and neutralization for laboratories, storm and overflow roof drainage, sump and sewage ejector pumps, natural gas, propane, and fuel oil piping, medical gas and vacuum for healthcare facilities, laboratory gases and compressed air, purified and reclaimed water, and commercial kitchen plumbing. Services also include fixture counts and code analysis, pipe and equipment sizing, water quality and Legionella risk considerations, construction administration, and evaluation of existing systems with recommendations for repair, upgrade, or replacement. Each design is coordinated with the architecture and the other building systems and developed to meet the applicable plumbing, fuel gas, and health codes.

Fire Protection & Suppression

Fire protection engineering is led by a licensed Fire Protection Engineer and covers the full range of water-based and special hazard suppression systems for new construction, renovations, and additions across commercial, institutional, healthcare, and historic buildings. Systems designed include wet pipe, dry pipe, preaction, and deluge sprinkler systems, early suppression fast response and in-rack sprinklers for storage occupancies, standpipe and hose systems, fire pumps, jockey pumps, and water storage tanks, underground fire mains and private hydrants, clean agent, carbon dioxide, water mist, and foam suppression systems, commercial kitchen hood suppression, and water curtain and window sprinkler assemblies used to establish opening protection equivalency in historic and existing buildings. Services also include hazard and commodity classification, water supply evaluation and hydrant flow testing, hydraulic calculations, performance-based design and engineered alternatives where prescriptive compliance is impractical, delegated design and shop drawing review, evaluation of existing systems and impairments, and acceptance testing. Support is also provided to other engineering firms that need a licensed Fire Protection Engineer on their project team.

Facility condition assessments give owners, facility managers, and design teams a documented picture of the condition, capacity, and remaining useful life of a building's mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and fire alarm systems before money is committed to a renovation, replacement, or purchase. Electrical assessments are performed with established partner firms and delivered as part of a single coordinated report.

Assessment services may include:

- Field survey and inventory of HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and fire alarm equipment

- Condition ratings and remaining useful life determinations

- Capacity evaluation against current and planned use, including electrical service and distribution

- Code compliance review of existing systems

- Prioritized recommendations for retention, repair, or replacement

- Opinion of probable cost and capital planning budget guidance

- Written report with equipment tables, annotated photographs, and executive summary

- Pre-design assessments to inform renovation scope

- Due diligence assessments for property acquisition and lease decisions

Assessment experience includes full-campus mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection condition assessments at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers in three states and pre-renovation HVAC assessments for commercial and financial facilities in the New Orleans area.