New water meter installation on 16th Avenue in the University Endowment Lands (UEL)
the University Endowment Lands will be installing a new water meter on 16th Avenue as part of regular maintenance and upgrades. UBC Facilities will support this work from December 14-17, 2021 by switching over our campus water feed, once the new meter is installed.
Heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) line near the Bioenergy Facility back in commission
Last week, Energy & Water Services (EWS) steamfitters completed another repair on the District Energy System (DES) network off the Bioenergy Research Facilities (Bioenergy Facility). This repair was needed as this particular heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) line has been out of commission for over a year.
Major milestone in the Bioenergy Research Demonstration Facility expansion project
The Bioenergy Research Demonstration Facility (BRDF) is burning biomass once again! The Energy & Water Services Thermal Operations Team re-lit the biomass gasification system on November 10, 2021, and the BRDF is now producing renewable thermal energy for the Academic District Energy System (ADES).
Stuart Gilbert joins Energy & Water Services as the Assistant Civil Engineer in Engineering & Utilities
Stuart will be responsible for developing and managing programs to achieve the implementation of infrastructure and services plans, reporting to Doug Doyle, Senior Manager, and work closely with the Mechanical Utilities unit.
October 14, 2021
Highlighting the hidden: Integrating operational infrastructure into the community
Recently, infrastructure design has shifted, with more focus on integration of these operational facilities into the urban fabric of our communities. This article by Stantec features UBC’s new Water Pump Station — built to serve the water needs of the Vancouver Campus’ over-60,000-person population.
Infrastructure Development welcomes Asset Replacement & Improvements
Infrastructure Development is pleased to welcome the Asset Replacement & Improvements (ARI) — Transition Team and Construction Office to Infrastructure Development. This alignment will better integrate our teams to provide robust and timely project delivery, documentation and asset inputs that are critical to decision-making for Facilities, and provide improved customer service and greater clarity for the campus community.
Academic District Energy System (ADES) Valve Optimization program
Since April 2021, Energy & Water Services (EWS) has been undergoing a District Energy System (DES) valve optimization project across campus. This project was executed over two phases in 10 worksites and included 18 valves ranging from 100mm up to 350mm — starting with one of the most complex shutdowns at Purdy Pavilion next to the UBC Hospital.
Drinking water fountains and bottle-filling stations are reopening
Starting mid-August 2021, the Facilities team will begin to proceed with un-bagging and flushing all the drinking water fountains and bottle-filling stations across the UBC Vancouver campus. Flushing the water will remove any stagnant water from the building’s pipe network system to ensure the water is kept fresh and the stations are ready for use.
Heat Stress Awareness course available
The Heat Stress Awareness course is recommended for all workers that are at risk of heat exposure, and for their supervisors to complete. The course was developed to increase your awareness of the risk factors and associated heat disorders related to heat stress. The course will also identify controls to protect yourself against heat stress.
UBC’s HVAC teams are making sure we can breathe easy
Over the past 18 months, learning, research, and work at UBC have been taking place remotely, wherever possible. But one group of people has diligently stayed on campus to keep its infrastructure humming through all this time: the teams responsible for ensuring that heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are functioning properly across the university.