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Facilities Division

Facilities Management

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Facilities Management is responsible for general building operation and maintenance across campus.
To request Facilities Management services a work order must be submitted.

Each work order is completed based on priority. Project prioritization guideline are in place to assist UAB customers in managing expectations for the work we provide. For all submitted work orders, a confirmation receipt and project assignment will be completed within 24 hours on non-emergency requests. Emergency requests are responded to immediately.

  • Priority 1 | As soon as possible: An emergency that requires an immediate response.
  • Priority 2 | Up to 3 days: A non-emergency problem that effects campus research, classrooms, and lecture halls.
  • Priority 3 | Up to 1 week: Routine service call.

Our team is composed of skilled craft and trade experts in the following areas:

 

  • Campus Maintenance

    Campus Maintenance

    Campus Maintenance provides the following services:

    • General building repairs including replacing lights and ceiling tile
    • Plumbing repairs, piping repairs, unstopping sewer lines.
    • HVAC repairs, heating and cooling.
    • Electrical repairs, replacing motors, wiring and breakers
    • Painting of common areas
    • Preventive maintenance of mechanical and life safety systems

  • COVID-19 Cleaning Protocols

    Based on case trends and our understanding of the effectiveness, both the preventative spraying of the classrooms and the routine enhanced cleanings following positive case notifications have been discontinued.

    Data and expert guidance do not support the continued practice given the short duration of time the virus lives on most surfaces.

    UAB will maintain standard cleaning practices employed prior to the pandemic.

    COVID Incident Command will continue to monitor data and variants to make adjustments and enhance cleaning strategies if it becomes necessary.

    Special requests for enhanced cleaning can be made and will be considered based on the circumstances and science.
    Buildings and workspaces will continue to be outfitted with hand sanitizer stations and/or cleaning wipes for personal protection.

    Effective 4 p.m. March 4, 2022, UAB no longer requires masks to be worn inside non-clinical university buildings; read more at UAB United . UAB continues to consult public health and infectious diseases experts to assess the pandemic and make data-driven decisions to safely pursue our vital mission.

  • Support Services

    Support Services

    Support Services provides a clean, safe, and welcoming environment for UAB students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Services provided include:

    Building Services


    Groundskeeping
    • Mowing
    • Planting
    • Landscaping

    Recycling
    • #1 Plastic Bottles
    • Paper and Cardboard
    • Aluminum Cans
  • Central Utilities

    Central Utilities

    Central Utilities provides UAB buildings with in-house, quality cooling by operating and maintaining three centralized chilled water plants on campus. We maintain 17 total chillers with a total capacity of 44,000 tons of cooling capacity that services 61 buildings/areas. The areas connected to the District Chilled Water System are monitored by over 180 meters and billed routinely.


    • Water Recovery Program:

      On a typical summer day, over 1 million gallons of water are evaporated through the towers. To maximize the plants usage, we use a widespread water recovery program to collect some of this evaporation by reclaiming cold condensate (fin water) and basement ground water. The retrieved water in then circulated through an underground distribution loop into cooling tower basins at the plants for reuse.

      • In FY18-19, over 43,714,000 gallons of fin/ground water were recovered and reused, resulting in $220K in avoided water costs.
      • There are 17 (13 fin and 4 groundwater) water recovery sites monitored on campus with 25 meters.
      • The underground chilled water distribution loop consists of almost 35,000 feet of pipe (16,500’ of 30”, 36 “, and 24”) with 186 valves, 66 vaults, and contains over 2 million gallons of treated water.

  • Steam Operations

    Steam Operations

    Steam Operations provides continuous, reliable steam service for heating, humidification, and sterilization to the UAB campus and neighboring facilities. UAB has a one District Steam Plant that houses four primarily natural gas-fired, water-tube boilers for a total capacity of 320 million pounds per hour (MLB/HR).

    Steam Distribution System
    • The underground steam distribution loop consists of over 27,000 feet of steam pipe, over 18,000 feet of condensate return pipe, with 161 valves, 58 vaults, and 33 expansion joints.
    • Steam is produced by superheating at 420 Fahrenheit / 150 Pounds per square inch (PSI) and delivered to the buildings at saturated temperatures approximately 300°F /130PSI.
    • The condensate return system reclaims 50% the water usage during summer and 65% during winter. Customers are credited for gallons of condensation that are returned if conductivity is acceptable.
    • The 47 buildings/areas connected to the UAB District Steam System are monitored by 285 steam and condensate meters and billed routinely.
  • Energy Management

    Energy Management

    Energy Management monitors utilities usage and cost for all UAB hospital and campus buildings including electricity, chilled water, steam, natural gas, and domestic water. Customer requests for utility information, reports, and connect/disconnect are also handled through Energy Management.

    • At UAB, over 15.3 million square feet are managed and tracked with over $72 million dollars of utility costs per year.
    • A advanced billing and energy tracking system, along with the building automation system, is used to identify equipment problems that cause excessive energy use.
    • Energy conservation projects are identified and implemented. Projects include HVAC controls upgrades, night/holiday/unoccupied setbacks, and LED lighting upgrades that result in over $1 million of avoided cost each year.
    • New building design plans are reviewed to provide input for energy efficient options.
    • An automated critical equipment alarming system (CAMS) is managed for areas such as operating rooms, pharmacy, lab space, refrigerators and freezers.
    • Our controls engineers and technicians plan and maintain system upgrades to the systems of the District Steam Plant and Central Chilled Water Plant.
  • Roofing

    Roofing

    The Roofing Department is responsible for maintaining the roofs for more than 230 buildings campus wide. The group also works on plaza decks, sealing bricks, caulking windows and foundation leaks, and pressure washing.

    Roofing Types
    • Shingle
    • Tile
    • Built-up
    • PVC
    • Fiber tight
    • Torch Down
    • Hydro Stop
    • Silicone Coating
  • Elevator Maintenance

    Elevator Maintenance