Columbus, OH
The Great Lakes Construction Co. seized the opportunity to work with Whiting-Turner Corna Kokosing JV II and was awarded a portion of the District Heating and Cooling Loop (DHC) on The Ohio State University Columbus campus in the late fall of 2020. The DHC will tie into the Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP) which is located near Ohio State’s Veterinary Medical Center. The plant will use natural gas as a power source to cut carbon emissions and will provide electricity, chilled water, hot water, and steam to the university’s campus core.
Progress continues as teams coordinate within tight work zones, work around live duct banks, and excavate under low-clearance bridges. Great Lakes Construction is installing the underground portion of the hydronics system from this new plant to the university’s innovation district on west campus. The bulk of the work consists of installing over 6,000 feet of 36” diameter HDPE chilled water line and 6,000 feet of 24” insulated steel heated water lines, along with a few short sections of steam, condensate, and treated water lines. Great Lakes is self-performing the fusion of the HDPE piping and providing all the earthwork corresponding with the rest of the work. Great Lakes will also be completing the roadway restoration which includes several large concrete pours.
As we head into the summer months, the project is nearly a third of the way complete. Great Lakes will construct boring and receiving pits to facilitate the large diameter pipe installation to west campus. Four casings (two 48” and two 36”) will be tunneled 165’ under Kenny Road. The piping will continue west and dead end into a large cast-in-place vault where future building tie-ins will be installed. As the system is installed, both the chilled water and the hot water lines must be hydrostatically tested at 150 PSI. The pipe will then be flushed and cleaned at the end of the project, removing all debris with over 300,000 gallons of water. The Great Lakes team is on track to successfully complete this unique project on time.