How Schebler Brought Certainty to a Large Health System

The Challenge

The Omaha-based Nebraska Methodist Health System facility had an old, run-down chimney that was no longer functional or safe. Installing a flue-liner solution would solve their problem, but limited space made installation challenging as there was little weld or bolt access. They also needed to install a steam boiler damper control panel that could be interlocked within the system.

Additionally, the original chimney layout called for separate stacks, with a liner installed in the existing chimney for the non-condensing boilers stack and a new chase installed in the hospital to house the condensing boilers stack.

We needed to take all these requirements under consideration, along with ensuring simple, quick and easy installation, when designing a cost-effective solution for this complex and critical system.

The Solution

We created a common vent for all the boilers. For the chimney liner, we designed a custom structural ring as part of the base plate that could be welded from inside the liner, just below the access door. This gave adequate access for the welder in the field. All required welding on the outside portion of the base was done before the liner was shipped to the site, so the required field welding was minimal.

Additionally, the custom base plate included an inner hole so it could be field welded to the existing steel foundation, and a series of inner gussets added structure to keep the base from peeling away from the foundation in the future. A licensed professional engineer reviewed and stamped off the design and structural analysis.

For the damper control, the system was adapted on-site from a boiler 2 configuration to boiler 3. Damper PID parameters were independently adjusted to each boiler based on each device’s curve.

The customer feedback was 100% positive. They were particularly impressed by the simplicity of the required installation and welding.

Product Highlights

• Created a system that was 100% effective and 100% easy to install (the 177-foot-tall unit was delivered in four sections).
• Installation included Schebler on-site consultation.
• Delivered on time despite a demanding schedule.
• Developed a novel flue liner system which included two inlets used for the exhaust of multiple boilers.