Frank P. Langley

University of Rochester Medical Center

Biocontainment ICU Renovation at Strong Memorial Hospital

URMC Strong Memorial Hospital
Background

University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) is undergoing an expansion and recently completed its new biocontainment intensive care unit. A biocontainment ICU presents unique challenges since it is built to treat patients with highly contagious diseases while also protecting staff, other patients, the rest of the hospital, and the surrounding community. Units like these rely on mechanical systems that can’t afford to fail. For this project, FPL supplied a custom Spirax Sarco SpiraHeat heat transfer package, two glycol makeup units, and a custom outdoor enclosure for housing one of the glycol makeup units.

Challenge

A biocontainment unit can often sit unused for long stretches, but all equipment needs to be operational and ready for when a patient arrives. Just as with other hospital applications, this project required 100% redundancy. In the case of the SpiraHeat heat transfer package, both systems operate independently and alternate through the building management system (BMS) for equal runtime, ensuring both are reliable and ready to operate in case of primary system failure. The project also had specific performance duties that a standard heat transfer package would not meet. In addition, one of the glycol makeup units was installed outdoors on the roof, which required a custom enclosure to protect it from any extreme weather conditions Rochester, NY can experience while keeping it accessible for routine maintenance and servicing.

The Solution

When the project drawings were released in May 2024, a different manufacturer’s equipment was specified. FPL and Spirax Sarco reviewed the requirements, and in June 2024, submitted a voluntary alternate that was designed around a Spirax Sarco SpiraHeat heat transfer package. FPL’s alternate submission was accepted after the project team reviewed the unit’s customization options. The package was custom designed to meet the performance duty requirements of the project and was built with full redundancy along with custom-written programming to meet the needs of URMC. FPL also supplied two glycol makeup units, which keep the glycol loop filled and pressurized.

Owner training at URMC Biocontainment ICU

FPL Leading Owner Training

The Results

Since startup in October 2026, the system has been performing as designed. As part of the startup, FPL led owner training on site, walking URMC facilities staff through the operation of the heat transfer package and glycol makeup units.

FPL worked with LeChase Construction as the general contractor, Danforth as the mechanical subcontractor, Dwyer Architectural as the architect, Jensen/BRV Engineering and Lizardos Engineering as the engineering firms along with the UR engineering team.

If you have a project with demanding performance or custom requirements, contact your local FPL office to talk through your options.

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