Mechanical Systems

 

HVAC Shop 

The primary responsibility of the HVAC group is to ensure a comfortable environment for students, faculty, and staff across campus. The department is tasked with the maintenance, repair, and installation of building environmental systems, ensuring proper temperature and humidity control in classrooms, labs, and offices. This effort is critical to maintaining a safe and conducive working and learning environment. 

The department is organized into three zones, each responsible for response, repair, and preventive maintenance within their designated areas. The team consists of 20 highly skilled HVAC mechanics dedicated to maintaining all campus HVAC systems. 

Additionally, the HVAC Shop plays a key role in reviewing and inspecting all new construction and renovation projects on campus, ensuring compliance with LSU Design Standards. 

Plumbing 

The Plumbing group is responsible for the distribution of mechanical utilities to all buildings on campus.  These utilities include: 

• Steam – Delivery of high pressure steam through four (4) miles of underground utility tunnels and direct buried piping.  Steam is used for heating and year round climate control to the majority of buildings on campus.   

• Chilled Water - Distribution of underground chilled water for climate control of campus buildings year-round. 

• Water – Supply of both fire system and domestic potable water to all areas on campus. 

• Sewer – Maintenance of sewer collection lines and mains throughout campus to various outfalls to the City/Parish collection system. 

• Drainage – Service and maintain the stormwater drainage system. 

• Natural Gas – Operate a “Master Meter” distribution system for natural gas, distributing natural gas from the 450 psi supply point to individual users throughout campus.   

In addition, the Plumbing group maintains all plumbing fixtures in restrooms, laboratories and kitchen areas. This department is tasked with maintaining all fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems on campus.  

Plumbing also maintains more than 2,000 pumps campus-wide.  These include: chilled water, hot water, condensate, boiler feed water, sanitary sewer, domestic, storm sewer, pool, vacuum and irrigation pumps.  The crew also maintains other equipment, such as tunnel blowers, level controls, variable frequency drives, and electrical motor starters. 

SVM Maintenance 

The School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) maintenance group is responsible for the mechanical, plumbing, electrical and building systems maintenance at the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine complex.  This 400,000 square foot facility consists of 14 buildings, which include teaching facilities, medical clinics, a hospital containing both small and large animal operating and recovery rooms, necropsy laboratories, animal incinerators, and biomedical research facilities with biological hazard laboratories.    SVM operates seven days per week, twenty-four hours a day.  The major equipment associated with the physical plant includes: two boilers with a steam output capacity of 45,000 pounds per hour; chillers with a combined capacity in excess of 2,900 tons per hour; a 2000 KW emergency generator; more than 40 air handling units; numerous fume hoods; scientific and laboratory equipment; chilled water and condenser water pumps; cooling towers; air compressors; and vacuum pumps.  The majority of these components are controlled utilizing of a computerized Energy Management System.   The SVM maintenance group assures adherence to all federal, state and local regulations regarding the operation and maintenance of a teaching veterinary hospital and research facility.  This includes laboratories registered with the Center of Disease Control and designated as Biological Safety Laboratory Level III.