Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), a leader among engineering firms in designing, consulting, and commissioning projects, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Strategic Hospital Resources (SHR), an Atlanta-based medical equipment planning firm. SSR will immediately combine operations with SHR, a global FF&E (furniture, fixtures, and equipment) planning and clinical consulting firm incorporated in the […]
Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law in 2010, there have been continuing transformations in hospital financial, technological, and clinical practices. These transformations have in some cases led to the establishment of competing priorities for hospital decision makers. Two of the biggest issues facing hospitals that cross financial, technological, and clinical lines […]
Since ASHE and TJC announced their joint effort to address the most problematic physical environment issues at the July 2015 ASHE Annual Conference in Boston, both organizations have been making good on that promise. The TJC Physical Environment Portal (TJC PE Portal) is available at TJC’s website under the main TOPICS heading. Interested parties can […]
J. Patrick Banse, PE, Senior Project Manager and Mechanical Engineer, recently wrote an article, “Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems and Code Compliance” for Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine. The article addresses dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) that deliver dehumidified air to buildings to improve the indoor air quality and thermal comfort. Included in the article is an explanation […]
Smith Seckman Reid’s Pat Banse participated in a Q&A session for Consulting-Specifying Engineer on codes and standards in healthcare facilities. Follow the link below for the article in its entirety.
Cox Health Branson reveals new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit In early September 2014, Cox Medical Center Branson in Branson, MO hosted a tour and a ribbon cutting ceremony, revealing the new, three-story, $30 million Emergency Department and expanded Critical Care Unit (CCU). CoxHealth recently opened a state-of-the-art addition to their hospital in Branson, […]
Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR) announces that Methodist Olive Branch Hospital (MOBH) is LEED® Gold certified, making it the first LEED for Healthcare Gold certified inpatient facility in the world. The LEED rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, […]
The design profession has been hit hard over the past six years. By some estimates, as many as 40% of architects were unemployed during the height of the recession, in 2009. Engineers fared better but not by much. Everybody did more with less. Now, after several fits and starts over the past few years, the […]
Geothermal system at Methodist Olive Brand Hospital offers case study for HVAC selection.
NASHVILLE, TN – November 25, 2013 – Smith Seckman Reid, Inc (SSR), a Nashville based engineering design and facilities consulting firm is excited to announce that Owensboro Health Regional Hospital has been awarded top honors in the Health Care category in ENR Midwest’s Best Projects of 2013 competition. Owensboro Health opened their new replacement facility […]
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital is in the business of improving the quality of life for patients with disabilities and their families, through its patient care, teaching, and research programs. For 42 years, the organization, which is part of the not-for-profitPartners HealthCare (Boston), operated a facility on Nashua Street in Boston. But its small double-occupancy rooms, inaccessible bathrooms, and […]
Executives placed ceremonial shovels in the ground at the site of the front door of the hospital, which will officially be named Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital Vanderbilt at Williamson Medical Center. News Channel 5, November 19, 2013.
To coordinate the myriad components of Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, a facility with 477 beds, 16 operating room suites and an expanded neonatal intensive-care unit, project team members made extensive use of building information modeling, lean construction principals and integrated project delivery throughout all phases of design and construction. Among other benefits, IPD promoted early […]
Geothermal system at Methodist Olive Branch Hospital offers case study for HVAC selection. Medical Construction & Design, November/December 2013.
The Joint Commission (TJC) discussed the use of a sample hazardous material and waste management environment of care (EOC) tracer in its March 2013 issue of EC News. The article provided specific examples for conducting the tracer to explore issues related to orientation and training, physical environment, and quality improvement priority focus areas. EC News […]
The University of Tennessee combines its disparate pharmacy buildings into a new facility at the Memphis Medical Center.
Construction Owners Association of America (COAA) announced the winners of the 2013 Project Leadership Awards during the COAA Fall Owners Leadership Conference Awards Luncheon, October 31, 2013. The Gold Award was awarded to Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare for the Methodist Olive Branch project. October 2013.
Limited by the inefficiencies of its existing facility, Owensboro Health Regional Hospital in Owensboro, Ky., came to a conclusion about its future: Delivering a higher quality of care meant starting over and rebuilding. On June 1, Owensboro Health, along with its project team of HGA Architects and Engineers (Milwaukee); KLMK Group Inc. (Richmond, Va. ); Smith Seckman Reid Inc. (SSR) (Nashville); and Turner Construction (Nashville), unveiled […]
Forty successful business and community leaders have been selected as the 2013 honorees of Memphis Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 Awards.
Energy recovery is an option to save on HVAC costs for organizations using a direct exchange system that’s increasingly being written into building codes and ASHRAE standards. Like VRF, there are two basic types: airside and waterside. According to Ron Holdaway, an engineer at Smith Seckman Reid, airside energy recovery is the process of using […]
As I look at our profession, I see a void in leadership. I am not referring to your boss, executives, or directors. There are great leaders within all of our various organizations. But when I look out across the landscape of our state, engineers in leadership positions are absent. We have long advocated that being […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a categorical Life Safety Code waiver permitting new and existing ventilation systems supplying hospital and critical access hospital (CAH) anesthetizing locations to operate with a relative humidity (RH) of ≥20%, instead of ≥35%. CMS is also recommending that RH not exceed 60% in these locations. CMS […]
The last link of Wolf River Boulevard will open next week, connecting Collierville to the Interstate 240 interchange at Walnut Grove.
