23 minute read
Hardwood Floors Make The Cut
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With today’s fi nishes and ease of installation, hardwood fl ooring is a practical and even economical choice for commercial buildings.
Nate Poe, Lumber Liquidators
Choosing and installing hardwood fl ooring for a commercial project is a completely different experience from what it was a decade ago. Commercial projects back then may have been severely restricted in terms of choice and cost, but today’s modern technology and a highly competitive market have created a world of options for project designers looking to incorporate hardwood fl ooring. With a little education and some pre-installation know-how on the part of specifi ers, a hardwood fl oor can become a valuable and cost-effective addition to any commercial project.
Durability and function
The watchword for fl ooring in a commercial project is durability. It has to last, it has to handle a lot of foot traffi c, and it has to work in a variety of environments. Developers need to forecast ongoing low-cost maintenance for a building, so being sure that a fl oor will still retain its shine 20 or even 50 years without replacement is a big bonus for commercial-property developers. Advancements in hardwood fi nishes, which use multi-layered micro-particle processes, mean that hardwood fl ooring can now handle decades of use and provide long-lasting beauty.
Durability goes beyond aesthetics. Functionality is increasingly important, particularly for properties that focus on catering to elder care. The elderly population is growing, meaning more people will need robust, accessible fl ooring, whether in their own homes or in assistedliving facilities. Preparing for a time when they will have less mobility, baby boomers are causing an uptick in demand. The post-retirement
properties they seek will incorporate many of the requirements found in the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires ramps, wider doorways, and wheelchair/cane accessibility —all features for which hard-surface fl oors are the best choice. This is a huge potential market for hardwood fl ooring.
The green factor
Hardwood fl ooring is a growing choice for architects looking for more Leadership in Environment Engineering and Design (LEED) points for their design. Flooring’s lifespan is a major component of any sustainability credentials. By opting for woods such as bamboo and cork, architects can earn additional green feathers in their caps, which can be crucial, especially for larger projects. In the past, some develop
The added durability and ease of installation of today’s hardwood fl ooring make it an excellent choice for commercial projects.
ers chose sustainability over long-term quality, and their projects suffered as a result. However, compared with other green-fl ooring options, today’s sustainable hardwoods pass the aesthetic and durability tests. Bamboo and cork are as aesthetically pleasing as any wood and are just as durable. While carpet can end up in a landfi ll in a matter of years, hardwood fl ooring can look great for decades. Green has often been synonymous with costly, but hardwood fl ooring can provide economical and sustainable solutions. The hardwood-fl ooring industry has made sustainability the standard, so installation of a green fl oor is safe for a project’s bottom line. Even after fl oors are replaced in a property, old hardwood fl oorboards can be reused and recycled.
Most hardwood fl ooring companies take sustainability very seriously. All buying decisions, in every corner of the globe, consider the sustainability of the forests that produce the wood. When hardwood-fl oor fi rms look to the future, that future has to include large, verdant forests full of healthy oaks, cherries, elms, and maples. Sticking to sustainability regulations ensures this will be the case.
Technologically advanced
Technological advances in hardwood fl ooring have revolutionized the industry. Hardwoodfl ooring fi rms have research-and-development teams constantly working on new technologies that make hardwood fl oors more durable, easier to lay, and more cost-effective. Innovations in engineered-wood fl ooring, bamboo, and water-borne fi nishes in particular have made hardwood fl ooring more durable and versatile. The industry has made leaps and bounds in the past few years; those not in the know would be amazed at what can be done with hardwood fl oors.
Thanks to developments in moisture barriers and glues, hardwood fl ooring and engineered-wood fl ooring can be laid on almost all subfl oors, whether wood or concrete or even below grade. As much as the science of hardwood has progressed, however, there are environments where hardwood would not be the best choice. Hardwood isn’t completely impervious to water (yet!), but if an area is mostly dry and away from the elements, modern hardwood will endure.
Hardwood-fl oor fi nishes have also advanced. In the past, the raw wood fl oor needed sanding, treatment, and staining by a respirator-wearing professional. The process is messy and time-consuming—and it means dealing with dangerous chemicals on site. As a result, developers tended to avoid hardwood fl oors.
