Overview

601 W 24th St Norfolk VA 23517

This project is for the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design of a 50,000-square-foot multifamily building with small shell commercial spaces on the ground level. The building has 95 units and is a mixture of one and two-bedroom apartments.

Electrical

The service enters below grade into a switchgear CT cabinet section rated 4000A 120/208v WYE. There are two 1600A service disconnects from the gear feeding meter centers on the upper floors and a 2000A service disconnect feeding a gear section for house and future commercial tenant needs. The facility has a 150 kW generator with a life safety (emergency lighting) and a legally required branch (elevator). A portion of this building required MC cable for branch circuits due to the building type IIB being used for a part of the construction.

A 400A 3 phase branch panel was designed to serve the future needs of the tenant in the shell space.

Plumbing

The plumbing drainage system has a dedicated condensate drainage system isolated from the waste system. The water enters the building from a 3" water meter and main, passes the RPZ assembly, and ultimately terminates on a booster pump. The booster pump was required to achieve the necessary pressure at the top levels of the building. The pump is a 3HP duplex booster pump system controlled by VFD. Water heating for each unit is handled through tanked water heaters in a mechanical closet.

Mechanical

The mechanical design includes a simple split heat pump for each unit ranging in tonnage between one and a half and three tons, depending on load calculations. Each indoor fan coil unit has electrical strip heat for extreme cold months. The strip heat also counteracts comfort issues when running defrost cycles during winter months. The bathroom exhaust is collected into a main exhaust trunk and discharges from sidewalls on the exterior building wall.  

The commercial spaces were provisioned with split systems and no ductwork; louvers were added on the side wall for future fresh air needs.