Interior Construction on Iowa Federal Building Uses Cooling to Maintain Schedule and Finish on Time

Interior Construction on Iowa Federal Building Uses Cooling to Maintain Schedule and Finish on Time

Iowa – A past customer who had rented heating reached out to REIC Specialty for some summer cooling rentals while working on a project in Iowa. As the interior construction phase of the project began, the summer heat was rising. With the building completely enclosed, humidity and temperature control became a necessity to maintain progress.

Finishing Stages Call for Climate Control – With contractors performing painting, mudding, taping, flooring and tile installation, it would be essential to use climate control to maintain the project timelines. The contractor was primarily concerned with temperature but also sought to control humidity levels. The goal that was shared with REIC was to maintain humidity below 50% RH and to keep interior temperatures below 75 degrees. Based on the project size and the goals outlined, three 25-ton rental air conditioning units were proposed to hold the conditions required on several floors of the
project. Additionally, there was the ability to adjust where the cooling was needed, using temporary poly-ducting on the interior of the building.

Placing Cooling to Meet Conditions – Upon delivery of the rental air conditioners, the units were placed on the exterior of the building, sending the cool, slightly dehumidified air into the structure through flexible ducting. Once the ducting entered the building, a lightweight poly tubing was then connected to the ducting to deliver the conditioned air throughout the interior. The three rental air conditioners were staggered at different points on the building exterior, considering where inside that the interior finishing work was happening. With the drywall, flooring and finishing pieces being installed, maintaining interior conditions was the focus of the cooling and humidity control, with all conditioned air directed to the areas where it was needed.

75 Tons to Meet Project Schedule – The three 25 ton air conditioners remained on the job site for the first few months of summer while the contractors completed the finishing stages of the new construction. Having the lower temperatures and humidity allowed for the installation and finishing of paints and flooring adhesives with no delays while waiting for products to dry. While the rental cooling was on site, the GC reported no installation delays and the final phase of construction was on schedule. Cooling, with some dehumidified air, helped the project keep their schedule and finish on time.