Ease of Installation Makes Marley NC Towers from SPX Cooling Technologies Clear Choice for Demanding Work
Thanks to careful planning, prefabrication, and easy-to-install Marley NC cooling towers from SPX Cooling Technologies Inc., Integrated Facility Services (IFS) replaced two large wooden cooling towers with two new steel cooling towers at a St. Louis, MO, government building while keeping the chiller system operational throughout to avoid disrupting essential county government services. The $1-million cooling tower replacement project received the Outstanding Mechanical Installation Award from the Mechanical Contractors Association of Eastern Missouri.
The Louis K. Roos County Government Building houses St. Louis County’s government administration offices. Located in the busy Clayton, MO, business district, it includes the offices of the St. Louis County Executive. To minimize disruption, the cooling tower hoisting and setting onto the roof was accomplished on two Saturdays.
IFS’ work included demolition of old tower structures, structural steel fabrication, mechanical and electrical work, insulation, hoisting, and painting. IFS precisely measured and custom-prefabricated structural steel framing with seismic-rated spring vibration isolators, 10–16″ large-bore piping, fittings, valves, and tower pieces, all of which were lifted to the nine-story rooftop by crane. Central Avenue in downtown Clayton was temporarily closed on both crane days to accommodate the installation.
Commenting on the logistics needed to successfully execute such a large project without major disruption, Gary Tidwell, IFS project manager, said, “This project required an extensive amount of precise planning. Everything was measured, detailed, fabricated, and painted in advance, and each piece had to fit exactly on installation day. Our highly skilled project team completed the project as planned.”
IFS replaced 40-year-old wooden towers with a two-cell Marley NC 8414 steel crossflow cooling tower, factory-assembled by SPX Cooling Technologies. The Marley NC, certified by the Cooling Technology Institute, offers the highest tonnage per cell and the highest ASHRAE 90.1 performance available, which makes it easier to cool larger applications with fewer cells more efficiently and cost-effectively.
The Marley NC cooling tower’s ease of installation and maintenance also factored into the equipment selection process. With IFS’ pre-planning, the challenging HVAC installation was completed from start to finish in about two months.
IFS is no stranger to tough projects. Established in 1966, IFS delivers integrated mechanical engineering and construction, installation, service and planned maintenance, and energy conservation solutions, with a focus on ensuring occupant comfort, improving efficiency, and reducing operational costs. IFS is ranked among the top 100 HVAC contractors in the country by Contractor Magazine, was named a 2016 Midwest Top 50 Specialty Contractor by Engineering News-Record, and is the sixth largest mechanical contractor in the St. Louis region. The firm serves clients in Missouri and Illinois, with offices in St. Louis and Columbia, MO.
For more information, visit spxcooling.com.
