Edward U. Demmer Memorial Library Existing Facility Assessment | 24
Code
The library meets all building codes for the time it was designed and constructed. Some aspects of
the building do not comply with current building codes, but these are grandfathered instances and
are not in violation of the building codes. If any portions of the building are upgraded or
remodeled, they should be brought up to current building codes. This is not a requirement unless
the area is substantially remodeled. Items considered maintenance, such as new carpet, new
windows or a new roof, would not qualify.
Plumbing System
The following report is the result of a site visit by Curt Krupp of Muermann Engineering, LLC that
occurred on February 10, 2012. Site observations and interviews were used in the preparation of
this report.
Domestic Water Piping and Equipment
Existing Data
A. The existing building is provided with a 1� domestic water service. This service appears to
be adequately sized for the existing domestic water load. Water pressure for the facility
appears to be adequate. Civil drawings were not available to determine the routing of the
water main from the street.
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B. Hot water is supplied to the facility
with one water heater. I estimate the
heater to be approximately 10 years old
and in good condition. The domestic
heater is natural gas fired and appears
to be adequately sized for this facility.
There is not a very high demand for hot
water.
C. The original building water piping is
mostly copper.
D. Fire protection for this building is not
present.
E. Water softener was not present.
Recommendations
A. The water heater may need to be
replaced in 5 to 7 years. If a building
addition is planned, we will need to
evaluate the new load to determine if a
new water heater is required. We, at this time, feel a small addition could be added without
replacing the water heater. Another option to provide hot water to an addition is a point of
use unit.
B. Insulate all hot water piping.
C. If a sprinkler system is provided, a new water service will be required into the facility.
D. The owner indicated an additional hose bib should be considered on the exterior of the
facility. This can be easily added if required.
Sanitary sewer
Existing Data
A. The majority of sanitary piping is cast iron. Vent piping in the original building is mostly
galvanized and appears to be in good conditon. The sewer system is gravity fed.
B. One problem with the sanitary sewer backing up in the upper level bathrooms was reported
by the staff. They also noted this problem was corrected by a local plumbing contractor.
Recommendations
A. Continue to monitor the existing sewer. Replace existing sewer sanitary and vent piping as
problems arise.
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B. If a new building addition is planned, a possible new sanitary sewer may need to be
installed depending on the location. This will not be a major issue.
Plumbing Fixtures
Existing Data
A. Fixtures for the facility are in fair condition and most are original to the construction of the
building. The existing faucets are old and are beyond their life expectancy.
B. The majority of the water fixtures are not water efficient type, specifically the faucets.
C. The majority of the water closets are tank type floor mounted residential fixtures and in
good condition.
D. None of the existing fixtures are ADA compliant.
E. Water fountain is located on upper level, wall hung, and not provided with a chiller.
Recommendations
A. One possible upgrade is to replace the existing fixtures with new ADA compliant water
efficient fixtures.
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B. Upgraded faucets should be low flow water efficient fixtures with ceramic disc cartridges
to promote positive shut-off. All handles should be lever style for ADA compliance.
C. Provide new ADA compliant water fountain to replace existing in same location.
HVAC System
This study was initiated to review the condition of the existing ventilation systems and offer
recommendations that would improve comfort and allow for future expansion.
The following report is the result of a site visit by John Kolodzinski of Fredericksen Engineering,
Inc. The site visit occurred on February 15, 2012. Site observations, construction plan review, and
interviews with staff were all used in the preparation of this report.
The result of the study reveals that the mechanical equipment is in very good condition and is not
in need of replacement. However, current air distribution is not ideal and it is our opinion that poor
distribution is the main source of complaints. It should also be noted that if expansion of the
facility is desired, new mechanical equipment will need to be added to serve the new area as the
existing systems do not lend themselves to expansion.
The existing furnace and condensing units serving the building were replaced in 2011. A typical
furnace system can be expected to have a service life of 15 years if properly maintained.
This report also investigates the existing comfort complaints and offers recommendations if a
renovation or expansion of the facility commences.
Existing Data and Observations
A. Five warm air furnaces currently serve the facility. Two sets of twinned furnaces are
located in the basement mechanical room which serve the original structure constructed in
1970, and one single furnace is located on the first floor which serves the addition
constructed in 1998.
B. The venting for the furnaces in the basement is routed through the roof utilizing a roof
penetration that served the original furnaces. It appears that the roof penetration and
surrounding roof shingles are damaged which may lead to roof leaks.
C. The venting for the furnace on the first floor is routed through the roof at a low point in the
roof near a valley. There is evidence of a roof leak in the mechanical room where the
ceiling is damaged.
