GREEN BUILDING DESIGN COMPETITION FOR NEW YORK CITY

Category: Industrial

BUILDING A GREEN RAILCAR FACILITY:

THE NEW CORONA MAINTENANCE SHOP AND CAR WASHER
QUEENS, NEW YORK

Submitted by: Contact information: January 15, 2004

MTA New York City Transit Ajay Singh
MTA New York City Transit
Lawrence G. Reuter Capital Program Management
President, MTA New York City Transit
Chief, Sustainability and Environmental Management
Cosema E. Crawford, P.E. 2 Broadway
Acting Senior Vice President, Capital Program Management New York, NY 10004
Phone 646-252-4398
Angelo Tomasetti, P.E. Fax 646-252-3171
Program Manager, Line Equipment, Shops and Yard,
Email ajsingh@nyct.com
Capital Program Management
OVERVIEW
In 1999, MTA New York City
Transit (NYCT) became the first
public agency to obtain the pres-
tigious International
Environmental Standard ISO
14001 certification and embarked
on its “Design for the
Environment” (DfE) Program.
Currently under construction, the
new Corona Maintenance Shop
and Car Washer in Corona,
Queens will be NYCT’s first truly
green project and a demonstra-
tion of its commitment to envi-
ronmental excellence. The $165
million, 95,000-square-foot rail-
car maintenance shop and ancil-
lary facilities will be used for the
inspection, repair, cleaning and
maintenance of the approximate-
ly 400 passenger cars of NYCT’s
Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT)
No. 7 line. The project replaces
NYCT’s current outdated facility
on the same site.
LEED Certification
In compliance with New York
State Governor George Pataki’s
Executive Order 111, mandating
sustainable design on all public
facilities over 20,000 square feet,
the Corona facility project
team—including NYCT, the
owner; Slattery Skanska, the
design-build contractor; Parsons
Brinckerhoff (PB), the prime con-
sultant; and El Taller
Collaborativo (ETC) the archi-
tect—chose to use LEED
(Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) criteria as
a way of measuring the project’s
energy savings and sustainable
strategies. The Corona shop will
be the first railcar maintenance
shop in the U.S. to receive LEED
certification.
Energy Efficiency
The integrated design approach
taken by the project team to bal-
ance the systems in the facility
along with other green design
strategies is expected to result in
a 36% improvement in energy
efficiency performance over the
levels required by the New York
State Energy Conservation
Construction Code.
As a supplement to the building’s
design for energy efficiency, a
photovoltaic system on the roof
will generate 100 KW of power
and will meet at least 5% of the
facility’s energy needs. In addi-
tion, a fuel cell will generate 200
KW of power. These systems will
help to decrease the load on the
local utility and contribute to a
green, clean, sustainable building.
Shading devices over the win-
dows will keep out unwanted
glare and heat. An appropriate
amount of fenestration will bal-
ance minimum solar heat gain,
maximize daylight, and bring in
natural lighting via skylights to
minimize the use of artificial light.
The footprint of the shop was
predetermined by the configura-
tion of the rail track at the facility.
The orientation and location of
photovoltaic panels, skylights
and louvers were, however,
designed to gain maximum
advantage of natural solar
resources for energy and day-
lighting and natural airflows for
cooling in summer.
Sustainable Strategies
Other sustainable strategies used
in the Corona project include:
• reuse and recycling of 85% of
waste from demolition
• design for improved indoor air
quality using low VOC-content
materials and natural ventilation
• water conservation through a
special rainwater harvesting
and gray water reuse system for
rail car washing functions
• use of roof-mounted heat recov-
ery units
• use of recycled materials
• life-cycle-based evaluations
Demonstrating Sustainability
The Corona project team is taking
the lead in demonstrating envi-
ronmentally sound design and
construction practices. In line
with its comprehensive, holistic
approach, NYCT intends to use
the site’s very public location
between Shea Stadium to the
north and the Arthur Ashe Tennis
Stadium to the south—including
a pedestrian bridge that crosses
the site to link the Ashe Stadium
to the No. 7 line and Roosevelt
Avenue—as an opportunity to
demonstrate the project’s sustain-
able features and the agency’s
