Hilton Chicago is a historic property, constructed in 1927, that overlooks Grant Park, Lake Michigan, and the Chicago Museum Campus. GBA provided engineering design and construction administration services associated with a full replacement of existing sidewalk utility vaults.
Located at the 1B (basement) level of the hotel, the under-sidewalk vaults had outlived their service life and required full replacement: an objective primarily dictated by structural deterioration. The work was divided into quadrants and bid and constructed in multiple phases over a six-year period.
Depending on phase and quadrant, GBA’s work included:
- HVAC scope: Revising routing of existing ductwork, mechanical equipment, and piping to accommodate vault repair and then rerouting to original locations after repair; repair/replacement of damaged ductwork, mechanical equipment, piping, accessories and insulation in vault areas.
- Plumbing scope: Rerouting existing plumbing piping as required to accommodate sidewalk removal and replacement; demolition of any remaining plumbing fixtures in the area.
- Fire protection scope: Demolition of the existing sprinkler layout as needed; revisions/installation of new sprinklers.
- Electrical scope: Demolition of power connections to equipment to be removed; new power connections for new equipment and receptacles.
Services included a site survey, code analysis and review, system design, drawing preparation, specifications, meetings, bid-phase assistance, and extensive construction administration services. The length and phasing complexity of the project, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, made the construction administration effort more lengthy and demanding than usual.
The client also decided to use the project as an opportunity to update meeting rooms at the basement level and to significantly upgrade electrical work to one of the salons. GBA provided MEP/FP engineering for these efforts, including HVAC distribution and temperature controls, new lighting, and sprinklers. Two new bus ducts and a switchboard were provided for the area. In addition, the owner chose to renovate the Michigan Avenue and 8th Street entrances during the vault project, and GBA designed several lighting enhancements, canopy heaters, controls revisions, and related electrical infrastructure.
Photo by Paul R. Burley via Wikimedia Commons
