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Honeywell Awarded University of Kentucky Contract

Oct. 9, 2009
Honeywell has announced that it has been awarded an $11.9-million contract with the University of Kentucky to install integrated technology systems for the new Albert B. Chandler Hospital at the school's medical campus in Lexington, Ky. The project will ...

Honeywell has announced that it has been awarded an $11.9-million contract with the University of Kentucky to install integrated technology systems for the new Albert B. Chandler Hospital at the school's medical campus in Lexington, Ky. The project will use the latest building technologies to meet environmental, security, and regulatory requirements critical to the health-care industry.

Honeywell was selected by a university evaluation committee to manage the integrated technology project, which includes building automation, lighting, fire-alarm, security, nurse-call, and telecommunication systems. The 1.2-million-sq-ft patient-care facility, which includes capacity for more than 480 beds, will replace the university's existing hospital and provide diagnostic, treatment, and emergency care as the only Level One trauma center in the region.

“We have a long history of helping hospitals boost comfort, safety, and energy efficiency,” Paul Orzeske, president of Honeywell Building Solutions, said. “The new University of Kentucky hospital will be one of the most sophisticated medical facilities in the country, from a patient-care and facility-management perspective.”

As part of the contract, Honeywell will help build the hospital's telecommunications and information-technology (IT) infrastructure. This includes installing Category 6a (CAT6a) and fiber optic cabling throughout the facility, and assembling new 600 pair telephone cables. The cabling will serve as the "central nervous system" of the facility on which all of the network-based systems will reside and communicate.

Honeywell also will install and integrate its ComfortPoint control system, giving the hospital a flexible, cost-effective means of monitoring and managing HVAC equipment. Leveraging the BACnet communications protocol, ComfortPoint delivers a comprehensive, open, and interoperable solution that cuts installation costs, as well as total cost of ownership.

ComfortPoint provides a single view of all HVAC information, such as temperature, system status, and alarms, and gives users command and control options based on their authorization level. The programming and operating functions also are combined on the controllers' interface. For example, a technician could use the navigation menus and graphics to monitor temperatures throughout a facility and then expand the same menus to change the sequence of operation in an air-handling unit (AHU).

In addition, Honeywell will tie in its XLS3000 fire alarm system. The XLS3000 control panels will improve emergency-system response time during a fire and ensure compliance with insurance, fire, and building-code regulations.

The panels also include the industry's first self-diagnostic tool—the System Maintenance Analysis and Reporting Tool (SMART)—which automatically tracks the testing and inspection requirements of fire-alarm devices, such as smoke detectors, pull stations, and output-relay modules. SMART was developed in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards and alerts building owners and inspectors to devices that have not been tested as required.

Honeywell will pull these systems together via BACnet and Tridium Niagara Framework, a facility-management platform that provides a cohesive, detailed view of all of the building technology from a central workstation. Niagara will control comfort, air quality, and energy use to help administrators meet the complex regulatory requirements designed to keep patients and staff healthy, safe, and secure. For example, Niagara will help:

• Validate critical temperatures in laboratory environments.

• Monitor air-quality levels to ensure safe surgical-operating environments.

• Provide the tracking and reporting necessary to verify compliance.

Because the university already uses the Niagara platform across other campus buildings, it will be able to protect and enhance its existing investment, requiring less training for facility managers who already are familiar with the system.

Along with HVAC and life-safety equipment, Honeywell will incorporate access-control and digital-video equipment and install the Hill-Rom NaviCare Nurse Call system to help connect patients and caregivers. The system will provide a geographic view of where nurses are located across the facility using radio-frequency-identification (RFID) tags and a wireless-mesh network, allowing faster communication when patients request assistance. Intelligent alerts also automatically can be sent from a patient's bed directly to the caregiver, improving response times during medical emergencies.

The hospital, which is being built by Turner Construction, is expected to open in phases beginning with its emergency department in summer 2010. Once construction is complete, Honeywell will provide ongoing fire-alarm-inspection and testing services.

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