NEW
HAVEN, Conn., June 18,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Workers from a Chicago mechanical team created an opening in
the roof of a public school to install and remove two 750-ton air
conditioning chillers through a customized roof hatch manufactured
by The BILCO Company.
Blackhawk HVAC completed the difficult and complex project at
the Roberto Clemente Community Academy, which enrolls more than 700
students in grades 9-12. The air conditioning units were removed
and installed through BILCO's Type D roof hatch, which provides a
convenient way to install and remove heavy mechanical
equipment.
Rich LaCien, the mechanical general contractor for the
project, developed the plan to open the roof and install the roof
hatch for handling the air conditioning equipment. A 550-ton crane
handled the oversized apparatus, lifting the failing equipment out
of the building and lowering the new units into place. The new
chillers have a cooling capacity of 750 tons, and each unit weighs
about 12 tons.
LaCien said Chicago Public
Schools, engineers and structural team members discussed various
plans to deliver the equipment for the school, which was built in
1974 and is named after Clemente, a Hall of Fame baseball player
and native of Puerto Rico who
starred for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The school is home to a
significant population of Hispanic students.
Chillers at the school had failed about 30 years ago, and teams
installed new ones by entering a building after removing a
sidewall. "It was bricked in, and in 2010 they needed a different
piece of equipment, so they took it apart and put it back together
again,'' LaCien said. "It seemed like a waste of time and
money to keep opening up the sidewall every time they needed new
mechanical equipment."
Blackhawk's team cut through the roof and removed concrete to
establish room for the BILCO roof hatch, which measures 9-feet,
8-inches x 18-feet, 3-inches. The roof hatches are commonly used in
projects for the removal and installation of large and heavy
equipment that is used in heating and air conditioning. Hatches are
also frequently used to install oversized radiology equipment and
other devices in medical buildings.
"We built a 2-foot curb and installed a temporary cap after we
removed all the concrete,'' LaCien said. "We also put a pitch
on the cap. The hatch will only be used for mechanical
upgrades."
BILCO's D roof hatches are engineered with compression spring
operators to provide smooth, easy one-hand operation regardless of
size. The doors include automatic hold-open arms that lock covers
in the open position to ensure safe egress. They include an
overlapping cover design, full-welded corners on covers and curb,
EPDM rubber gasket and fully insulated cover and curb that ensure
weather tight efficiency.
The doors included a positive latching mechanism to maintain
building security and are constructed with corrosion resistant
materials to provide years of trouble-free, dependable service.
Architectural Building Solutions assisted Blackhawk with
procuring the BILCO hatch.
"BILCO met and exceeded my expectation with the roof hatch,''
LaCien said. "I was impressed with the quality. I can be very
critical of products, but we set it, squared it, set the bolts and
it was done. There was no messing around with the latch or any
other part of the hatch."
The hatch establishes a well-conceived long-term solution for
the district, LaCien said, and he envisions more projects in
which the hatch will be specified.
"If I come across another project like this, we're going through
the roof with the opening and the roof hatch,'' he said. "We're not
putting brick and louvers back in. It's spending so much money
every time you do that. It will pay for itself just the second time
that it's used. The hatch will only be used for mechanical
upgrades, and it's a worthwhile investment for the district."
For more information about residential products from The BILCO
Company, contact 1-800-854-9724.
About BILCO
For over 90 years, The BILCO Company has
been a building industry pioneer in the design and development of
specialty access products. Over these years, the company has built
a reputation among architects, and engineers for products that are
unequaled in design and workmanship. BILCO – an ISO 9001 certified
company – offers commercial and residential specialty access
products. Its basement access products are available through
online retailers and major home improvement centers. BILCO
is a wholly owned subsidiary of AmesburyTruth, a division of Tyman
Plc. For more information, visit www.bilco.com.
About AmesburyTruth™
AmesburyTruth™ is a leading
manufacturer of window and door extrusions, hardware, and sealing
systems, which are used by leading window and door manufacturers
throughout North America, for both
residential and commercial markets. Based in Edina, Minnesota, the company has facilities
throughout North America. The
company is a subsidiary of Tyman Plc. (London Stock Exchange:
TYMN). Tyman Plc, headquartered in London, is a leading international supplier of
components to the window and door industry. Visit
www.amesburytruth.com .
Keep up with the latest news from The BILCO Company by following
us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
View original
content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chicago-school-installs-air-conditioning-equipment-through-bilco-roof-hatch-302173856.html
SOURCE BILCO