When folks gather Tuesday, July 30, for groundbreaking ceremonies at Richellen Park, it will signal the beginning of the last major county park project following a series of upgrades at existing parks that date back to 2008. Developing the 52-acre park located on Highway 149 between the Cumberland Heights and Palmyra areas will by far […]
In its Joint Commission Online article, dated June 26, 2013,(www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/23/jconline_June_26_13.pdf) The Joint Commission announced a new 2014 National Patient Safety Goal NPSG .06.01.01 on clinical alarm safety for both hospitals and critical access hospitals. The July 2013 issue of Joint Commission Perspectives discusses the new NPSG in detail. The NPSG requirements include 4 elements of […]
Cx Monitor Newsletter, Issue 5.2 OWNERS OFTEN ASK that engineers specify what a “building automation system shall be capable of” in terms of operations or performance. But just because a building’s automation system is capable of doing something, doesn’t necessarily ensure that a particular operation will actually be properly utilized (if utilized at all) once […]
NASHVILLE, TN – May 28, 2013 – Eric Sheffer, LEED AP BD+C, a Principal at Smith Seckman Reid, Inc (SSR), has been appointed to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Middle Tennessee Chapter Board. Sheffer, who oversees SSR’s Sustainability Consulting team, manages LEED certified projects and LEED feasibility studies in the LEED for New Construction, LEED […]
When I recently asked a panel of healthcare technology gurus what their ideal environment of care looks like, it wasn’t a “homelike” space that they described. Rather, it was very literally “home.” I had the pleasure of moderating the panel “Design Considerations for Technological Innovation in Healthcare Delivery,” a DuPont event held in conjunction with Healthcare Design at the DuPont […]
The Great Recession, as the last five-plus years have come to be known, has been tough on building owners and operations-and-maintenance (O&M) staffs. As they face mounting pressure to maximize net operating income, they increasingly are turning to existing-building commissioning (EBCx) to keep maintenance and utility costs down. This article will define contemporary EBCx, describe the […]
Northeast Mississippi News Daily Journal article about Tupelo’s City Council delaying the vote to explore implementing “quiet zones” along railroad tracks in the city. If passed, SSR would complete necessary first steps of engineering and other technical work required for a quiet zone application. TUPELO – Wanting more time to ask questions about an effort […]
TUPELO – Loud train whistles throughout Tupelo could turn into memories, starting with a City Council vote today to explore “quiet zones.”City Council members will likely vote to authorize work on a $138,000 “analysis and diagnostics” study that could lead to quiet zones along railroad tracks in the city.The study would be a necessary first […]
Two Nashville companies are at the heart of a national effort to design a hospital room that will transform patient care. Dubbed “Patient Room 2020,” the latest version of the project is set to be unveiled later this month at the DuPont Corian Design Studio in New York City. Designed in collaboration by architects, engineers […]
The Louis & Peaches Owen Heart Hospital on the Trinity Mother Frances campus in Tyler, Texas is the cover story for the May/June issue of Medical Construction and Design. SSR provided MEP engineering services to the new, 154,000 SF facility.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a categorical Life Safety Code waiver permitting new and existing ventilation systems supplying hospital and critical access hospital (CAH) anesthetizing locations to operate with a relative humidity (RH) of ≥20%, instead of ≥35%. CMS is also recommending that RH not exceed 60% in these locations. CMS […]
SSR ranked on of nation’s top electrical engineering firms by Electrical Construction & Maintenance. The nation’s top U.S. electrical design firms weathered the storm during the economic slowdown with slim margins, fierce competition, and drastically reduced opportunities. By diversifying their services and expanding into new areas, however, the companies are now reporting a brighter outlook […]
Children’s Mercy Hospital was recently singled out for Special Judges’ Recognition in the Kansas City Business Journal’s Capstone Awards. The Capstone Awards program honors outstanding real estate and development projects — and the companies, organizations and individuals behind them. SSR provided engineering services for Hall Tower on the Children’s Mercy campus.