Recent advances in fi nishes have made the laborious process of on-site fi nishing a thing of the past. Companies such as Lumber Liquidators, Toano, VA, have spent years studying tabor testing, the offi cial measurement of fi nish durability. The company’s Bellawood hardwood fl oors, for example, are pre-fi nished with an aluminum-oxide water-based urethane through a multi-step application process, resulting in a high tabor rating and, thus, a strong fi nish. The fi nish is applied to domestic and exotic wood species, each coat hard-cured with ultraviolet light. This multi-layer fi nish is designed to increast product durability.
100-year guarantee
As much as ease of installation, reliability, and aesthetics are important considerations, cost is usually the deciding factor when specifying flooring. Cost is the one factor that has frequently led specifiers to rule out hardwood flooring in the past. Today, though, they’re amazed at the different price points hardwood flooring offers.
That said, top-of-the-line premium woods are not the cheapest option—and they shouldn’t be. The trees may have been carefully cultivated for many years, and a lot of development goes into making the best fl oors one can fi nd. But while there used to be one, expensive option for a commercial project’s hardwood fl oor, now there is a wide range of cost choices.
Thanks to the rise in popularity of hardwood and the globalization of the industry, costs of many traditional and exotic woods have been reduced to a price that’s comparable to other types of fl ooring in terms of cost/sq. ft. and installation. Few project managers ever thought that wood from a Brazilian cherry tree would be comparable pricewise to wood from an American oak, but today it is.
Hardwood fl ooring also offers savings throughout its lifetime. Carpet is cheap to buy, but pulling it up every few years, tossing it into a dumpster, and replacing it with another budget carpet can cost a lot over the life of a building. Hardwood fl ooring will last. In fact, Lumber Liquidators has developed some of its woods with fi nishes guaranteed for 100 years.
Wood for fl ooring comes from Australia to Bolivia to Southeast Asia. There’s dark wood that’s been hand-scraped, and lighter wood that hasn’t been fi nished at all. Even blue, green, and red woods are available. As more people turn to hardwood, the choices will only continue to proliferate. The property market is very competitive right now, so projects need to differentiate themselves. A unique, durable, and lowmaintenance fl oor that keeps its luster for as long as a century could be the deciding factor. In fact, a recent survey by property website Trulia.com found that almost 50% of renters said wood fl oors are on their list of “must haves.”
Preparation and education
A developer or project manager must have a fi rm understanding of the codes and rules for laying a fl oor in certain areas. One area of focus is safety. Managers of some projects, particularly larger ones, should speak with a local fi re marshal about burn rates and fi re-safety codes in the area. Sometimes certain precautions must be taken before laying a fl oor so that it will adhere to codes.
Each state has its own nuances and rules that may mean different laying methods or restrictions on where you can lay a hardwood fl oor. This is especially critical for developments
that will become a public area. For example, down the road while warped and cracked commercial projects in Miami must adhere to soundproofi ng codes that wouldn’t apply to a Variety, boards are replaced. Modern hardwood fl ooring is typically project in New York. Sustainability, low maintenance. Always follow manufacturer Flooring organizations and manufacturers are great resources for information about And Beauty recommendations for cleaning. Many modern fi nishes and products have specifi c care hardwood fl oors. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), Chesterfi eld, MO, provides guidelines for proper installation techniques, T he variety of wood fl ooring goes far beyond traditional instructions. The days of waxes and polishes are over, but correctly cleaning and caring for a fl oor helps prolong its lifespan and maintain its beautiful as well as how and where one should or should oak. Shown here are just a few appearance. Hardwood fl oors are made from not lay a hardwood fl oor. Flooring dealers offer fl oor. Flooring dealers offer of the many options available for of the many options available for living things and need to be treated as such.living things and need to be treat in-store advice, and Lumber Liquidators has an online, searchable resource Lumber Liquidators chable resource commercial applications.commercial applications. Hardwood is the right choiceHardwood is the with information on installation, n installation, Hardwood fl ooring is no lon oo species characteristics, tics, ger the expensive, timeger the ex and product consuming option con specifi cations. The dark, rustic look of hand-scraped This bamboo fl ooring is a far cry in for commercial f The key is doing lyptus would create a historical look for a restaurant or a hotel lobby . appearance from the light colors that were the only option in bamboo just projects it was 10 p the homework. a few years ago. years ago. It’s now as yea
