WWII-era Construction Restricts Options

Challenge:

Despite the fact that WWII-era barrack buildings 520 and 525 were converted to U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) Division Headquarters office buildings in 1998, a minimal number of window units were the only source of cooling comfort. The Iraq war made the buildings central to the U.S. Army war coordination. To renovate the facilities, much of the interior spaces had to be demolished and air conditioning became a necessity.

Since the Army needed this work completed by June 1, 2008, time was a major constraint. The project was put on an accelerated completion schedule.

Because of the WWII fortresslike construction in these historic buildings – a criss-cross maze of concrete tie-beams – installation of the indoor ducted units was intricate and complex.

Solution:

Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) zoning systems from Mitsubishi Electric Cooling and Heating Solutions, Suwanee, Ga., met all three challenges. The uncomplicated installation of the two-pipe sytems with INVERTER technology cut the labor time in half.

The general contractor, Goto Construction, said the immediate availability (6-8 week delivery) and cost savings of the Mitsubishi Electric equipment helped them meet the accelerated completion date.

The system’s ductless design flexibility made it possible to conquer space limitations. Since multiple indoor units (up to 32) can be connected to a single outdoor unit, Goto Construction minimized the impact on the existing architecture of the historically significant buildings.

However, the biggest advantage of the Mitsubishi Electric VRF system was energy savings. Energy invoices for the former barracks were cut in half because of the advanced controls network and the system’s INVERTER technology which helped solve the complicated cooling requirements in each of the indoor zones.

Norm Dale, DSA Engineering, Honolulu, said, “The commanding general at Fort Shafter is absolutely delighted with this installation. Mitsubishi Electric VRF zoning technology was the only solution for this job. I’ve looked at all the INVERTER systems and there is no comparison. This is the ‘Cadillac’ of our industry. Mitsubishi Electric systems are the very best.”