Located in Memphis, Tenn.,on the Mississippi River, the new Beale Street Landing consists of a public park, passenger boat docking facility, and terminal building. A modern, world-class docking facility was needed to better accommodate passenger boat traffic up and down America’s most used interior waterway. A secondary goal of the design was to create a […]
Located in Memphis, Tenn., on the Mississippi River, the new Beale Street Landing consists of a public park, passenger boat docking facility, and terminal building. A modern, world-class docking facility was needed to better accommodate passenger boat traffic up and down America’s most used interior waterway. A secondary goal of the design was to create a […]
Integrated Project Delivery at Owensboro Medical Health System
The convergence of technology and the healthcare industry is proving to be a valuable and exciting partnership. The effect of technological innovation on disease management has been changing patients’ lives … providing greater quantity and quality of life. Being able to monitor their own blood pressure, glucose, calories, air quality for asthma, and many other […]
Chillers don’t seem to get the respect they deserve when it comes to their abilities to help drive greater efficiency and reduce energy consumption. With some recent tweaks to these systems, however, many engineers and plant operations leaders are taking a fresh look at how to harness their potential. The latest chiller technology features variable-speed […]
The Joint Commission (TJC) discussed the use of a sample hazardous material and waste management environment of care (EOC) tracer in its March 2013 issue of EC News. The article provided specific examples for conducting the tracer to explore issues related to orientation and training, physical environment, and quality improvement priority focus areas. EC News […]
The Owensboro Medical Health System (OMHS) in Owensboro, Ky., USA, is building a replacement facility consisting of a nine-story, 780,000 square foot hospital and a threestory diagnostic and treatment building on a 160-acre site. Scheduled for completion in 2013, the project has utilized the integrated project delivery (IPD) method. While IPD can be benefi cial […]
The LEED program in general has become more about existing buildings than new construction as evidenced by the certified square footage of existing buildings recently surpassing certified square footage of new construction projects. The enhanced commissioning (Cx) and measurement and verification (M&V) credits are examples of good opportunities that tie design and construction to operations […]
In response to smaller reimbursements, greater operational costs and more demanding record-keeping requirements, the delivery of health care is becoming increasingly tied to technology. Because technology is now setting the pace in a large number of new construction and renovation projects, facility owners are finding themselves having conversations with architects and designers about technology much […]
St. Mary’s Medical Center in Blue Springs, Mo., is now the only hospital in the Kansas City area to receive an energy efficient certification from the federal government. A release says the Environmental Protection Agency gave St. Mary’s its Energy Star certification, which puts the hospital in the top 25 percent of similar facilities for its nationwide energy efficiency […]
The town of Collierville, Tenn., recently began construction on a regional detention basin designed to reduce flooding. Collierville is a suburb of the Memphis metropolitan area and has a population of approximately 44,000 residents. The town has experienced several major storm events in the last few years, and several homes within the Lateral J basin […]
Vendors are paying special attention to water containment to prevent the spread of bacteria. A number of vendors offer hand-washing sinks for hospital staff — and the public — with features to keep the water contained. And they have good reason to make the effort. Jeremy Cressman, vice president, commercial trade, American Standard Brands, Piscataway, […]
Completed just more than a year ago, the new SECU Cancer Center at Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, was awarded LEED Gold certification in April 2012, making it the third Gold-certified cancer center in the United States and the largest certified facility of its kind in the state. Construction on the $38 million, 120,000-square-foot center was […]
When I started my career 17 years ago, only a few geothermal-unit configurations were available, and those met most industry needs. With the inception of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green-building rating program and stricter ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, and ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1, Ventilation for […]
January is a time of reflection for most – a time to ask what was great about the previous year (and maybe what was not so much). Many also ask themselves, “What will I do to effect positive change in the coming year?” When we look back on the last several years in the green […]
Between the end of a facility’s construction and the beginning of its operations, there’s a substantial transition period where most, if not all, of the professionals who designed, installed and verified the initial conditions of the building cease to be involved. A new team of people begins to run the building, taking on the phase […]
Most buildings that will be in existence in 2030 are already here today. So an average 22 percent savings across around 75 billion square feet in the United States ends up being a lot of cost, energy and emissions avoidance. No doubt the biggest opportunity is in existing buildings. But what about the new buildings […]
As health care grapples with lower reimbursements, an influx of newly insured patients and a value-based delivery system that is so far more theory than reality, designers, facilities managers, engineers and industry experts of all stripes are attempting to define what these changes will mean for facilities over the next five years. “Health care organizations […]
The ECRI Institute recently published a 25-page special report entitled “ECRI Institute 2013 Top 10 Health Technology Hazards” – available at www.ecri.org/2013hazards. In its introduction, ECRI encourages facilities to use the list of generic hazards as a “starting point for patient safety discussions and for setting their health technology safety priorities.” This report is comprehensive […]
An energy model is a computer-generated representation of a building used to estimate the impact of proposed changes to the building on energy use. It is a comparative tool most commonly used: New construction • To evaluate the impact of different design options (e.g., a chilled-beam system as opposed to a conventional overhead single-duct variable-air-volume […]
Managing one’s health in the future will involve an app, a “smart” device or a patient portal. The explosion of the mobile technology industry is fast and furious, and health systems are scrambling to keep up. These changes create both opportunities and risks; but by far the positives outweigh the negatives. The impact of this […]
Station Style Design Awards
With a wide spectrum of specialized spaces and particular outside air requirements, a hospital’s en-ergy-efficiency efforts start when arranging which areas go where. From there, the author leaves no technology unturned — chilled beams, geothermal, DOAS, VRF, etc. — in evaluating which ap-proaches might best contribute proper ventilation and humidity in which environments, with an […]
While fall is a time of demise in the natural world and an edging toward a period of dormancy, for me it never fails to awaken my senses and rejuvenate my creative spirit. With Greenbuild just around the corner, my personal reawakening coincides with the world’s largest green building conference, which is visiting San Francisco […]
The Memphis Area Transit Authority’s Airways Transit Center, 3033 Airways Blvd., has gained high marks for its environmentally-friendly design. The U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit, has given the 30,000-square-foot project a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certification. This makes it the first newly constructed, publicly funded building to gain this […]
From multitenant office buildings to mixed-use developments, new net-zero energy buildings — buildings that produce at least as much energy as they use on an annual basis — are popping up coast to coast. Though they are still a small percentage of new construction, several factors are converging to move net-zero energy buildings from myth […]
It may no longer be called “Mean Green Stadium,” but the University of North Texas’s Apogee Stadium retains the distinguished honor of being the only LEED Platinum structure of its kind in the country.
