U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense Replacement Facility

Edgewood, MD
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Owner
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
General Contractor
Clark Construction
Schedule Duration
10/2009
to
10/2014
Architect / Engineer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Mechanical Subcontract Value
$
93.2
M
Awards

Project Overview

U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) Replacement Facility

The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) Replacement Facility will be the U.S. Department of Defense's lead laboratory for medical chemical defense research. The facility will house 300 employees who will be involved in developing, testing, and evaluating medical treatments and materials to prevent and treat casualties of chemical warfare.

Bell performed the Mechanical and Plumbing scopes of work (SOWs) for the 530,000 square-foot facility, which includes chemistry laboratories built to meet Biological Safety Level 2 standards, as well as command headquarters, offices, specialty core laboratories, vivarium and vivarium support including Animal BSL-2 Animal Research and Animal Holding (ABSL-2) for various species including non-human primates, training facilities and a central energy plant.  The building is separated into seven (7) separate areas (A1, A2, B, C, E, F and P (CUP)).

In addition to performing the Mechanical and Plumbing SOWs, Bell started a safety committee, ran the prep meetings, and standardized all details for the equipment installed for this project. Despite multiple schedule changes, change orders, and RFIs, Bell completed all work on schedule and under budget, and as a result received a Letter of Commendation from the Army Corps of Engineers for their outstanding performance on this job.

Central Utility Plant (P) Equipment includes:

  • (4) Firetube, Dual Fuel Steam Boilers with Economizers – 800 HP (2,700 lbs./hr.)
  • (4) 1400-Ton Chillers
  • (8) Cooling Towers – 2100 GPM each
  • (9) Packaged AHUs
  • (1) 80,000 gallon fuel storage yard with Circ Pumps, Filtration Unit and Leak Detection
  • (1) Surge Tank, (1) DA (3500 gal / 220 gpm) with boiler feed pumps, (21) Pumps
  • (1) ea sand filter for CHW
  • (1) ea solids separator for CT system
  • (1) ea Chemical Treatment System

The other six areas of the building (A1, A2, B, C, E and F) each have dedicated mechanical penthouses that include:

  • (40) AHUs Totaling 808,000 cfm
  • (50) HVAC Pumps
  •   (9) Humidification Steam Generators
  • (17) Heat Recovery Units
  • (100) Booster Humidifiers
  • (170) Exhaust Air HEPA Filters
  •   (1) High Purity Water System
  •   (1) Animal Drinking Water System
  •   (5) Steam Fired Water Heaters
  •   (3) Lab Air Compressors
  •   (2) Duplex Lab Vacuum Pumps