Our client
The Mecklenburg County Jail Central is a direct supervision center that facilitates arrest processing and pre-trial detention. The facility is part of the largest jail system in the Carolinas, and it falls under the larger jurisdiction of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, which is responsible for security of courts, civil process services, and local, state, and federal law enforcement.
Project highlights
Their challenge
The expansion of the Mecklenburg County Jail facility involved unique challenges. The 265,000-square-foot addition included a 110-bed dormitory for the weekender program, a 28-bed medical pod, 252 dry cells, 510 wet cells, and some office and training space in the basement—but the greatest challenge lay in performing the entire scope of the addition and commissioning while the facility remained at full operational capacity.
Our solution
The role that Salas O’Brien played in this expansion was especially vital as it ensured that the addition’s mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems met code requirements and could carry out their necessary functions safely and securely. The systems that our team commissioned included a 350-ton chiller, air handling units, boilers, pumps, VAV terminal units, unit heaters, an emergency generator, switchgear, distribution transformers, and panel boards. Our team also tested the existing fire alarm system, the security and direct digital control systems, and smoke control procedures to confirm functionality and compatibility for the integration of the new extension with the existing facility.
The results
Thanks to Salas O’Brien’s work on this project, the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems that service the facility are operating safely and efficiently.
