Geary Engineering provided the mechanical, electrical and fire protection engineering services for the new dialysis facility located in southwest Lincoln for the Dialysis Center of Lincoln. The southwest site is the third location in Lincoln and compliments their existing facilities on East O Street and in northwest Lincoln. The facility is 13,000 square feet and initially provides twelve dialysis stations. The building is designed to allow for the expansion of twelve additional treatment stations.

The mechanical systems are high efficiency gas-fired commercial furnaces with high efficiency condensing units. The furnaces were installed in a mechanical mezzanine which allows for easy maintenance of the mechanical equipment without interruption to the medical facility. The condensing units are hidden on the roof with easy access from the mechanical mezzanine. Fresh air for the entire facility is provided by energy recovery units which continuously exhaust air from the building and bring in fresh air that is distributed to the furnaces. Ninety percent of the thermal energy exhausted from the building is captured by the energy recovery units and returned to the building. Separate HVAC systems were designed for the patient care areas so that the patients could be kept warmer than the remainder of the treatment area. Individual ceiling mounted radiant heating panels were designed for addition comfort to the patients.

The plumbing design included the specialized piping to the dialysis treatment stations. A centralized oxygen supply system with piping to each station provides oxygen directly to the patients. The facility is protected by an automatic fire sprinkler system.

The electrical system is designed to meet the requirements of the International Energy Conservation Code provides a highly efficient lighting system with energy efficient fluorescent lighting and motion sensor lighting controls in all areas. An on site electrical generator provides emergency backup power so the facility can continue to operate in the event of a power failure. The electrical design also included the layout of the data and communications wiring which included the patient data system, Internet, telephone and cable TV.

Owner: Seventieth Street Properties

Architect: Findley & Associates

Square Feet: 37,800 Square Feet

The Lincoln Surgery Center Medical Office Building provides office space for medical professionals in close proximity to the Lincoln Surgical Hospital.  The office building has three levels with medical offices on the upper two floors.  The lower level provides mechanical equipment rooms and general storage area for the tenants.  Geary Engineering, Inc. provided the engineering design services for the shell construction of the building and for the medical offices that occupy the building.  Tenants of the Medical Office Building include plastic surgeons, gastroenterologists, orthopaedics, endoscopy services, laboratory and pathology testing services.  An overnight-stay area provides a place for patients and family to stay when there are complications with surgical procedures.

The Medical Office Building is heated and cooled with fan coil units.  The fan coil units are located in two separate mechanical rooms on the lower level and in two mechanical penthouses above the second level.  Each tenant space has their own electrical and gas meters.

The fan coil units have gas fired heat exchangers for heating with DX coils for cooling.  Each fan coil unit has a thermostat strategically located in the tenant space.  Air cooled condensing units are located on the roof and on the car port with refrigerant piping to each fan coil unit.

Several of the medical offices required medical gas systems.  A central medical gas system was designed for the entire building.  The medical gas canisters are located in a medical gas storage room in the lower level.  Oxygen, vacuum, medical air and nitrogen gases are provided.  The gases are manifolded together and provide service to three different tenants.  There are monitors and alarms located in each of the tenant spaces that use these gases.

The Medical Office Building has an emergency generator to provide power to critical areas in the event of a power failure.  The emergency generator provides power to emergency lighting throughout the building and power to the minor procedure rooms on first floor.  Emergency power is also provided to the overnight stay patient rooms.

Geary Engineering designed an NFPA 13 fire sprinkler system to provide 100% coverage for the entire building.  A fire detection and alarm system provides early warning to the tenants in the event of a fire.

Geary Engineering, Inc. provided the mechanical, electrical and fire protection engineering for the Kitchen and Dining Room Addition to Eastmont Towers. The existing kitchen was too small to serve all of the residents because the facility had been added on without any expansion of the food service facilities. It was determined that a kitchen addition could be constructed while the existing kitchen remained in operation. The Dining Room was also expanded to handle the increased number of residents. The existing mechanical and electrical systems did not have the capacity to serve the addition. Since all of the HVAC in the existing mechanical room was obsolete, the entire heating and cooling plant was upgraded. Almost 50% of the cost of the project was contributed to the mechanical and electrical systems. The construction budget for the project was $1,500,000.00.