D. The most significant comfort control concerns are found in the basement. A need for
additional office space was solved when a basement storage room was transformed into an
office. This resulted in the thermostat in the adjacent children's classroom also controlling
the temperature in the office. Without direct temperature control for the office, the
temperature in the office is rarely in the comfortable range.
E. Less significant, but still noted in our walk through, is a comfort concern on the main floor.
The current heating and air conditioning system air distribution on this floor is not ideal.
The conditioned air is supplied in the middle of the building instead of at the exterior walls
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where the greatest building load generally occurs. This arrangement would tend to allow
the interior spaces to be satisfied in the winter, while the outer perimeter remains cold. We
noticed this temperature difference during our walk through and would suspect similar
conditions occur during the summer months.
Recommendations
A. In the basement, we recommend splitting the twinned furnace serving the space, cleaning
the existing ductwork and balancing the entire system. Modifications to the supply duct
will need to be performed to individually serve and control the children's classroom and
office as separate zones. This will result in proper temperature control in the office.
B. On the first floor, we recommend dropping the existing ceiling approximately 6". This will
result in a finished ceiling height of approximately 8'-5", allowing approximately 10"
above the ceiling to reroute ductwork. New ductwork could be properly routed above the
ceiling to the perimeter of the building where the greatest building load occurs. Any
existing ductwork that remains should be cleaned and the entire system should be
balanced. The control would remain unchanged.
C. In the event that an addition is constructed, a new heating and air conditioning unit will
need to be installed to serve that space.
D. The existing roof damage needs to be addressed immediately to repair any existing leaks.
Consideration should be given to the relocation of the venting for the existing furnace
located on the first floor. In its current location, it is at a low point where two roofs meet
which collects a fair amount of snow. This may be a contributing factor to the roof leak.
Electrical System
The following report is the result of a site visit by Curt Krupp of Muermann Engineering, LLC that
occurred on February 10, 2012. Site observations and interviews were used in the preparation of
this report.
Electrical Service
Observations
A. The building is served by a 400 amp 120/240
volt electrical service located in the lower
level storage room. The service is fed
underground from a utility owned pole
mounted transformer located on the south side
of the facility. The service panel was recently
updated as part of the last building addition.
The main distribution equipment contains 4
breakers with a tapped additional panel off the
main distribution panel. The service does not
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contain a main disconnect but uses
the 6 disconnect rule. The main
distribution panel contains 1 200
amp 2 pole and 3 100 amp 2 pole
breakers, each feeding a separate
panel located in the building. The
peak demand on the service was
not verified.
B. It appeared the feeders to the
panels and other equipment are
copper.
C. Surge device was present on the
main gear and various sub panels.
D. The electric meter is located on the
west side of the existing building.
Recommendations
A. The service panel is in good
condition. The service will more
than likely have capacity for a
small addition and we will need to
evaluate it against the size of any
proposed additions. As the service
panel is using the 6 disconnect rule,
having 4 existing breakers leaves
room for two additional breakers to
feed any new loads.
Panel boards
Observations
A. Three existing panels in the facility
are original to the building
construction and are full with no
room for additional loads. Two of
the panels use the breakers to turn on and off the lighting on each level in a majority of the
spaces. Staff indicated some of the areas may require additional circuits as the use of
portable electronics has increased in the busier summer months.
Recommendations
A. The breakers have been used to turn on and off the lighting for a long period of time. This
causes the breakers to wear out and not protect the circuit properly. We would recommend
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providing switches to control the lighting
and replacement of the 3 older style panels
in place with new load centers and new
breakers.
Fire Alarm
Observations
A. The facility contains a 120 volt Simplex
4001 fire alarm system consisting of smoke
and heat detectors in miscellaneous areas.
Fire alarm pull stations by exiting doors
were noted. Annunciation is done with
horns. The system is monitored by a dialer
and monitoring company. The dialer and
head end is located next to the electrical
service in the basement area. The fire alarm
system appears to be dated to the 1980�s.
The system is functioning properly for this
facility.
Recommendations
A. We did not test the system at the time of walk through as the building was occupied, but
we can assume it is functioning properly and no issues were noted by staff. As this system
ages, parts may become harder to find and a possible upgrade will need to be considered if
additions are planned.
B. The current system is an older style 120 volt type and may have been code compliant at the
time of initial installation, but no longer complies with current codes in regard to
annunciation of horns and strobes. Technology has also advanced to allow for smart
devices and different wiring methods to facilitate a more easily maintained system. It
should be noted that this system is grandfathered and does not need to be upgraded as it
stands.
C. The level of a new fire alarm system required will depend on whether a new sprinkler
system is installed. Smoke detection may be eliminated, making the system easier and
more cost effective to maintain.
