Overview

This 215-bed licensed acute care hospital offers a full range of medical services and was the first level 3 trauma center designated in Texas.

To ensure the hospital can continue its operations with minimal disruptions, refurbishments occur while the building is fully operational. This required temporary air handling units (AHUs) to be installed to provide functional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) for all affected hospital areas during the process.

Our Approach

The project team performed direct to owner mechanical renovations at the Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) Hospital, a member of the Harris Health System (HHS) in Houston, Texas. Hired by HHS to renovate the mechanical systems for eight air handling units (AHUs) on the top floor of a trauma center, the team upgraded the center's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The project involved a full demolition of the interiors of the AHUs, followed by the installation of key components. Through close coordination with the hospital, our team completed 50 planned shutdowns and temporary connections, minimizing disruption to the hospital's operations.

Our installations included:

New supply and return air fans
Chilled and hot water coils
Pre-filter and final filter banks
Drain pans
Bipolar ionization devices
Outside air dampers
Unit insulation
Metal casing
Floor plates
Pneumatic-to-digital controls upgrade

Following the success of phase one, we were also contracted to refurbish nine dual-duct AHUs in the penthouse mechanical room, which involved a similar interior overhaul and installation of the components noted above. Our refurbishment was designed to improve the units' functionality without altering their outward appearance, leaving the hospital's environment visually undisturbed, yet operationally enhanced. This approach ensures the hospital has a reliable, durable HVAC solution expected to perform seamlessly for another 30 years, establishing refurbishment as a viable alternative to industry-standard replacement for facility managers.

Result

By completing a comprehensive air handling unit refurbishment, this project demonstrated a sustainable, long-term maintenance solution for the hospital's HVAC equipment. This approach offered a practical alternative to full unit replacement, which can be logistically challenging in existing buildings. The upgraded HVAC systems now bolster LBJ Hospital's ability to serve over 80,000 emergency patients each year.

This project was completed by Brandt, a Southland Industries company.