Flooring legitimate a choice as legiti may be easier to lay carpet, vinyl, plastic, or carpet, than a decade ago, but but stone. It’s durable, easy to stone. It’s preparation is still necessary. ecessary. lay, inexpensive, and comes lay, inexpe In most cases, poorly laid y laid in a variety of colors and in a variety o hardwood fl ooring stems from a tems from a styles. lack of knowledge or planning by r planning by The hardwood fl ooring The hardwo the installer. A hardwood fl oor that’s wood fl oor that’s industry has also made great strides industry has also m been over-dried or subjected to excess ubjected to excess in becoming a service industry. in becoming a service moisture may bend, warp, and crack. warp, and crack. Lumber Liquidators, for example, acts Lumber Liquidators, for Incorrectly laying the fl oor or laying it in e fl oor or laying it in as a consultant for entire commercial cas a consultant for entire an inappropriate environment will result in a vironment will result in a projects. Company experts visit a site for vprojects. Company experts substandard fi nished product. d product. pre-installation, for planning, and for apre-installation, for pla
A specifi er should consider uld consider installation. Wood needs care oinstallation. Wo how a hardwood fl oor or and attention, and no one tand attent will work with other is better at that than eis b aspects of the The light color of this stained oak Not your typical red oak: This fl ooring a professional a space. Solid fl ooring can brighten an otherwise has a high-tech fi nish that will fully dedicated to fu hardwood fl oors dark area. keep it looking good for decades. hardwood fl ooring har are not a good choice e and fully versed in and f for use with underfl oor or variations of hardwood. variatio radiant-heat systems, for for Hardwood fl ooring Ha example, but engineered ered will only continue to offer will only co hardwood fl ooring will work. will work. more to developers in the more to deve Spaces that need to be constantly be constantly future. Every year brings a new future. Every ye cleaned, such as behind the bar at hind the bar at wood or style to showcase and wood or style to s a busy nightclub, may do better with y do better with technological development that technological deve something other than hardwood. n hardwood. greatly improves hardwood. Architects greatly improves hard
Inspecting and planning prior to d planning prior to and developers are increasingly turning and developers are inc installation is vital. Ask suppliers if they Ask suppliers if they to hardwood fl ooring for reasons that to hardwood fl ooring for offer a pre-inspection, or hire a fl ooring on, or hire a fl ooring go beyond aesthetics. Its functionality, go beyond aesthetics. Its fu professional who can do moisture tests an do moisture tests lower total cost of ownership, and wide lower total cost of ownership and advise on optimum laying methods. A mum laying methods. A range of choices enable them to sharpen their range of choices enable them t professional may even advise against laying ven advise against laying competitive edge without breaking the bank. competitive edge without breakin hardwood and suggest an alternative such as gest an alternative such as vinyl or stone. It’s far more expensive to rip out r more expensive to rip out Nate Poe is the manager of commercial Nate Poe is the manager ofcom and re-install a fl oor than it is to do the proper to acclimate is vital. Store the flooring in the sales for Lumber Liquidators, Toano, VA. tests beforehand. area where it will be installed for three to
All hardwood floors need a period of seven days so it can expand or contract to for free information, CIRCLE 2 acclimatization before installation. Time is of adapt to the climate of the room. Projects that and visit our digital magazine at the essence in every project, but scheduling don’t allow extra time for the wood to breathe www.cbpmagazine.com/digital/sep2012 delivery of the flooring to allow time for it sometimes end up stalling for weeks further and click on the icon.
James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, FL, boasts one of the most advanced emergency-backup powercontrol systems of any hospital in the United States.