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Interior Lighting
Observations
A. The majority of the original
building contains old style T12
fluorescent lighting. Many of the
fixtures are lay-in lenses with
yellowing acrylic. Some of the
fixtures are incandescent; some
have been retrofitted with screw in
fluorescent lamps. It was noted that
as fixtures are failing, new T8
lamps and ballasts are being
installed.
B. Older style fixtures were present in
the bathroom areas and some stairs.
C. New T8 fixtures were installed in
the newer additions.
D. Staff noted areas in the existing
stacks were dark due to fixture
placement.
E. We did feel there were adequate
light levels in the majority of the
spaces.
F. Some light switches in the facility
are in need of replacement.
G. Emergency lighting in the facility
was provided but in need of
additions. We noted exits with
emergency egress heads and stand
alone wall mounted battery packs.
Recommendations
A. We would not necessarily
recommend replacement of all the
T12 lamps and ballasts at one time,
but advise replacing them to T8 as
the T12 fail; this is the most cost
effective approach. The owner must
ensure the proper lamp and ballast
combinations are installed. If they
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are not matched properly, premature failing of the lamps and ballasts will occur. Also it is
important to populate all the sockets with lamps as some ballasts will fail if they do not
power all the lamps for which they are rated.
B. We do recommend removing any existing incandescent fixtures and replacing them with
new fluorescent or LED.
C. Adding switching to allow for better and code compliant control should be considered.
D. Providing very inexpensive lighting motion controls may also help with additional energy
savings.
E. Emergency egress lighting is a life safety code requirement for a facility of this type. We
would recommend this be brought up to current code; it will not take a lot of equipment to
do so. Adding additional battery packs to what is currently in place in strategic locations
would be all that is required. We would also recommend testing the existing units and
replacing the ones that do not work.
F. We also recommend upgrading the exit lighting system throughout to allow for additional
exit lighting signage to properly direct occupants to the exits. This will also not require a
lot of additional equipment.
Exterior Lighting
Observations
A. The majority of the exterior
lighting consists of HID
type lamps. Wall packs and
under soffit lighting
provides building security
lighting. Parking lot lighting
is done with city decorative
poles.
B. Exterior lighting is
controlled through a time
clock.
Recommendations
A. Some of the existing exterior lighting is old and in need of replacement. The facility
assessment was done during daytime hours and the lighting levels were not verified, but
our observation of the fixtures and lamp types indicate low levels and non cut off fixtures.
One possible upgrade is to provide new exterior cut off type LED lighting. This would cut
down on glare and reduce energy consumption. The new IBC codes dictate that emergency
exterior egress lighting be installed outside each code required egress exit. Due to the age
of this facility, it currently does not meet code in regard to exterior egress lighting. This
facility is grandfathered in and does not require it, however, if new LED type lighting is
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provided to replace the existing fixtures, we would recommend updating to meet current
code. Additional lighting should be considered around the building perimeter for added
security levels and paths to walkways illuminated.
B. As this is a residential area, close attention to light pollution will need to be considered.
Intercom
Observations
A. No system is in place.
Security
Observations
A. No system is in place.
Data, Phone, CATV
Observations
A. A data closet is located in the lower
level storage room next to the
electric service. The data closet
contains a wall rack with Cat 5 data
non plenum cabling.
B. The building does include wireless
internet hubs.
C. The phone system is a Meridian
system located in the same room
with two lines.
D. A CATV drop is located at the data
rack and is the head end location for
the community access channel.
Recommendations
A. The data system can be added to allow for additional data cabling if required.
B. We recommend the data rack be provided with a ground.
C. If a large amount of data cabling is added, we would recommend a floor mounted rack be
installed to allow for easier access.
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D. The phone system has capacity for small
additions. The system appears to have 2
outside lines connected.
Miscellaneous
Observations
A. Noted at the walk through was a power
pole not connected to the floor. This
should be addressed and a rigid mount
should be provided.
B. Also noted were flush mounted floor
outlets that were removed or in very poor
condition. We recommend removal or
repair. As with a facility of this age, they
seem to be in travel corridors and not in
the correct locations. It should be noted
new floor boxes can be added to allow
cords and connectors to be inserted below
the floor level allowing the cover to be
closed without the plugs accessible.
C. The owner noted the need for additional
receptacles in locations for laptop battery
charging in the summer months. This can
be added if panels are upgraded as
indicated above. The existing panels are
full for the most part.
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Appendix A
Accessibility Survey completed January 25, 2012
This survey has been reviewed and updated to reflect current status of the facility
including recent updates to the platform lift and interior signage.
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