44 CONTRACTING BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2003

By Mike Murphy,

editor-in-chief

ow to best air condition an

old world, 10-story struc-

ture with a system that de-

livers exceptional comfort,

air quality, and efficiency, while re-

maining virtually inaudible and in-

visible to visitors. That was the

dilemma faced by Ted Dec, the direc-

tor of facilities of perhaps the most

majestic Cathedral in North America

— Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred

Heart, a National Historic Landmark

in Newark, NJ.

It’s not uncommon for HVAC

contractors to encounter challeng-

ing requirements when dealing

with historic landmark buildings.

The concept for a new Cathedral

church was first proposed in 1859.

The colossal construction task be-

gan with the first spadeful of soil

turned in 1898 and culminated in its

dedication on October 19, 1954. It

had been described as a fitting

monument to faith.

Nearly 100 years in planning and

construction — the Cathedral cer-

tainly was an example of faith if there

ever was one. More than stone and

mortar, more than multicolored glass

and delicate woodcarving, this re-

vered church is a majestic monument

of beauty and faith. However, with

inside temperatures sometimes

reaching 100F, and with the need to

preserve a delicate, museum-like in-

terior, it was time to finally air condi-

tion the revered old structure.

Enter Monsen Engineering

The Archdiocese of Newark called

upon Monsen Engineering to per-

RETROFIT/RENOVATION

MORE THAN $500,000

CATEGORY B

Sacred Heart Cathedral Basilica

stands tall in Newark, NJ

DECEMBER 2003

CONTRACTING BUSINESS 45

form an HVAC feasibility study. Mon-

sen’s assessment led to an integrated

solution: a Design/Build approach

which would meet the dual need for

new air conditioning and an upgraded

heating system while enabling the proj-

ect to be completed in less than a year at

a guaranteed price. “The Design/Build

process allowed the project to be com-

pleted within budget and on time,"

says Joe Mistretta, Monsen’s executive

vice president.

Installation Quality

The Cathedral, with its old world

flavor and French Gothic architecture,

was described as a “labor of love, not

of fees and profits" by the first contrac-

tor on the project. So too, Monsen de-

scribes the installation of the new

HVAC system. “Our company is

proud to be preserving this beautiful

landmark," says Patsy Chianca, vice

president of Monsen.

The challenge was getting to the tri-

forium level, some 55 feet high, where

the existing mechanical equipment was

spread over three semi-enclosed areas.

Because the Cathedral was built around

this existing equipment, replacing cer-

tain air handlers was not an option. La-

borious and time-consuming, the in-

stallation included modifying eight

existing air handlers and supplying

each with piping. The air handlers were

renovated with new bearings, shafts,

and variable frequency drives, as were

the two major exhaust fans.

Comfort is Job One

The Cathedral conducts daily

masses and tours, performs weddings

and baptisms, supports a steady

schedule of concerts, and receives visi-

tors from all over the world. Comfort

was determined to be an important el-

ement for providing the right atmos-

phere for prayer and worship. With

temperatures that could soar to 100F

or more, improved temperature, hu-

midity control, and ventilation for the

clergy and visitors were the major

goals in this mission. The innovative

design optimized comfort levels while

minimizing the visual and audible im-

pact of the HVAC system.

Design Quality

The beauty of Design/Build lies in the

up-front planning, which is when an en-

gineering team often discovers that the

normal “run of the mill" equipment so-

lution won’t do. In the case of the Cathe-

dral, the design needed to be functional

while safeguarding the aesthetics and

acoustics of the building. The initial proj-

ect objective was to design an air condi-

tioning system; however, Monsen’s team

discovered during the survey process

that the Cathedral’s heating system and

air distribution system were beyond

their useful life. An air conditioning ad-

dition would overtax the existing sys-

tem, rendering it inoperable. David

Allen, senior project manager says, “The

heating system was over fifty years old

and it wasn’t going to survive in the new

design. The new system needed to pro-

vide both cooling and heating."

As a result, the project was designed

to integrate the heating, cooling, and

ventilation systems, creating a two-

pipe heating/cooling system with a

summer/winter changeover.

