South Campus Central Chiller Plant at The Ohio State University

The main structure of the 10-story South Campus Central Chiller plant is comprised of all galvanized structural steel. Corrosion is not an option for this structure, as the galvanized steel will be responsible for holding up thousands of tons of HVAC and chiller equipment for the years to come. The structure will face varying internal and external temperature extremes, as it will be tasked to chill water in the heat of summer and the cold of winter in an urban Midwest environment.

The selection of hot-dip galvanizing was integral to the success of the project. The Chiller Project required just-in-time delivery in an extremely confined construction space. The galvanizer was tasked with delivering the proper segments of the fabricated steel on the corresponding day of steel erection.

The steel was literally removed from the truck and put directly into place - some of the material was still warm from galvanizing in order to meet the project timeline. Each load of the 1200 tons typically spent less than 24 hours at the galvanizing plant before being delivered to the site. The steel erector and construction manager were amazed by the seamless process, from fabrication to galvanizing to delivery. during steel erection during steel erection abstract interior view