The 2013 edition of NFPA 110 was recently released by the NFPA Standards Council. Chief among the changes in this edition were several changes, including informational Annex recommendations, intended to improve emergency power supply system (EPSS) reliability through better fuel oil management processes. The excerpts below are only partial excerpts, and readers should review the […]
The reality may be many laps away — ballparks at Renasant Park and soccer fields at the old North Lagoon acreage — and funding a frequent hurdle, but the vision of a wide-ranging, inclusive parks and recreation system for Hernando is here, thanks to a master plan months in the making with eager citizen input. […]
After reviewing basic design options, the next steps for potential geothermal designers are to challenge the common concerns and myths, study how different choices have different cost impacts, and be aware of the ways a good design can yield bad performance if the installation isn’t done well. Add the habit of turning a retrofit’s circumstances […]
Reducing fossil fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions are important goals for our industry; however, they are difficult to achieve and measure. Designers, contractors, owners and operators start with good intentions, but many new buildings ultimately have minimal energy-efficiency improvements over the buildings they replaced. Buildings are major consumers of energy. To decrease greenhouse gas […]
The specialized and especially demanding needs of health care facilities make them a prime environment for commissioning to net the greatest value. However, with no unilateral health care-specific standard, facility managers often were left to cobble together a number of commissioning guides to arrive at a less-than-ideal commissioning process and lingering doubt regarding the adequacy […]
Citing concerns for worker safety, tighter insurance requirements and Occupational Safety and Health Administration enforcement actions, most electrical contractors and electrical service companies now do their work in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace. They are no longer willing to maintain or to modify “hot,” […]
sometimes wonder if the specifications we create are really any different than the bricks I’ve seen used as doorstops from time to time. I also sometimes wonder what is relevant, what is related, and whose job is it, and would (should) we, as engineers, do things the same way and with the same passion and […]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – July 16, 2012 – Stephen Lane, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Smith Seckman Reid, Inc., has been inducted into the College of Fellows for the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). The honor recognizes an ACEC member who through their career has elevated the standards of the engineering profession. […]
HOUSTON – July 10, 2012 – The Houston office of Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.(SSR), an engineering design and facility consulting firm, achieved LEED® Platinum for Commercial Interiors, making it only the second space in Houston to achieve this designation, the highest possible certification level from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Green Building […]
The plumbing industry is slow to change. This can be a good thing, because our health and safety depend on plumbing, but it can also be frustrating when trends need to change. For example: A growing concern is that plumbing professionals design systems only for the health and safety of people at the expense of […]
In In his recent ASHE Annual Conference presentation, George Mills of TJC reminded attendees about the requirements for current LS plans. Much of this information is in a related February 2012 EC News article and is summarized below. TJC Standard LS.01.01.01, EP 2, requires an organization to have a current Statement of Conditions™ (SOC™). EP2 […]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – June 12, 2012 – Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), an engineering design and facility consulting firm headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, is pleased to announce that four members of its staff have been recognized as exceptional young engineers in recent months by three different organizations. Theodore (Ted) Foster, PE, PSP, CxA, was recognized […]
The students have changed, and the way spaces get used is changing as well. How do we need think about educational environments to foster better thinking inside them? Architects and engineers are constantly challenged in the higher education market with the same goal from clients over and over again. “We want the learning space of […]
The USGBC LEED rating system is a guideline for building teams wanting to design, build and operate sustainable buildings that reduce energy and water consumption when compared to “average” buildings through the use of sustainable site, materials and resources practices. The LEED rating system offers a checklist of sustainable elements, called credits, which can be […]
SSRCx is dedicated entirely to providing building performance consulting services. SSRCx continues to assist the DoD and Federal Agencies with meeting their requirements for Executive Orders 13423 and 13514, and EISA through the services we offer: Whole Building Commissioning LEED Fundamental and Enhanced Commissioning Measurement and Verification (M&V) Energy and Water Audits Energy Modeling Net […]
As the first LEED Gold certified hospital in the state of Texas,Mission Trail Baptist Hospital is set to save $150,000 in annual energy costs and $1.1 million gallons of potable water per year. Giving the project a jump start toward LEED certification was the selection of the previously developed Brooks Air Force Base site in San […]
Light-emitting diode (LED) technology offers hospitals many advantages over traditional lighting, such as energy savings, longer life, lower heat output and design flexibility. Little wonder that it can be found everywhere from parking lots to surgical suites. During the past decade, most health care facilities upgraded their lighting to energy-efficient fluorescent technology, industry experts say. […]
Reconstruction in its many forms—tenant improvements, retail fitouts, adaptive reuse, historic preservation, gut rehab, and so on—is keeping many design and construction firms solvent. The collapse of the U.S. housing market in 2007-2008 precipitated a nearly commensurate downturn in new nonresidential construction in the United States. Filling the gap, at least to some extent, has […]
When superintendent Alan Cranford looks out at his upgraded 20 mgd Stones River Water Treatment Plant in Murfreesboro, Tenn., he may be viewing the facility of the future. Membranes. Granular activated carbon filters. High-tech lime system. On-site sodium hypochlorite generation. Sophisticated SCADA system, including portable data tablets. But he knows it takes more than state-of-the-art […]