New waste and vent piping was designed for the new kitchen. A new exterior grease interceptor was designed for the kitchen load. Domestic hot and cold water was extended from the existing mechanical room. A new hot water circulation pump and piping was added for the kitchen. Fire sprinkler systems were designed for the addition as well as the existing mechanical room in the basement and the renovated areas. Hydronic piping design included layout of new heating hot water, chilled water, and condenser water piping to replace the existing piping in the mechanical room.

The boilers had been recently replaced and were sized to handle the load of the addition. An existing modular chiller provided the cooling. A new chiller module was added to handle the increased load and was sized to add the sixth floor onto the central cooling plant. The existing cooling tower was retrofitted to increase the capacity for the additional chiller module. New hot/chilled water, chilled water, and condenser water pumps were installed. New variable air volume (VAV) air handling units were designed for the Kitchen, Dining Room, and existing dining areas. VAV boxes were installed to provide individual temperature control to each space. A variable volume exhaust hood was designed for the kitchen equipment. The variable volume hood provides a tremendous energy savings over the conventional constant volume exhaust hoods.

New lighting was installed in the existing dining room to increase the lighting levels. Recessed compact fluorescent downlights were used in the dining areas. The lighting throughout the facility is controlled with occupancy sensors to meet the requirements of the International Energy Conservation Code.

The existing electrical distribution panel was not large enough to serve the additional load of the Kitchen and HVAC equipment. A new distribution center was designed to replace the existing electrical panel.

The existing fire alarm system was expanded to serve the addition. New ADA compliant strobe/horns were installed in all the renovated areas.

A portion of the basement was designed for a future laundry facility and break room for employees. All plumbing, HVAC and electrical systems were designed for the future laundry and break room.

Geary Engineering Inc. provided the mechanical, electrical and fire protection engineering services for the addition to the Lincoln Surgical Hospital. The addition connected the existing hospital building to the adjoining medical office building. Three additional operating rooms were added to bring the total to eight operating rooms. The addition totals of 31,000 square feet on four different levels. Renovations were also made in the hospital and office building where the addition connected to the existing buildings.

Geary Engineering, Inc. has been involved with the design of this project since 1992 when the original 28,000 square foot medical clinic was built. A surgery addition with three additional operating rooms was added in 1997. The medical office building completed in 1998 connected the hospital to the medical office building.

The basement level provides a new entrance to the hospital and has admissions and waiting areas for patients and families. There is also a large meeting room used for training and for patient education. The operating rooms on the first level are state of the art, using the latest technology for OR equipment and monitoring systems. The patient rooms are located on the second level. The sub-basement is used for central supply and mechanical equipment.

Site utilities needed to be relocated before the latest addition could be started. The water service, sanitary sewer, fire main, storm sewer, telephone and main electrical services were all relocated.

The plumbing design included domestic hot, cold and tempered water systems. New water heaters for the increased load were provided. Hydronic piping systems included hot and chilled water to the air handling units serving the operating rooms. The closed loop heat pump system, which was part of the original HVAC system was extended to serve new heat pumps in the addition.

The HVAC systems for the addition included constant volume air handling units to provide the specific air flows and humidity control required for the operating rooms. A chilled water system was designed to provide the cooling to the ORs. The chilled water system also provides a back up to the closed loop heat pump system.

A building energy management system provides control for all of the mechanical systems in the building. All new HVAC equipment and the major equipment in the existing building are all connected to this new control system. Information for the building controls is available on the LAN and is accessible to any work station or off site through an Internet connection.

A new electrical service for the addition was required. Due to the size of the building and the size of the electrical service, a second electrical service was necessary. Emergency power is provided by a 400 KVA diesel generator, sized for the entire building, including the medical office building. Three existing engine generators were replaced with the new system. Emergency electrical systems providing power to the life safety branch, critical branch and essential equipment required their own transfer switches and distribution panels. A portion of the existing hospital was rewired to separate the life safety and critical branches.

Security systems designed for the building included a perimeter detection and access control system. The access control system is computer-based and secures the perimeter after hours and will record the person who gains access to the building. Strategically placed cameras are located to monitor access to the building and to monitor secure areas within the building. All video is recorded and is monitored through a local network and off site through an Internet connection.