RESTORATION AND REBUILDING OF THE COLLEGE

Transcription

1 The Engineering Work for the Nuffield College of Surgical Sciences (Continued) by Oscar Faber, C.B.E., D.C.L. (Hon.), D.Sc., M.I.C.E., M.I.Mech.E., M.I.E.E., P.P.I.Struct.E., P.P.I.H.V.E., F.C.G.I. Consulting Engineer for the Rebuilding of the College MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SERVICES To DESCRIBE THE mechanical engineering services of the Nuffield College without to some extent involving the Royal College of Surgeons, Building Phase I, would be similar to giving a description of the human body minus the head. The writer may therefore be forgiven if he sometimes encroaches on the mechanical services of Building Phase I, particularly the boilerhouse and plantrooms, see Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Fig. 1. Boiler House. The mechanical services are divided into the seven following sections and under these headings they will be treated individually, i.e., heating, hot and cold water supply system including fire prevention, kitchen services, ventilation, sewage ejector plant, electrical and lifts. Heating The College is heated by means of a radiator heating system throughout the building with the exception of the sixth floor, Department of 134

2 Anaesthetics, which is heated by means of convectors at the back of the benches, heating coils having been provided in the roof lantern lights. The heating system is based on the low pressure hot water accelerated system served from the calorifiers located within the central boilerhouse and served by hot water circulating at a flow temperature of 1800F. and a return temperature of 1500F. The flow temperature is balanced by a fully automatic controlled mixing valve which in turn is governed by the prevailing outdoor temperature. The necessary calorifiers rated at 2,250,000 BTUs/hour each were provided under Building Phase I and are served by two steam boilers each rated at 4,800 lbs. steam per hour when working at 80 lbs./sq. in. pressure. In connection with the boiler plant it may be worth mentioning that the third boiler envisaged for Constructional Phase IIIB has been erected in position. Provision was made under Building Phase I for all valved branch connection from the central boilerhouse to serve the Nuffield College Fig. 2. Boiler House towards gallery. heating system; the same also applying to the other services such as hot and cold water, steam, condensate and gas services. The College is served by 233 radiators, 19 convectors and 10 heating coils, or a grand total of 7,000 square feet of heating surface, amounting to 1,700,000 BTUs/hour. Hot and Cold Water Supply System A central hot water supply system serves ablution fittings, such as baths, 135

3 OSCAR FABER basins, showers and sinks, each student's bedroom being provided with its own lavatory basin, each floor having a number of centrally grouped bathrooms and shower cabins. The bathrooms are heated by towel rails with insert radiators served by the hot water supply system. P The domestic hot water supply is circulated by means of accelerators through the piping system at a temperature of 1400F. The hot water is drawn from two 750 gallon hot water calorifiers heated by steam from the aforementioned boilers, these calorifiers being located in the central boilerhouse and installed under Contract Phase I. The water temperature is automatically governed by immersion thermostats which in turn control the steam demand to the calorifiers. The assessed hot water supply consumption is approximately 500 gal./hour. Fig. 3. Central panel (taken before floor finally finished). The domestic cold water system is fed from three cold water storage tanks located on the roof of the spur block of the Nuffield College. Each tank has a capacity of 4,000 gallons, a total of 12,000 gallons thus insuring an adequate water storage for a period of twelve hours should a breakdown of the M.W.B. feed mains occur at any time. The tanks are interconnected so that any one or two of the three tanks can be taken out of operation for periodical maintenance. Drinking water points have been provided on each floor fed direct off the rising main. 136

4 Adequate precautions have been taken from a fire prevention point of view, wet hose reels being provided on each floor for emergency operation by hand, these being of the run-out type. Dry riser connections, suitable for connecting to by the London Fire Brigade, are located on every floor within the hose reel cabinet and fed from a main dry riser. The intake connection to this dry riser main is to be located in the forecourt on the Lincoln's Inn Fields side for fire engine connections. The following equipment is being served by hot and cold water: 21 baths, 10 lavatory basins, 19 showers, 51 sinks, 23 towel rails, 40 water waste preventors (cold water only). Kitchen Services The steam service is being fed from the central boilerhouse and all condensate returned to the hot well located in the aforementioned boilerhouse, hot water being fed from the calorifiers mentioned under the preceding paragraphs and cold water from the tanks located on the roof, an adequate number of drinking water draw-offs being provided. Kitchen equipment is being provided with services as shown in Table I. TABLE I Equipment Steam Con- Hot Cold Gas Electrical dense Water Water 4 Unit Ranges.... * Unit Ranges 2 Ovens * * 2 Boiling Pans 4 Bain Maries * * I Pastry Oven * I Salamander * I Fish Fryer 1 Stock Pot 4 Hot Plates 2 Potato Peelers * * 2 Dish Washing Machines Ventilation The ventilation system has been divided, for efficient and economic running, into three zones as indicated in Table II. From Table II the reason for dividing the ventilation plants into separate zones, A, B, and C, becomes evident. Rarely would the three zones be operating simultaneously or for long periods together, zone A operating for approximately twelve hours daily, zone B during lunches and dinners, zone C only when the squash court is being occupied. The ventilation plant consists of silent centrifugal fans and motors, filters and heater batteries and have been located in the sub-basement. When the plant is completed in the near future, the reader may find it most enlightening to visit the " engineer's nightmare," and see for himself how such a quantity of mechanical equipment has been worked into a minimum of space, and more to come. The fresh air intake is located under the west side entrance stairs in an 137