Some energy-efficient technologies are the holy grail of the plumbing industry. These technologies would allow a building to be a comfortable, safe place to live or work while using only the energy it generates, with no connections to the utility grid. Like the Holy Grail of history, however, these desirable technologies are just out of […]
In its March 20, 2012 press release and conference call, OSHA announced revisions to its Hazard Communication Standard to align it with the United Nations’ global chemical labeling system, known as the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. OSHA stated that this change is intended to improve understanding and “will improve […]
In the pursuit of a high-performance building, LEED certification or net-zero design, there is no guarantee that the resulting performance will persist for more than a short period of time. Something happens between the end of a facility’s construction and the beginning of its operations. Even if the teams have miraculously bundled forward-thinking mechanical and […]
After four years, it appears the U.S. construction market has bottomed out and is beginning the slow climb out of recession. For many large U.S. design firms, this development is cause for both relief and celebration. But for other design firms, particularly in the public infrastructure markets, uncertainty about the future remains a constant. The […]
From a pontoon boat meandering down Wolf River Harbor on a sparkling spring day, Hart Robinson and his friends caught sight of the odd structure mounted on pilings near the shore and weren’t quite sure what to make of it. A new place to dock? A fishing pier? Actually, it was neither. But Robinson was […]
It often pays to get in on something early. Today engineering firms are all about building commissioning — a rapidly growing process that ensures electrical, mechanical and heating/ air conditioning systems are working the way they should. But 12 years ago, when Nashville-based Smith Seckman Reid first started offering the service, the company had to […]
Cx Monitor Newsletter, Issue 6.1 Companies that get serious about improving sustainability soon discover there is always something else to do to achieve greater efficiencies. They quickly learn that sustainability is a journey, not a destination. Spectrum Properties | Emery has taken this message to heart, leading the charge in the Southeast for ongoing sustainable […]
If I were a moviemaker, I would make a movie about water. Humans are fascinated with water. We can sit on a beach, in a boat or a bathtub or by a swimming pool or stream for hours, letting the sound, smell and feeling of the water flow around and through us. This is true […]
The 40 young AEC professionals featured here represent the Class of 2012 in Building Design+Construction’s “40 UNDER 40” competition. They were chosen from among 223 applicants to join the 240 previous recipients of this honor, dating to 2006. They range in age from 27 to 39 (as of December 31, 2011, the contest deadline), with a median […]
NASHVILLE, TN – March 5, 2012 – Engineering design and facility consulting firm Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR) was awarded the City of Memphis Engineer’s Award for Excellence for its work on the College of Pharmacy Building at the University of Tennessee, Memphis campus. The award was presented at the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers’ […]
As reported by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) last December, for the first time “LEED-certified existing buildings are outpacing their newly built counterparts … square footage of LEED-certified existing buildings surpassed LEED-certified new construction by 15 million square feet on a cumulative basis.” Water efficiency is an important part of upgrading existing buildings. The […]
Air control, filtration and ventilation technologies can improve the health care environment and help facility managers meet the special performance considerations inherent in hospitals. Hospital facility managers must deal with rigorous performance requirements when it comes to improving indoor air quality (IAQ). What’s more, these design considerations are regulated by organizations that write codes and […]
Many hospitals are installing new or replacement emergency power systems. NFPA 110 requires a special testing sequence before the system may be used. Although the NFPA 110-2005 edition is referenced by the 2010 FGI Guidelines for Design and Construction of Healthcare Facilities, readers should review the updated and considerably improved Installation Acceptance Test in Section […]
For most of us, a conversation about school brings back memories of our earliest and oldest friends, a childhood crush, going to lunch and recess, learning about government, having “fun” with algebra, or pretending to play this week’s gym class game in front of huge crowds on television. The thought that may not surface while […]
NASHVILLE, TN – February 13, 2012 – Nashville based engineering design and facility consulting firm Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR) will have four employees speaking during three sessions at the upcoming American Society for Healthcare Engineer’s (ASHE) Planning, Design, and Construction (PDC) Summit in Phoenix, Ariz. Clay Seckman, SSR Executive Vice President, will lead a […]
Cx Monitor Newsletter, Issue 5.4 WITH FUEL PRICES RISING, ENERGY EFFICIENCY HAS BEEN TOP-OF-MIND FOR FACILITY MANAGERS. And, state and nationwide energy-saving programs, mandates and incentives have increased dramatically. These include increasingly stringent energy codes and standards, green building rating systems, federal tax deductions, numerous state-or utility-specific rebates and incentives, building labeling programs, and more. All […]
In a February 2009 report, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) identified that during 2003-2006, municipal fire departments responded to an estimated 3,750 structure fires in medical, mental health, and substance abuse facilities, annually. These fires resulted in one civilian death, 57 civilian injuries, and $26.9 million in direct property damage. While no amount of […]
NASHVILLE, TN – February 13, 2012 – Nashville based engineering design and facility consulting firm Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR) will have four employees speaking during three sessions at the upcoming American Society for Healthcare Engineer’s (ASHE) Planning, Design, and Construction (PDC) Summit in Phoenix, Ariz. Clay Seckman, SSR Executive Vice President, will lead a […]
Like all other mission-critical systems, emergency power systems should be commissioned to attain the necessary operational reliability. Emergency power system commissioning (Cx) can be considered a documented quality assurance program that finds and resolves potential emergency power system-related problems before patients are admitted and procedures are performed. Emergency power system Cx is not the same […]
While a mass notification system and a fire alarm system have similar goals — quickly warning a large number of people about an incident — they couldn’t be more different when it comes to possible uses and designs. After all, a fire alarm system has a singular purpose. “Previously, when we used to design fire […]
