This project encompassed upgrading the electrical power in the Fairfax Hospital Tower building. The job was was awarded to Dominion by INOVA because of their expertise working on sensitive projects in occupied environments.
Switching power from the existing switchboard to the new switchboard required two electrical shut downs of the Tower Building, lasting eight hours each. The coordination had to be seamless in order to provide ongoing electrical service to the occupied and functional patient tower while making the upgrades necessary to meet current and future load requirements.
Coordination on the delivery date required clear weather conditions. If the unprotected switchgear got wet it would have ruined the electrical components inside. This alone could have hindered the project completion date by 16 weeks.
Unloading the gear off of the semi truck required a crane and three teams to transport the gear thru the narrow basement corridor. Hospital foot traffic in a major corridor had to be redirected and the corridor closed for a complete day.
Twenty five teams of two were sent to each floor in both the east and west wings to help in case of emergencies. Over twenty thousand dollars was spent on temporary electric and another thirty five thousand on labor to help aid and support INOVA Fairfax Hospital during the shutdown.
Each shutdown occurred without incident and the project was completed ahead of schedule.
