Award of Merit, Energy/Industrial: University of Pittsburgh, Central Utility Building
Despite encountering remnants of previous underground activities in Pittsburgh’s oldest and densest neighborhood, the team built an underground piping distribution system across numerous streets with steep elevation changes. Approximately 1 mile of 42-in. supply and return lines were installed from the plant to various buildings. The resulting 42,000-sq-ft central utility building (CUB) and the underground distribution system, which moved the chilled water to the buildings being served by the new plant, prevent the campus from relying on one utility plant. Existing infrastructure was operating at capacity and additional capacity was needed to support growth.