The installation required extensive

planning, problem-solving, and team-

work because all of the piping had to be

concealed. Technicians had to bore

through thick concrete and granite

CATEGORY B

Retrofit/Renovation more than $500,000

WINNER AT A GLANCE

COMPANY:

Monsen Engineering, Fairfield, NJ

PROJECT NAME/LOCATION:

Sacred Heart Cathedral Basilica, Newark, NJ

KEY CUSTOMER CONTACT:

Reverend Monsignor Richard F. Groncki

NOMINATION SUBMITTED BY:

Yvette Ludwig

, Monsen Engineering Co.,

Fairfield, NJ

THE PROJECT TEAM:

At Sacred Heart Cathedral Basilica:

¦

Ted Dec, director of facilities

¦

Reverend Monsignor, Richard F. Groncki

At Monsen Engineering:

¦

Joseph Mistretta, P.E., executive vp

¦

Patsy Chianca,vp

¦

James Crabtree, P.E., project manager,

electrical

¦

David Allen, sr. project manager,

mechanical

¦

Joseph Iglar, project manager

¦

Darrell McMannus, project manager.

¦

Charles Tedesco, commissioning

specialist

¦

Peter Flatley, field superintendent

This altar is

made of

Botticini

marble, as

are most of

the eight

chapels

within the

Cathedral.

N

EV

E

R

Underesti-

mate the Wonders of...

The maintenance office is equipped

with a workstation that monitors con-

ditions at the Cathedral. The inte-

grated controls optimize chiller plant

operation and provide valuable data

for the facility engineers. The overall

result is to help conserve energy, re-

duce operating costs, and optimize

comfort.

Energy Efficiency

The project was designed to maxi-

mize savings and reduce maintenance

expenses. The custom-designed air-

cooled chiller consumes 1.24 kW of

electricity per ton of cooling capacity, a

very economic system.

IAQ Improvement

Beyond structural cooling, this

project needed to provide optimal in-

door air quality. To meet the fresh air

requirements mandated by ASHRAE,

the outdoor air ventilation rate was

increased to 15 cfm per person based

on a maximum occupancy of 1,200

people.

Comfort and health were not the only

factors considered in the improvement

of the indoor air quality. The Cathe-

dral’s director of music wanted to stabi-

lize the condition of the church’s valu-

able antique organ. Temperature

fluctuation causes a musical instrument

— such as an organ in a century-old Ca-

thedral — to expand or contract, result-

shafts, even a concrete spiral staircase,

to run vertical piping from the base-

ment all the way up to the triforium

level. “With careful thought, we were

able to find a way to conceal the piping

while maintaining access,"says Joe

Iglar, project manager.

Air distribution was provided by 24

air handlers equipped with variable

frequency drives. The eight existing air

handlers were converted to variable

frequency drives to vary the total air-

flow based upon occupancy.

The new design and installation en-

sured that all HVAC components in

need of regular maintenance are lo-

cated in areas that are accessible.

Quiet On The Outside . . .

The central chiller system needed to

be extraordinarily quiet. It had to meet

the stringent outdoor noise require-

ment set by the New Jersey Noise Con-

trol Regulation Department. Rae Cor-

poration rose to the occasion with its

first ever production of a custom-made

265-ton air-cooled chiller, which

proved to be quieter than the maximum

sound level required by the customer.

Quiet On The Inside . . .

Naturally, the huge and beautifully

adorned place of worship exudes a

quiet interior. To maintain this am-

biance, eight existing air handlers

were completely refurbished to re-

duce air flow levels 50% from the Ca-

thedral’s original system design.

Cooling coils were added to convert

the air handlers to heating/cooling

units. In addition, 16 new air handlers

were added to the design.

Controls

Similar to the equipment dilemma,

the Cathedral had begun to outgrow

its control system. Monsen’s project

team intalled a direct digital control

Trane Tracer system to replace the Ca-

thedral’s original pneumatic system

so that it could also be tied into the

Trane system in the Diocese building.

The digital controls use wireless sen-

sors within the body of the Cathedral.

48 CONTRACTING BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2003

How does one

man hold up a

265-ton air-

cooled chiller.

We don’t know,

but it will disap-

pear if you sur-

round it with a

14-ft. high con-

crete wall and

then finish the

wall to match a

Gothic Cathe-

dral’s granite

exterior.

During summer months, the old system of intake and exhaust fans circulated fresh air

through a network of tunnels and ducts. The obsolete air distribution system wouldn’t

support both heating and cooling within the parameters of the new design.

50 CONTRACTING BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2003

ing in frequent and costly tune-ups. The

new controlled environment will pre-

serve the wood components and sound

quality for the Cathedral’s organ

recitals and annual world-renowned

Christmas concert.

