Millwork Gets The All-Star Treatment
Contractors use temporary humidity-control equipment to protect millwork and cabinets during construction.
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| A technician oversees the performance of a 6,000-cfm humidity-control unit used to control indoor conditions at Target Field, Minneapolis. |
Target Field, Minneapolis, which opened in April 2010, is the new home of Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins. Located in the city's historic Warehouse District, the 40,000-seat open-air ballpark has a natural limestone exterior, baseball-themed restaurants, state-of-the-art locker rooms, 54 private suites, and 3,400 club seats.
The indoor portions of the new facility--the ornate millwork, cabinetry, and high-end finishes in the lounges, clubs, bars, locker rooms, executive suites, and restaurants--required special care during construction in 2009.
Minneapolis-based M.A. Mortenson, the construction firm, needed a game plan for protecting the sensitive materials from high humidity and warm weather last summer.
"The (millwork) manufacturer had specifications for temperature and humidity for the wide variety of wood and laminate being installed," said Eric Keleny, Mortenson's mechanical, electrical, and plumbing coordinator. "Extremes in the indoor environment could potentially expand or shrink the wood, causing warping."
Keleny wanted relative humidity levels indoors to remain below 50% and temperatures to remain below 80 F. Three 6,000-cfm humidity-control units (HCU), in combination with several blowers, controlled the climate.
The HCU from Munters Moisture Control Services, Amesbury, MA, combines cooling and desiccant dehumidification technologies in one energy-efficient system. The appliances are used for structural drying, temporary humidity control in building construction, and condensation and corrosion control in surface preparation and coating applications.
The units were placed in small areas on different parts of the main concourse and flexible duct was used to move the air inside of the building. Twelve 48-inch turbofans moved the air around the club-level spaces requiring humidity control.
"We moved quickly to make sure indoor spaces were conditioned as millwork was installed in bar areas, administration offices, board rooms, executive and corporate suites, and throughout locker room areas," said John Pfeffer, industrial accounts manager for Munters.
M.A. Mortenson realized additional benefits from the use of the temporary dehumidification. Lower temperatures made the environment more comfortable for workers. The dry air decreased the drying times of building materials. In total, the HCU conditioned 150,000 sq. ft. of the 500,000-sq.-ft. structure.
The HCU helped the contractor obtain a LEED point. The units were used in conjunction with the permanently installed HVAC systems to flush out the building prior to occupancy according to LEED guidelines.
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