1999 ACE AWARDS

CATEGORY #13

Meeting the Challenge of a Difficult Job

Subcontractor

PROJECT

J.D. Edwards Office Building III

Backup Generator Farm

OWNER

J.D. Edwards Corporation

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Hensel Phelps Construction Co.

ARCHITECT

C.W. Fentress, J.H. Bradburn & Associates P.C.

ENGINEER

Ludvik Electric Co.

RMH Group

SUBMITTED BY

Ludvik Electric Co.

4.5 MEGAWATT GENERATION PLANT

PROVIDES NO COMPROMISE ON POWER AT J.D. EDWARDS III

With more than 5,000 clients located in 100 countries, J.D. Edwards is at the forefront in developing, marketing and supporting computer solutions for supply chain efficiency. Their integrated solutions for manufacturing, distribution, finance and human resources combine with a flexible technology architecture to help clients "put ideas into action with unprecedented control." Part of that commitment means the availability of critical services and support 24 hour a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, anywhere on the planet. An outage, a blip, a glitch, a spike in power could mean certain disaster for some client somewhere. And that's where the story of this difficult challenge began for Ludvik Electric.

J.D. Edwards III, a design-build project, is a 196,650-square-foot, 6-story, high-tech office building with a full basement and adjacent 4-level parking structure. It is the third of eight buildings that make up the company's Corporate Headquarters campus in the Denver Technological Center. Building III, however, houses the critical tele/data systems that support and connect it with clients worldwide—literally the heart of J.D. Edwards. The lower and first levels contain the Corporate Data Center and Computer Labs, all on raised computer floors. A scheduled move-in date could not be missed.

Ludvik's electrical construction on the building called for two (2) 4000 amp services, power distribution and mechanical equipment connections, outlets and electrical devices, lighting, tele/data cable tray, a fire alarm and detection system, and a small generator and UPS for minimal power to emergency lighting, one elevator, fire alarms and the security system. A complex but routine assignment.

But then, with the building less than five months from completion, a whole new and separate project was thrown into the mix. J.D. Edwards concluded that the critical services and support emanating from Building III could not be compromised. The original backup power system was not adequate. They needed 4.5 megawatts of 100% foolproof backup power capability. The resulting system was comprised of three 1500kW backup generators and five UPS battery banks! Literally overnight, a job of monumental difficulty was put on the table, challenging Ludvik's skills and resourcefulness to the limit.

A generator farm had to be added to the site. But space was limited on the campus and there was no provision for such a facility. The farm would have to contain three 25,000-pound Cummins V-16 supercharged diesel generators, a 10,000 gallon tank that would hold approximately 38,000 pounds of fuel, and a sophisticated switchgear measuring 30' x 6' x 7' weighing 52,000 pounds. Working closely with the architect and J.D. Edwards, Ludvik identified an area adjacent to the parking structure as the only possible location for the farm. One problem faced immediately was the confined space available due to the architectural design on the building and proximity of a public sidewalk and street. Ludvik's solution was to position one of the generators at a 90° angle to the other two. It was a tight fit, but it worked.

Ludvik engineers headed for Higgam, Massachusetts, headquarters for Russelectric, a manufacturer of high integrity power protection and control systems for critical facilities. It was September 9. In less than 24 hours, a unique open-transition transfer parallel switchgear was designed to meet the needs of the facility. It contains a main switch, a control section, three generator sections, breakers, fault detectors, synchronizers and other gear. This rare equipment configuration provides an effective solution to the problem of momentary power fluctuations, which could prove disastrous for J.D. Edwards and its clients. By matching sine waves and controlling generator rpm, the system synchronizes the transfer from auxiliary power to utility company power. It senses the voltage, frequency and phase relationship of both sources and allows a transfer only if the two sources are within acceptable limits.

Meanwhile, back in Denver the generator farm site was prepared. Several problems had to be overcome. To keep the equipment out of sight and baffle sound, the foundation was sunk four feet below grade and an architecturally compatible perimeter wall was built. Caissons were poured to support the weight of the generators and fuel tank. A 24-inch slab completed the foundation structure. The switchgear was enclosed in a room built at the end of the space. Conduit was installed.

Concurrently, inside Building III's UPS room, a large rack (35' x 8' x 5.5') was built for five UPS battery banks—two 225 KVA systems and three 150 KVA systems. These systems would provide instantaneous auxiliary power in the event of a utility power failure while the backup generators were coming online. Filling this 17-second gap was critical in meeting J.D. Edwards uninterrupted power needs.

By December 1, the switchgear was ready for testing at Russelectric's Tulsa, Oklahoma, manufacturing plant. After the successful test results, the equipment was shipped to Denver, arriving on December 7. Installation proceeded immediately. The Cummins generators arrived on December 29, right in the middle of the holiday season. Regardless, the intense project had to proceed to stay on schedule. On January 23, the installation was complete, the generators started, and testing began. It had all been accomplished in 4-1/2 months, from system concept to startup!

Coordination of the generator farm project required ongoing contact between Ludvik, consulting engineers, equipment manufacturers, architects, J.D. Edwards and Public Service Company of Colorado. Everyone was kept "in the loop" to insure the integrity of the system and its performance. The system is capable of providing 100% uninterrupted, perfectly conditioned power for 48 hours for all Building III systems—indefinitely with refueling. A Programmable Logic Controller automatically determines power requirements and coordinates the transfer between utility and auxiliary power. To provide J.D. Edwards with a high comfort level, power in Building III is transferred to the auxiliary generators for 30 minutes every Saturday morning—seamlessly and without interruption to their critical operations.

The installation of large, heavy equipment during the winter season, the intense testing program, and the short schedule called for special attention to safety. Ludvik's uncompromising safety program, inclu-ding fall and hearing protection, resulted in no lost time accidents on the generator farm installation.

A difficult challenge met through uninterrupted effort and cooperation by everyone on the job!