Unique Challenges Resolved

In this project, the emphasis was on

equipment that performs reliably and

unobtrusively. The archdiocesan facil-

ity engineers wanted the chiller in-

stalled in such a way that it wouldn’t

intrude on the eye, the ear, or the land-

scape. After much collaboration, the

air-cooled chiller plant was placed, and

aesthetically enclosed, in a parking lot

near the Archbishop’s residence at the

rear of the Cathedral.

The installation resulted in an in-

visible system, with no mechanical

obstructions inside or outside the Ca-

thedral. The chiller is surrounded by a

custom-built, 14-ft. high concrete en-

closure to hide it from view and re-

duce sound levels. The enclosure is

finished to match the Cathedral’s ex-

isting granite exterior.

Air handlers and fans with quiet

motors and variable frequency drives

reduce noise within the Cathedral.

The installation uses wireless

digital control sensors within the

body of the Cathedral because

hard-wired sensors would affect

aesthetics. The wireless sensors can

communicate with the central com-

puter, and as a backup, the team in-

stalled a hard-wired sensor located

on the triforium level where the

wires are easily hidden.

Design/Build Advantages

The Design/Build format enabled

long-lead equipment to be procured

before all the engineering and permits

were completed. This format also al-

lowed the project to be fast-tracked,

within a year, in phases, to meet

budget constraints and keep the busy

Cathedral operational with no intru-

sion on daily celebrations and special

events.

Thorough Commissioning

Not just an afterthought, commis-

sioning was included as part of the en-

gineering and bidding process. It was

performed throughout the stages of the

project to meet NEBB standards for air

and water balancing.

The project resulted in the newest

and best in HVAC comfort technology,

while preserving the sacred look and

feel of the Cathedral. It’s truly a case of

finding the best of both worlds.

Monsen Engineering has been ex-

ploring and solving the intricacies of in-

door climates for more than 50 years.

This year, a

Contracting Business

De-

sign/Build Award is their reward.

¦

CATEGORY B:

PROJECT-AT-A-GLANCE

Retrofit/Renovation more than $500,000

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION:

Sacred Heart Cathedral Basilica

itself covers an area of

40,000 sq.ft; an area almost equal to that of the famed West-

minster Abbey in London, England. The great church measures

365 ft. in length, with a width of 165 ft. in the transcepts. The front

towers extend 232 ft. into the air, 28 ft. higher than Notre Dame Ca-

thedral in Paris. The HVAC renovation, initially planned to be for

cooling only, resulted in a two-pipe heating/cooling system with

summer/winter changeover.

The installation required extensive planning, problem-solving, and team-

work because all of the piping had to be concealed. Technicians had to bore through

thick concrete and granite shafts — even a spiral staircase — to run vertical piping 55

ft. from the basement up to the triforium level.

The central chiller system needed to be extraordinarily quiet. The design called for a

custom-built nominal 265-ton air-cooled chiller. Eight of the existing air handlers had to

be completely refurbished to reduce air flow to 50% of the original heating design. Cool-

ing coils were added to convert air handlers to heating/cooling units. In addition, 16 new

air handlers were added to the design.

Monsen Engineering, Co.

Some of the unique problems solved:

¦

A complex project was designed and installed within one year at a guaranteed price.

¦

Existing mechanical equipment was spread over three semi-enclosed areas, 55 ft.

high in a triforium level of the church.

¦

The Cathedral had been built around the existing equipment and couldn’t be altered

during the renovation. Space was tight.

¦

Without disturbing the structure, outdoor air ventilation had to be increased.

¦

All equipment were required be hidden from view. Chiller installation was not to

intrude on “the eye, ear, or landscape."

¦

One requirement was that the Cathedral must remain operational with no intrusion

on daily celebrations and special events.

PRODUCTS KEY TO SUCCESS

¦

Air-cooled Chiller — Rae Corporation

¦

Air Handlers— Trane

¦

Control System — Trane

¦

Heat Exchanger — Armstrong

¦

Variable Frequency Drive — ABB

¦

Glycol Pumps — Armstrong

The chiller was lifted into place after a pad

had been prepared and all glycol piping

run to the Cathedral. Total construction

time was less than one year.

RETROFIT/RENOVATION

MORE THAN $500,000

CATEGORY B