Central Utility Plant Renovation, Dallas, TX

Project: Construct Central Utility Plant
Owner: Department of Veterans Affairs
Location: Dallas VA Medical Center, Dallas, TX
Project Type: Chiller Plant Renovation
Role: Prime Contractor

Greenland was the Construction Manager responsible for the phased modernization of the central utility plant. The project included the addition of a new 1,500 Ton centrifugal chiller and the replacement of six 1,000 Ton field-erected cooling towers with high-efficiency, pre-packaged stainless-steel units. To improve system resilience and redundancy, the existing cast-in-place basins were expanded from six to nine cells. Sluice gates and basin sweepers were installed to convert the configuration into a common basin capable of serving all chillers independently. All condenser water piping was reconfigured to a common return header and basin supply arrangement, significantly enhancing system flexibility and redundancy.

The project also replaced critical ancillary systems, including primary and secondary chilled water pumps, condenser water pumps, a new refrigerant exhaust fan system, Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), electrical upgrades, and full integration with the existing Building Automation System (BAS). Site work and structural enhancements included drilled caissons, new underground utilities and piping, a structural steel canopy system over the cooling towers, access catwalks and decking, roofing, high-performance basin coatings, and the installation of asphalt paving, concrete curbs, sidewalks, fencing, and landscaping.

The execution was phased and tightly sequenced to align with hospital operational needs, demonstrating Greenland’s ability to manage complex federal mechanical upgrades with zero unplanned disruptions to patient care.