BUILDING POWER
ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
Hospital Powers Up For Emergencies
A new power system ensures a Florida hospital has effi cient, reliable power, even if it loses utility electricity.
Few hospitals have a better power system than the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, FL, thanks to its recently renovated power plant. Completed at a cost of $47 million, it includes SCADA [supervisory control and data acquisition] and a backup system capable of covering all electrical loads for 120 hours without refueling in the event of an outage.
A teaching hospital affi liated with the adjacent Univ. of South Florida College of Medicine, Haley Hospital provides a full range of patient services with state-of-the-art technology and research. It has 548 beds, plus another 118 beds in an on-site long-term care and rehabilitation center. The busiest of four U.S. polytrauma facilities run by the Veterans Administration (VA), Washington, Haley serves a four-county area.
Learning from experience After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, the VA called for bids to upgrade emergency/backup power systems at VA hospitals in hurricane zones— upgrades that could ensure continuous air conditioning, not just the operation of life-safety and other critical equipment.
For Haley Hospital, the winning bid for powercontrol switchgear, transfer switches, and SCADA was from Russelectric, based in Hingham, MA. The company designs, builds, commissions, and services on-site power-control systems for hospitals, data centers, Internet service providers, airports, and other mission-critical facilities. The company’s systems can provide sophisticated control functions such as emergency/standby power, peak shaving, load curtailment, utility paralleling, cogeneration, and prime power. All systems are supported by factory-direct, 24-hour fi eld service.
Extra layer of confi dence The hospital’s administration is pleased with the new power system, which provides many more capabilities than the previous system. Although there has not been an unexpected utility outage since the system became fully operational in May 2010, Byron Taylor, the hospital’s lead power-plant operator, appreciates the extra layer of confi dence. So do engine technician Kyle Graley and electrical-shop supervisor Bill Hagen.
“We’ve had some storms come through, and it has been really nice because we do not have to worry,” said Taylor. “One time, we saw the storms coming, and TECO [Tampa Electric Company] asked us to
SCADA screen displaying a one-line diagram of the state-of-the-art power system at Haley Hospital.
With full tanks, Haley Hospital has enough fuel for 120 hours of backup power if utility feeds are lost. The 2-MW load bank in the foreground facilitates generator testing. One of two switchgear rooms at Haley Hospital houses the medium-voltage generator/utility switchgear.
Panel boards in the control room at the hospital’s power plant include a custom SCADA system that allows remote monitoring and control of the hospital’s power system. It also provides extensive information for analysis and planning. Operators normally access the system through desktop workstations.
drop off the grid. We fi red up our generators, and we operated on our own power for 17 hours, while TECO concentrated on restoring power to its residential customers. That sort of thing has happened several other times for shorter periods, and there has never been a problem.”
Hagen particularly appreciates the quality of the power from the backup system. “We get more blips from TECO than we do from our system,” he noted. “It is exceptionally smooth.”
The hospital’s former backup-power system had nine on-site generators, yet it could only cover lifesafety loads—5% of the hospital’s total load—in the event of a utility outage. Calling the old system “a major headache,” Hagen has no fond memories of it, especially of the system’s dynamic matrix control. “We had nothing but problems with it,” he recalled. “We never got it to work in parallel. It couldn’t even generate a monthly testing report.”
A big improvement In contrast, the new backup system covers everything—every load for nine buildings, 15 trailers that make up an on-campus clinic, and a parking garage— with seven 13,200-VAC diesel generators from Caterpillar, Peoria, IL. The generators each produce 2,200 kW.
Another improvement is the hospital’s renovated fuel system. The former system had a capacity of 22,000 gallons, and the storage tanks were spread out over several locations. Today, a new tank farm is home for four 12,000-gallon tanks. With another 6,000-gallon tank under each generator, the system has a capacity of 90,000 gallons.
