Chicago VA Hospital Welcomes New Utility Plant

The mechanical systems at Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Administration Hospital in Chicago were long overdue for replacement. A boiler installed shortly after the building opened in 1921 needed continual maintenance, and an 80-year, 12-inch transmission pipe was among the key pieces to the hospital infrastructure that were failing.

A new central utility plant, nearly 10 years in the making and requiring numerous drawings and plans, finally opened in 2019. The 20,000 square foot project included 15 floor access doors manufactured by The BILCO Company that allow access to vaults for controls to mechanical equipment.

The central boiler plant was rapidly approaching the end of its useful life at the hospital, which recorded more than 850,000 patient visits during 2017. The team at HGA conducted a study of the existing plant in 2009, but flooding in 2010 of the Des Plaines River took out the existing boiler plant – and exposed a major flaw in the building of a boiler plant below grade. The flooded plant was drained and the system repaired until a new system could be designed and constructed. The design process took an unusually long time as HGA strived to stay within government guidelines and financial restrictions.

“This task proved to be extremely challenging,” Project Manager Cory Powers wrote on the HGA website. “The boiler plant is the heart of the campus. Without the heart, the campus cannot survive.”

Construction work on the new system began in 2016. The project included the installation of four new boilers, an emergency generator and an underground steam distribution system. The new plant serves the 3.3 million square foot hospital campus, saving an estimated $600,000 annually in energy costs. There is also reduced risk to potential flooding, reduced emissions and improved maintenance operations.

The Walsh Group served as the general contractor for the project. Due to its complexity, the VA also employed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assist with construction on the 147-acre campus. 

The BILCO doors installed in the project are frequently found in exterior applications where there is a concern of liquids entering the access opening. The doors include a channel frame, aluminum frame and engineered lift assistance for easy one-hand operation. Illinois Construction Specialties procured the doors for Walsh.

The BILCO doors installed in the project are frequently found in exterior applications where there is a concern of liquids entering the access opening. The doors include a channel frame, aluminum frame and engineered lift assistance for easy one-hand operation. Photo by James Keller.

“We do quite a bit of work with BILCO for this application, especially in maintaining a fire rating or if there is a tank underground,” said Mike Deis, project manager for Walsh. “They service the entire country. We know that we can count on them to service this product.”

Workers ascend and descend on ladders equipped with 15 LadderUP^® safety posts, also manufactured by BILCO. The safety posts feature a telescoping design that is spring balanced for easy operation and includes adjustable mounting hardware that accommodates virtually any ladder rung size or spacing.

From start to finish, the project posed significant engineering, construction and financial challenges. The finished central utility plant is something engineers and architects can be proud of, and will help give the nation’s military veterans the care they deserve.