More than 770 communities across the country are implementing long-term control plans to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s requirement to reduce the number of combined sewer overflows (CSO). Most communities with CSOs are located in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions and the Pacific Northwest (see Figure 1), affecting approximately 40 million people. The […]
Health care organizations should already be familiar with the current code-based requirements of NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code® and The Joint Commission (TJC) regarding the placement of Alcohol-Based Hand-Rub (ABHR) Dispensers. TJC is now allowing ABHR dispensers to be placed according to the requirements of the 2009 and 2012 editions of NFPA 101®,Life Safety Code®. […]
Most people don’t hear the word “conditioning” and immediately think of buildings and construction. But just as a trainer can help athletes reach their potential, James Qualk helps buildings operate at peak efficiency. “The firm was founded in 1968 and originally was performing mechanical, electrical and plumbing design services,” says Qualk, vice president of LEED […]
SAN ANTONIO — It’s a first for Texas. A San Antonio hospital has been awarded the highest certification as a “green” building. San Antonio’s newest hospital is also officially its greenest. Mission Trail Baptist Hospital at Brooks City-Base on the southeast side is in the business of treating sick people, delivering babies and saving lives. According […]
Primex Wireless, a provider of solutions to automate and maintain healthcare facility compliance, announced that it has reached an agreement with Smith Seckman Reid (SSR), an engineering design and facility consulting firm, to assume responsibility for SSR’s survey and inspection solutions. Under the agreement, Primex Wireless said it will take over all development, support and […]
The push for water conservation in restrooms in institutional and commercial facilities is creating pressure to address problems related to plumbing components and systems. One key decision maintenance and engineering managers face is whether to repair existing plumbing fixtures in an attempt to address water-conservation demands or to replace plumbing systems to achieve this goal. […]
Nashville-based Smith Seckman Reid Inc. has opened a Chicago office, the company announced late Tuesday. The engineering firm had already been active in the Chicago market, with more than 20 ongoing or recently completed projects in the area. “Based on our growth in the Chicago market, it was only natural that we establish roots to […]
In 1968, Tom Seckman, Andy Reid, Lester Smith and Bobby Smith gathered in a house in Nashville, Tenn., to draft their magna carta for a new company. It was then that the foundation was set for success and Smith, Seckman, Reid, Inc., was born. And, in the 40-plus years since their start, while almost everything, […]
OLIVE BRANCH — Olive Branch Mayor Sam Rikard said Wednesday the 14-year effort to site and build a 100-bed hospital in Olive Branch will have a $1 billion impact to the fastest growing city in America.“It’s a big day for Olive Branch,” Rikard said during groundbreaking ceremonies Wednesday at the hospital site near the intersection […]
Texas Children’s Hospital and its family of medical facilities at Houston’s Texas Medical Center are welcoming a new addition. The Pavilion for Women is a $575-million facility that will bring maternity and neonatal care capabilities to the hospital. Taking the pavilion from conception to birth is the most ambitious construction project in the hospital’s history and […]
Cx Monitor Newsletter, Issue 5.3 WORKING AS A TEAM EARLIER IN THE DESIGN PROCESS FOSTERS CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING Buildings are tremendously complex. Even the simplest facilities require a highly trained team of professionals for their design, construction, and eventually, operation. It is amazing that many buildings are ever built, considering the necessary financing, land acquisition, code […]
Today’s building automation systems have advanced far beyond their HVAC-centric past to handle additional functions such as lighting, security and more, providing key opportunities to save operational and maintenance dollars. Integration and interoperability are key trends in building automation systems (BASs), creating new opportunities for hospitals to save money. At the same time, new wireless […]
Promoting healing and health isn’t just the job of doctors and nurses at Rockingham Memorial Hospital – the building itself plays a key role in patient recovery through environmental stewardship. The first hospital in Virginia to achieve LEED Gold certification, Rockingham Memorial Hospital (RMH) infuses sustainability into every corner of the 630,000-square-foot building. The facility’s […]
While new construction has slowed, the interest in all things green among property owners, tenants, environmental activists and government departments continues to drive technological advances. Indeed, the latest green technologies offer new and in some cases cheaper options. Emerging green-building technologies range from the splashy to the subtle. For instance, green-building technology companies are now […]
Improvements in analytical testing methods and concerns over micro-constituents and emerging contaminants are continuing to drive changes in federal drinking water standards. As this happens, the use of broad-spectrum treatment techniques, like activated carbon, will continue to grow. The use of activated carbon in treating potable water is not new. In fact, historical evidence indicates […]
Superior workplace practices, employee benefits, employee retention rates, and other incentives make the following this year’s Best Multidiscipline A/E Services Firms To Work For. Ranging from 15 to more than 1,200 full-time employees, the sixth annual Best Multidiscipline A/E Services Firms To Work For ranking saw participation from 24 firms, with huge variations in services offered. […]
Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare has announced it has selected the design and construction team to build its new $137 million hospital in Olive Branch, and that the team is expected to break ground on the project Oct. 19. Methodist, which already has six hospitals in the Memphis metro area, won approval in July from the […]
The health care system announced late Wednesday the design and construction team for the $137 million, 100-bed hospital. Architecture firm Gresham Smith and Partners, with offices in Memphis as well as a dozen other cities, was selected to design the hospital. Nashville-based Smith Seckman and Reid Inc. was chosen to handle the engineering design, and New York […]
To operate properly, hospitals need smart engineering, from the HVAC systems to the fire/life safety and electrical equipment. Here, some expert engineers offer advice on smart hospital engineering.
