Project Overview
The Sacramento Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) is a 14-acre, 35-building campus located in Mather, CA and adjacent to the Mather Airport. As the campus has grown, demand has increased and created associated capacity problems and low water pressure. In addition, there is currently inadequate emergency water storage at the campus. This project upsizes the existing 6-inch diameter water main loop to 8-inch diameter. Each of the buildings is to be connected to the new 8-inch diameter loop by smaller lines, ranging from ¾-inch to 6-inch diameter, and the existing 6-inch diameter water main loop is to be re-purposed as a fire main. In addition, a 565,000-gallon ground-level storage tank; a 40,000-gallon and 220-feet tall, elevated water storage tank; a CMU building housing a booster pump station comprising four 300 gpm capacity centrifugal pumps with VFDs; a standby generator housed in the CMU building; a hydropneumatic tank; a water treatment / chlorination (Memchlor) unit; and yard piping including valves, vaults, bypasses, and manholes, are to be provided. As the Engineer of Record, Coleman Engineering is responsible for overall design and design management, permitting, negotiation with public agencies for new water system connections, and flow testing of hydrants and preparation of a commissioning report.
Key Challenges & Solutions
The VAMC is located on an old Air Force Base site, and there was limited utility information for campus roads. We employed ground penetrating radar to supplement the available utility data. Only two unknown utilities were found during construction of the new 8-inch dia. loop. Construction was completed quickly, and traffic disruption minimized.
January 31, 2022