More improvements are in the works. As of now, Haley Hospital receives no rebates or preferred
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rates from Tampa Electric Company, and the agreement between the entities makes no provisions for the hospital to feed power back to the grid. But that agreement could change. On the roof of a parking garage, the hospital will be installing photovoltaic cells expected to generate another 500 kW. New solar panels in the adjacent parking lot will supplement that building’s utility feed by as much as 500 kW, so the new cells will boost Haley’s photoelectric output to a total of 1 MW, enough to illuminate two parking lots. Although feeds from the solar panels are lost when the hospital’s generators take over, under everyday conditions the new panels might provide surplus power that would enable the hospital to sell some back to TECO. A peak-shaving arrangement with the utility is also likely in the near future, according to Taylor.
The power of information Also very important to the power-control system upgrade is the new state-of-the-art SCADA system, which includes customized software and screen displays. It provides interactive monitoring, real-time and historical trending, distributed networking, alarm management, and comprehensive reports around the clock for every detail of the entire power system, not just for the backup components.
In addition to monitoring power quality, the SCADA system’s many functions include continuous monitoring of fuel consumption by each generator and the level of fuel in every tank. An operator can easily monitor and control a facility’s entire power system using full-color “point and click” interactive computer-screen displays at the system console.
For example, an operator can access and change the system’s PLC setpoints, display any of the analog or digital readouts on switchgear front panels, run a system test, or view the alarm history. A dynamic oneline diagram display uses color to indicate the status of the entire power system, including the positions of all power-switching devices. Operating parameters are displayed and updated in real time; fl ashing lights on the switchgear annunciator panel also fl ash on the SCADA screen. Event logging, alarm locking, and help screens are standard.
“The SCADA is so sensitive that it detects and explains even the slightest anomaly, including those in the utility feed,” said Taylor. “A number of times we’ve called TECO because we saw something happening, and they had no idea they even had a problem yet! The stuff the system does is phenomenal. It gives us more data than we ever need for an average day, but it’s tremendous that we have it when we do need it.”
Freedom to test the system In accordance with state and federal regulations, the backup generators are tested every month. Thanks to the new system’s capability for closed-transition transfer, the tests inconvenience no one. With no interference with hospital loads, there is no power interruption.
The system gives Taylor and Graley the luxury of carrying out the tests in two ways. They can parallel the output of all seven generators to the utility feed, or they can test one generator at a time up to its full output, using a special 2-MW load bank that has an independent control panel. Testing can be initiated manually or through SCADA.
“It’s so much easier now,” said Hagen. “We’ll never again have to pay a testing fi rm to come out and test an engine to make sure it meets all the requirements.”
Unlike most hospitals, Haley has the luxury of four utility feeds. On a normal day, it draws from two of these primary feeds. Except for testing, Haley does not have to start its generators until it loses three or more utility feeds.
With advance notice from the utility that an outage is likely, power-plant personnel can parallel the utility feeds with their own generators, then switch to on-site power seamlessly (closed-transition transfer). But if there is an unexpected outage (and when the automatic-transfer switches are tested), there will be a blip of 1 to 10 seconds, depending on the load. For life-safety and other critical loads, the blip is only 1 to 3 seconds. Blips for other loads are adjustable; most are set for 8 to 10 seconds.
Technical support Taylor and Hagen had high praise for Russelectric’s field-support services. They recalled working handin-hand with Jim Bourgoin, local field-service engineer, for seven months. “During installation, Jim helped the contractors interpret the design whenever they were puzzled,” Hagen said. “Afterwards, he stuck around to help us get things up and running. It took a lot just to understand everything this system can do. I already had a background in this, but it took quite a bit of training to really get up to speed.”
Taylor added that Tom Crider, the local Russelectric sales representative, was also deeply involved throughout the project, answering questions, facilitating the installation, and training Taylor’s staff. Recently, with Taylor’s cooperation, Crider led personnel from two other Tampa hospitals on tours of Haley’s power system. One of those hospitals is installing a similar system. The other is considering it.
The fact that the system allows modifi cations as the hospital continues to grow has Taylor thinking. “With this new power system, we have seen what is possible,” he said. “It provides us with the information we need to analyze our power usage and consider new possibilities—opportunities we never would have considered before.” BP
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