Demand for green construction and its economic impact has exploded in recent years despite the tough economy. Green building now supports more than 2 million jobs and generates more than $100 billion in gross domestic product, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. But one industry — a major consumer of energy and producer of waste […]
Sustainability is a journey, not a destination. Spectrum Properties | Emery has taken this message to heart, leading the charge for ongoing sustainable retrofits and operations in the Southeast. Though the North Carolina-based real estate company has been implementing best practices and pursuing LEED® certification on new construction projects for several years, the sustainability journey […]
CROSSVILLE — The Crossville City Council will consider how to move forward to acquire property for the first phase of the Northwest Connector when it meets tonight.City Attorney Kenneth Chadwell was tasked at a June 27 special-called meeting with continuing negotiations with property owners of the remaining two parcels needed for the highway. The city […]
Gibbens Drake Scott and Systems Integration “Successful relationships equal successful projects.” The tag-line of Gibbens Drake Scott, Inc. (GDS) could also describe the necessity of good working relationships among all the players on the National Security Campus project team. GDS has an important role in maintaining the success of those relationships. GDS is the Mechanical […]
Incorporating a plenum can have its design advantages, but corridors serving adjoining areas of health care occupancies are prohibited from being used for a portion of an air supply, air return, or exhaust air plenum. This article and its illustrations can strengthen your grasp of the related NFPA code details and exceptions so you can […]
Clinical laboratories are often on-site and associated with hospitals, but many times these facilities are independent and located away from the source of patient care and treatment. Regardless of the lab location, published rules and regulations apply to the design, layout, finishes, equipment, ventilation, and operation of the facility. While this article identifies many of the […]
From time to time, when a building owner knows that an energy model has been used in the design of a building, he or she may ask, “How much will my utility bills be?” This is certainly a legitimate concern for all building owners, as they may need to know how to set up billing […]
Cx Monitor Newsletter, Issue 5.1 Continuous Commissioning® can generate additional energy savings for a building, even after a full Retro-commissioning process. The LEED-EB Gold certified Caterpillar Financial Center in Nashville, Tenn. underwent both the Retro-commissioning and Continuous Commissioning® processes, and is now on track for a payback of less than two years for cost versus […]
Industry leaders fielded questions and provided valuable insights about the use of mobile technologies in Healthcare at the Houston Mobile Healthcare Technology Summit held on May 5, 2011 in Houston. The event was presented by Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. at the University of Houston Alumni Center. Other local sponsors of the event included HIMSS South Central […]
Working as a team earlier in the design process fosters creative problem-solving Buildings are tremendously complex. Even the simplest facilities require a highly trained team of professionals for their design, construction, and, eventually, operation. Actually, it is amazing that many buildings are ever built, considering the necessary financing, land acquisition, code and jurisdictional requirements, extremely […]
HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), a leading engineering design and facility consulting firm, is hosting a Mobile Healthcare Technology Summit on May 5 in Houston. The event will be held at the University of Houston Alumni Center where a panel of industry experts will explore topics surrounding mobile healthcare technology in the acute care setting. “Our Houston summit […]
Rhodes College has been ranked 15th for producing Peace Corps volunteers among among 250 colleges and universities in the southeast region. Rhodes has 91 alumni who have served in the Peace Corps and has 14 currently overseas. Smith Seckman Reid, an engineering design and facility consulting firm, was selected as a winner of the People’s Choice […]
Cx Monitor Newsletter, Issue 4.2 “THE INTENT OF THE STIMULUS BILL is to start construction as soon as possible on ‘shovel ready’ projects so that unemployed workers are put back on the job,” said Donoho. So far SSR has been selected to provide Construction Engineering and Inspection (CEI) oversight for a bridge-replacement project in Carter […]
We all know about the trend in social media such as Facebook and Twitter, and most of us have seen the movie Avatar and know what an avatar is. However, do you know of the new technology that uses avatars for building water systems on social websites? In this new trend, a building has an […]
An emergency power (EP) system’s role in patient safety is critical to hospitals and regulators. Each hospital EP system must power what the health care facility needs, when and for as long as it needs it. That is a tall order and one that likely will become more complicated as new requirements and technologies increase […]
The new arena is located on the Auburn University campus northwest of the existing Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum. The 9,600-capacity arena has over 29,000 sq ft of student -athlete space, a two-court practice facility, men’s and women’s locker room suites with sports medicine facilities, a strength and conditioning center, lounges and meeting rooms, coaches offices, and […]
Most institutional and commercial facilities operate on flat rates from electric utilities. In most cases, utilities base these rates on calculations of the average cost of power delivered to customers. This method has worked for years, but a growing reliance on cooling systems has created a large demand on the electrical grid for reliable power […]
Current technologies are vastly different than the technologies in place when most mechanical engineers started. When mechanical engineers are in school, few of them know exactly where their degree might take them. I was one of those engineers. Being exposed to many aspects of this fascinating engineering program, I was awed by the range of […]
Cx Monitor Newsletter, Issue 4.1 Based on the growth of Greenbuild, and the number of LEED registrations last year, I think we are beginning to see the long awaited market transformation. We have certainly demonstrated that there is a better way of doing things when it comes to building design, construction and operations. Market transformation […]
The system includes two 900-lb-per-day hypochlorite generators, two 40-ton brine silos & three 15,000-gal storage tanks. Murfreesboro, Tenn., is known as one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S., with a population that has grown more than 120% since 1990. As a result, Murfreesboro Water and Sewer Department commissioned the 20-million-gal-per-day (mgd) Stones River […]