5 OSCAR FABER inconspicuous position, the air being taken through oil coated filters and steam operated heater batteries, the steam supply being remote controlled. The fresh air intake for the kitchen and servery ventilation plant has been provided for under Building Phase I, served by the main building ventilation intake, located adjacent to the Great Hall ventilation plant. TABLE II VENTILATION FANS Volume Cu.ft./Min. Zone Serving Location Remarks Intake Extract "A" Kitchen Basement Vegetable Prep. Basement > 12,000 15,000 Intake from Building Servery Ground floor Phase I. "B" Dining Hall Ground floor Dining Room Basement Staff Canteen Basement 7,000 4,550 Intake heater battery rated Staff Recreation at 305,000 BTUs/hr. Room Basement "C" Squash Court Sub-basement 3,000 3,000 Intake heater battery rated and basement at 142,000 BTUs/hr. Fresh air, having passed through the heater batteries and heated to the required temperature, is then conveyed through a system of ductwork to the zones ventilated, distributed through adjustable grilles. Finally having done its work, the vitiated air is extracted by means of extract fans and discharged to the atmosphere above roof level. All equipment has been installed with a view to maximum silence being maintained, all machine bases being provided with " Coresil" sound absorbing material and duct connection to fans made by means of canvas cou.plings. To avoid excessive air movement in the squash court, the air inlet distribution takes place through the whole of the false ceiling acting as an air duct with installed diverter blades, this false ceiling also housing the electric light fittings and pipework and cables. The extract takes place by means of low level airducts below the line of play. In the case of the kitchen, air intakes are located at high level, extracts taking place by way of hoods placed over the equipment. Both intake and extract ducts are encased in the hoods including the electric light fittings. In the dining room all ventilation ducts will be placed behind the panelling similar to the ventilation plant serving the Great Hall of Building Phase I. Sewage Ejector Plant Due to the high invert of the Metropolitan sewer in Lincoln's Inn Fields south side, provision had to be made to lift a certain amount of soil and waste discharge from the basement and sub-basement levels. This was achieved by installing in the sub-basement a dual cylinder " Shones 138

6 sewage ejector operated by compressed air and capable of lifting and discharging 1,800 gallons of sewage per hour to the Metropolitan sewer located 11 feet higher than the intake invert of the ejector; furthermore, a " Mono " sump pump automatically operated by float switch has been installed in the sewage ejector chamber to take the waste wash water from the plants located in the sub-basement. Electrical A new transformer station, high and low tension switch gear room, serving the whole of the Royal College of Surgeons building, has been accommodated in the north east corner of the building in the basement. Lighting and power supplies distribute current throughout the Nuffield College building; students' bedrooms are being provided with a number of lighting points and an electric fire, which is separately metered, and telephones; intercommunication and fire alarm systems have been provided throughout the building in accordance with present day standards. Lifts To facilitate occupants' and goods traffic throughout the College a number of lifts are being provided as shown in Table III. TABLE I1I No. Lift type Location Serving Speed Control 2. Passenger Entrance Hall All floors 300ft./min. Dual purpose collective Kitchen 1. Service Pantry All floors looft./min. Automatic push button 1. Goods Kitchen Ground and 50ft./min. Automatic push button basement 3. Service Kitchen Servery Ground and 50ft./min. Automatic push button basement 1. Winelift Kitchen Servery Ground and 50ft./min. Automatic push button basement The lifts will be of the most modern and up-to-date design provided with all safety devices in accordance with modern practice. All lifts are operated by motors located in specially constructed lift machinery houses on the roofs, easily accessible. MR. V. E. NEGUS Mr. V. E. Negus, F.R.C.S., who is the Consulting Surgeon at the Ear, Nose, and Throat Department of King's College Hospital, London, is warmly congratulated on the inclusion of his name in the New Year's Honours List as a knight bachelor. ANATOMICAL MUSEUM The special display for the month of February consists of specimens demonstrating the means of locomotion by parachuting and flying. 139