After many years of service, Salisbury University determined that all nineteen (19) walk-in coolers and freezers needed to be removed and replaced in the Commons Building main kitchen and culinary preparation areas. The project had to be completed in the summer break, from late May to early August, and restarted in time for the cool-down and stocking period ahead of the fall semester. The coolers were located in the basement and first floor, in the center of the main dining building. To add to the complexity, the 1st floor coolers were installed on an elevated concrete and steel deck, which had deteriorated due to thermal shock and years of condensation pooling beneath the boxes. Sections of the concrete and deck needed to be removed and replaced, but were located over the main electrical switch gear room for the building.
The tight schedule did not leave enough time for the manufacturers to produce the new cooler boxes and equipment, if the orders were released after demolition and field-measurements could occur in May. Harper & Sons was selected for the project though a technical and competitive bid process, in which technical evaluation was first passed, then price was considered. The company passed both bars with ease, offering the best technical and price proposals.
Once awarded, the management team at Harper & Sons went to work on the challenges. First, during the spring semester’s off-hours, they created strategic access points in the finishes around the existing coolers, and measured the existing coolers. Shop drawings were then completed, approved, and boxes ordered without any disruption to the University.
The on-site window for the work was to begin on the Friday before the Memorial Day holiday. Not a day was wasted by the team. Once demolition commenced, Harper & Sons worked shifts over the Memeorial Day weekend to remove the coolers, installing shoring scaffolding in the basement to protect the electrical equipment and staff from demolition debris. The rest of the main kitchen was partitioned off by temporary walls and air-locks to avoid contamination. Concrete was removed with small electric chipping hammers to avoid damaging the rest of the structure beneath.
With demo complete, the deck repairs were fast-tracked, and all concrete (and some additional corroded structural metal framing discovered behind the coolers) was replaced and cured before the new coolers arrived. Since there was not direct access to the exterior, concrete had to be transported to the 1st floor manually, and involved carefully threading the concrete buggies through occupied spaces.
Harper & Sons, Inc selected a concrete mix design for high-early strength given the rapid pace of the project’s schedule that could not allow for a standard curing period before additional work was installed on the slabs.
Harper & Sons’ carpenters, the refrigeration subcontractor, plumbers, and electricians worked on a just-in-time basis to install all items, including a new refrigeration plant as the materials arrived. This included night and weekend work, but all units were completed, and epoxy flooring installed on-time.
The coolers were commissioned, and the cool-down period was accomplished a full two days ahead of the scheduled date!
Services: Interior Structural and MEP Renovations
Quick Notes
- Location: Salisbury, MD
- Coolers Replaced: 19
- Duration: 96 days
- Design: SU Staff
