Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena, Fort Worth, Texas
Retrofit Team
Consulting Engineer/Architect: Baird Hampton & Brown Inc., Fort Worth
Mechanical Contractor: SkiHi Enterprises, Fort Worth
Duct Installer: McCorvey Sheet Metal Works LP, Houston
Duct Manufacturer’s Representative: Bartos Industries, Fort Worth
Materials
Baird Hampton & Brown (BHB) faced many challenges during the $72 million renovation. There were limited indoor areas available for new air handlers; design committee members discouraged roof placement on the renovation’s new 1-story build-outs for aesthetic reasons. Hanging new spiral metal air-distribution duct from a bowl-shaped roof not originally intended for supporting the estimated 1,500 tons would require costly roof structural upgrades. Installing tons of 60-inch-diameter metal ductwork 47-feet high would be a job-site safety concern for HVAC contractors. Finally, strict year-round humidity and temperature tolerances were required to maintain the new wood basketball floor.
Fabric duct, which is 90-percent lighter than metal duct, was BHB’s solution for these challenges. However, the architecture committee was concerned with the deflated appearance associated with older-style fabric duct during idle air-handler periods. recent industry develop- ments of in-duct tensioning systems convinced the committee to use the FTS (Fabric Tensioning System) Jumbo Series from the SkeleCore product line manufactured by DuctSox Corp. SkeleCore is an in-duct, cylindrical metal framework tensioning system that’s field-adjustable with a wrench for taut, wrinkle-free and inflated-like aesthetics regardless of air-handler operation. the lightweight internal framework also has a minimal friction loss of 0.04 inches w.g. per 100 feet.
Unlike the original back-wall air-distribution positions, BHB’s fabric duct ring hangs approximately 40 feet out from the back wall and disperses air more evenly throughout the seating and court areas. Air is dispersed through a linear array of laser vents that throw at three velocities. “The laser vents are capable of velocities that reach center court without the need of high-velocity nozzles,” says Josh Schmidt, P.E., mechanical engineer and a member of BHB’s design team that included Principal Ian Bost, P.E., LEED AP, and Ken Randall, P.E., electrical engineer.
The renovation included build-out areas for concessions and the circular corridor’s widening. With no ground space available and the existing build-out structurally incapable of HVAC unit loads, the new build-out’s roofs were the only solution for the placement of three 50,000-cfm air handlers. Although BHB would have preferred three symmetrical supply points at 3, 7 and 11 o’clock into the circular fabric supply duct for even airflow and low velocities, the build- out roofs’ unsymmetrical positions around the arena permitted only air-handler supply radius entry points of 10, 8 and 4 o’clock in the circular duct design. therefore, airflow is designed to flow right or left, but not both directions, once entering the fabric duct ring via metal duct tee connections from the air handlers. Bartos Industries assisted BHB in engineering the fabric duct’s airflow, velocities and calculations of the 10-degree transitions between every 16-foot by 10-inch-long section to complete a 550-linear-foot circle of 60-inch-diameter duct.
BHB specified an additional 6-MBH condensing boiler manufactured by Aerco International to accommodate the building’s added space requirements and to supplement three existing 2-MBH condensing boilers. All pumps were replaced because of age. BHB incorporated a new hydronic strategy of redundancy with two 50-horsepower chilled water pumps, two 25-horsepower hot-water pumps and two 10-horsepower general water pumps. Thanks to an ample-sized mechanical room and BHB’s first use of Autodesk’s Navisworks construction modeling software, the hydronic change-outs were seamless.
The lowering of the playing court 4 feet for better stadium seating views, plus adding locker rooms and other sublevel spaces, also allowed BHB to design more courtside return air, which feeds an existing concrete return-air shaft. The shaft feeds a plenum above the encircling concourse that supplies the York units, which mix it with outdoor air per data from the arena’s Co2 sensors and the BAS.
Fabric Duct Manufacturer: DuctSox
Air-handler Manufacturer: York
Building Automation System: Metasys from Johnson Controls
Exhaust Fans: Loren Cook Co.
Fancoil Units: Enviro-Tec
Condensing Boiler: Aerco International
The Retrofit
The conversion of the 55-year-old, 70,000-square-foot Daniel-Meyer Coliseum into the new
Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena presented many HVAC engineering challenges. The $72 million renovation includes new locker rooms, expanded common areas and 140,000 square feet of building additions.
PHOTOS: DuctSox