Growing consumer desire for environmentally friendly business has led many companies to “green” their practices, making them more sustainable. In addition, many entrepreneurs have opened businesses with a green slant in recent years. The result? Green business has evolved into a profitable aspect of the business world for mom-and-pop shops and multinational companies alike. What […]
Hernando has filled all seven slots on its new tree board, a panel required to gain Tree City USA status. And while the members hold firm to environmental responsibility, don’t dismiss them as tree huggers. “I’m a very practical engineer,” said one of the seven, Tiffany Heard. “But I say, ‘Just leave the trees.’ They’re […]
This paper includes energy benchmarking uses, metrics, tools, operational differences and efficiencies, early benchmarking pitfalls, fuel cost variances, dashboard reporting, multi-year trending analyses, load profiling, utility rates; weather and campus growth impacts on both energy index and utility index, similar/dissimilar facilities, and the pros and cons of the US-DOE CBECS databases. Also included are load […]
The City of Murfreesboro Water and Sewer Department (MWSD) currently operates a 15.6 MGD Lime Softening/Mixed Media Filtration plant to provide drinking water to its approximately 25,000 customers. Although the plant has operated well over the last 40 years, increasing tight regulations coupled with concerns over aging filtration underdrains motivated City personnel to consider alternative […]
The Tennessean’s March 30 article “Health reform may spur building boom” discusses a potential need for new healthcare facilities to handle the 32 million uninsured Americans to get health coverage. Clearly the addition of this many people will stress existing facilities and practitioners, creating a need for new clinics. This anticipated building spur in health […]
Last year was the biggest year so far for green building. This is especially true in the commercial sector, where for the first time Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) registered floor area is expected to exceed the total floor area of new construction starts. 2009 was also the year where the House of […]
For the past several years, the U.S. economy has seen a tremendous amount of growth in the adoption of sustainable practices. Organic and natural products now grace the isles of almost every grocer and department store. Consumer awareness has grown as more people try to purchase organic and locally grown produce. Recycling programs are more […]
Selecting design and construction team members and determining the methodology for how they will interact during healthcare construction projects can be a daunting process. The current design and construction trend in the healthcare industry is to accelerate the project schedule to minimize disruption in services on the existing campus. This is often accomplished by the […]
A 320,000 square foot Class A high-rise office building in Nashville, TN achieved LEED-EB Gold Certification. LEED-EB version 2.0 was utilized, which requires Retro-Commissioning (RCx) as a prerequisite for certification. SSRCx performed the RCx services during the LEED-EB performance period, and was contracted after building certification to utilize the Continuous Commissioning® (CC®)1 process to seek […]
Construction projects have standard approaches and processes. Facility operations, management and compliance also have standard approaches and processes. Many hospitals lack a solid process of transitioning from a construction project to operations and compliance. This affects the staff’s ability to manage systems and puts the hospital at risk of noncompliance with codes, standards, rules and […]
The biggest opportunity for greening buildings is with our existing building stock. There are a tremendous number of existing buildings, tens of millions, a far greater number than what is being designed and constructed in any given year. Additionally, the majority of this existing building stock was designed and constructed decades ago, at a time […]
Managing hospital electrical shutdowns is more important than ever in light of increasing concern about the impact electrical power outages can have on hospital operations. Electrical distribution equipment requires regular repair or maintenance, yet often this critical work is deferred because it is too difficult for the hospital facility director to get clinical permission to […]
Healthcare and the environment are two of the hottest topics for discussion right now, especially with highly contested presidential campaigns this summer. For those of us in the construction industry, the two come together as the healthcare market and represent one of the largest market segments, but one of the slowest to adapt to the […]
The city of Murfreesboro Water and Sewer Department (MWSD) currently operates a 15.6-mgd lime softening–mixed media filtration plant to provide drinking water to approximately 25,000 customers. The plant has operated well over the past 40 years. However, stricter regulations coupled with concerns over aging filtration underdrains motivated city personnel to consider alternative filtration technologies to […]
Introduction Without power healthcare facilities are extremely vulnerable, especially if it is for an extended period of time. Every healthcare facility needs to have a plan in place and be prepared since there is rarely a warning before loss of power except in cases where a slow-moving hurricane or similar natural disaster is approaching. The […]
To continue with the smoke control theme, more questions arise, such as: How are exits and atriums kept reasonably smoke-free, and how does all of this tie in with the building system? Also, where does this all end? The answers are not all that difficult, but do take some careful thought, planning, and discussion. As […]
An electrical shutdown is a carefully managed process whereby electrical equipment is switched off for various reasons, including crucial maintenance, training, expansion and repair; and then turned back on again with minimal impact to patients. Electrical shutdowns can be performed safely and hospitals can gain added benefits from their electrical shutdowns if they also use […]
A hospital can have a simple or complex emergency power supply system (EPSS) but ensuring that the system continues contributing to safe and effective patient care with today’s challenges is rarely simple. Complexity is introduced because the EPSS powers other hospital systems such as the clinical, mechanical, vertical transportation and fire management systems. The hospital […]
Introduction Hospitals are required to have an emergency power testing program in place to meet the requirements of NFPA 70, NFPA 99 and NFPA 110, as well as standards established by accreditation organizations such as JCAHO. The goal of the emergency power testing program should be to comply with regulatory requirements without adversely affecting the […]
