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By Rajan Battish, Principal,
RTKL Associates (Published August 14, 2006)
Headlines and stories have documented how hurricanes have devastated
coastal areas in the last couple of years, putting people out of
their homes and out of work without discrimination. Hurricane Isabel,
a category five storm that slammed into our area three short years
ago, claimed 53 lives (16 directly), and inflicted $3.37 billion
in damage to property. No matter how much preventative planning
is put in place, there is always misfortune and tragedy associated
with these natural disasters. But that should not stop business
owners from taking steps to minimize damage, especially with forecasters’
predictions for an active hurricane season in the Atlantic region
this year.
Isabel was the first storm of its type to hit Baltimore in a long
time. Buildings on the waterfront of the inner harbor suffered wind
and water damage, and endured a lengthy power outage. At the Candler
Building, the storm surge caused 4.5 feet of water to flood the
basement floor, resulting in total power loss. This left business
owners with the cost of relocations, repairs in some cases, and
the disruption to business operations.
A look at the building’s history and the recent preventative
steps that were taken will help business owners identify strategies
and contingency plans for business continuity.
Constructed in 1912 by Coca-Cola Founder Asa Candler, the 13-floor,
580,000 square-foot structure served as one of the soft drink company’s
first bottling plants in the country. The structure was converted
to an office building in the mid-1930s and then housed the U.S.
Social Security Administration until around 1960. Today, it houses
15 high-tech and telecommunications companies such as Qwest, MCI,
and Fortune 500 company Constellation Energy - all of which require
24-7 power availability.
When the building flooded, temporary generators and substation
transformers were brought in and restored power within 24 hours
– a critical consideration for companies that face power loss
for any reason. In the case of the Candler Building, this was only
the start of a process of preventing future power losses. Making
repairs and upgrading the infrastructure required a full study to
determine the structural capacity of the building, which hadn’t
seen an upgrade since 1989 when its mechanical-electrical-plumbing
systems were given a facelift.
Though historic in nature, the Candler Building does not have a
historic designation. This meant fewer limitations on the electrical
upgrade, although there were other restraints due to the location
that is bordered by two major city streets. There also was heavy
pedestrian traffic, so generator and radiator exhaust had to be
elevated before getting discharged to the street, and special consideration
had to be given to intake louver designs.
For tenants in any building, there is a large measure of assurance
when the electrical infrastructure is above flood levels. At Candler,
the upgrade involved relocating equipment from the basement to a
7,000 square foot space above potential flood levels. Also included
was replacement of all the redundant incoming service for the electrical
equipment and phased demolition of all the main feeds. For uninterrupted
service, it was necessary to replace the low and medium switch gears,
transformers, an emergency generator, and associated life safety
and standby power sources to the tenants.
Disaster planning for building and business owners also needs to
incorporate other weather-related concerns. For example, the International
Building Code requires that all exterior wall elements including
windows be able to withstand winds of 90 mph. For a tier IV data
center that is usually rated to withstand tornados and other high-wind
storms, there also is a need for lightning protection systems. Unfortunately,
older buildings typically don’t have these modern necessities
and house their infrastructure in the basement. This may have met
minimum building code requirements at the time of construction and
offered a lower-cost solution, but for many tenants it is a concern
because only slight modifications have been made over the years.
Building owners and operators in flood zones may be able to locate
critical infrastructure on roofs, or at least somewhere above the
flood zone (it is not often the first floor because that is prime,
rentable space). However, because many Baltimore buildings are older,
retrofits need to consider these factors: 1) reinforcements to accommodate
weight and accessibility 2) roof access that meets maintenance requirements
3) ease of replacement and growth of equipment, as well as weight
limitations for helicopters or cranes 4) a penthouse if possible
5) utility company access 6) fuel storage for generators.
Another step owners can take to prevent flooding and other weather-related
disasters is making sure access points are sealed, such as telecom
and power conduits, and pipes. It is also important to install fuel
systems above grade; if done below grade they must be anchored properly
and be vented above flood level. Life safety generators and systems
such as fire pumps and controllers need to be above the flood plane,
and sump pumps and pipes have to be properly sized and placed to
prevent water from re-entering the building. Last, tenants should
ask about the replacement policy for equipment damaged by water,
even if it is cleaned well enough to work; often there are parts
and pieces that can’t be cleaned such as contactors, control
power, internal electrical joints and bolts. The National Electrical
Manufacturer Association has standards that help to identify items
requiring replacement. An easily accessed location for power shutdown
and remote control of standby systems would prevent a lot of this
trouble; if the building was not designed with one, it’s a
good idea to look into it.
With the always-on power needs of technology companies that need
to keep servers and other machinery going, planning is essential
to minimize property damage and other impacts of natural disasters.
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