Client Building Contractor
Location Canada
Sectors Construction
The challenge
Heating a partially constructed building in freezing temperatures
Heating the interior of a building in the construction phase is driven by concerns about temperatures dropping to -40°C (40°F) during the Canadian winter. These challenges are seen during the construction of industrial and commercial structures, as seen with the expansion to the multi-story Innovation Center at Red River College.
For the various trades involved in the construction spanning over the winter of 2016/2019 and 2017/2019, maintaining building temperature above 12°C (above 53°F) allows all trades to work through the cold, therefore keeping the project on track.
Project fact file
Outside temperature
Temperature that our heaters provided
Heating airflow rate maintained
The solution
Providing heat and remote monitoring
Two 1.2 million BTU natural gas boilers provided heat across the site, with hoses connecting the boilers to fumeless, radiant heaters. Placing the hoses under crawl spaces helped the floors function like a radiator keeping the building above 53°F (12°C).
The contractor was concerned about introducing cold building material and equipment into the area, due to the internal loads the heating system must overcome when bringing in cold objects. With much of the building covered in tarps, a heating airflow rate above 7200 CFM was maintained, along with remote monitoring, helping to overcome any obstacles and maintain temperatures.
The Aggreko difference
We helped maintain quality processes for the client.
The impact
Preventing construction delays by keeping the project on track year-round
Compared to conventional heating typically employed during the construction of any building, radiant systems transmit heat on average 15% more efficiently than conventional radiators, and are an ideal strategy when space is limited. The use of crawl spaces to run the hoses created room to work on the main floors, showing how radiant systems ca be ideal when space is limited.
The optimal heating envelope was developed after the contractor collaborated with Aggreko’s climate control experts. They listened, designed, and delivered a tailored plan that defined an “all in” total cost of operation for each of the unique caveats. With a building expansion that included preserving an historic three-story warehouse that needed to “blend in” with the new four-story structure, much of the structure exposed to cold air infiltration was successfully heated.
"As the weather outside changed, we adapted and kept ideal temperatures for the project site and construction workers."
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