commitment to the environment.
NYCT also plans to educate the
public about the project’s
achievements in sustainability
through displays in transit cars
and facilities.
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
PROCESS:
NYCT developed the Corona pro-
gram with the intent to make this
project a practical and effective
demonstration of an environmen-
tally responsible 21st century rail
transit facility. Corona’s green
building plans address both the
construction process and the
building’s lifetime performance.
The fundamental goal has been to
optimize dynamic system per-
formance—in terms of comfort,
functionality, energy efficiency,
resource efficiency, economic
return, and life cycle value while
enhancing human health and pro-
ductivity. The project incorporates
pollution prevention initiatives,
waste avoidance, material recy-
cling, and responsible waste man-
agement in addition to compliance
with all applicable codes and reg-
ulations.
The integration of LEED principles project team specified the use of
into the Corona design started
with the establishment of the team radius of the project site.
members’ common design goal to
earn 26 credits for a LEED-certified Use of low-impact construction
level and the development of
strategies to meet that goal with
minimum cost implications and
maximum energy savings. Team
members were assigned tasks in
their respective fields of expertise,
from daylighting studies, to alter-
native photovoltaic (PV) system
designs, and the evaluation of
ventilation strategies.
DESIGN CRITERIA:
Use of low-impact materials
To minimize natural resource use
and create a healthy, comfortable,
non-hazardous space for building
occupants, the project team speci-
fied building materials—including
structural steel, sealants, adhe-
sives, metal wall systems, interior
flooring and wall finishes, insula-
tion, interior partitions, ceiling sys-
tems, and roofing membranes—
with respect to their high recycled
content, high life-cycle assessment
value, and low-VOC content.
To reduce the environmental
impact resulting from material
transportation, and as a means of
supporting the local economy, the
manufacturers within a 500-mile
techniques
NYCT has called for diesel-pow-
ered equipment at the construc-
tion site to be retrofitted with
emission control devices and to
use ultra-low sulphur diesel
(ULSD) fuel in order to reduce
diesel emissions. Idling time is also
being restricted for all equipment.
Construction waste minimiza-
tion and recycling
A construction waste manage-
ment plan is being implemented
to divert construction waste and
land clearing debris away from
the landfill disposal site by redi-
recting recyclable material back
to the manufacturing process.
Project’s integration of unique
site characteristics, existing
community, and infrastructure
The project is in the current loca-
tion of NYCT’s maintenance shop
and car washer facilities, an
already disturbed site within an
existing industrial environment.
Mass transit and other vehicular
and service infrastructure already
exist at the site. The decision to
build a new facility at the site of
the existing maintenance shop
eliminated the need to construct
infrastructure elsewhere, and
helped to preserve other green-
field sites and natural systems.
Since the entire Corona site is sit-
uated in the 100-year flood zone,
all the facilities were designed to
be above the 100-year flood plain
level on elevated structures on
deep pile foundations.
The site is in a very public loca-
tion, straddled by Shea Stadium
to the north and the U.S. Tennis
Association Sports Facility includ-
ing Arthur Ashe Stadium to the
south. A pedestrian overpass
crosses the site connecting the
tennis facility to Roosevelt
Avenue and the No.7 subway line
on the site’s northern perimeter.
The extensive photovoltaic sys-
tem and other recognizable sus-
tainable design features such as
louvers and skylights will be
obvious to pedestrians using the
overpass.
Strengthening the site-building
relationship
Based on program requirements
intended to achieve maximum
and efficient space utilization, the
facility was designed with a con-
solidated building footprint. The
footprint also maximizes site effi-
ciencies with regard to required
road, utility, and service access.
During site work, cut and fill was
limited by designing to meet exist-
ing contours.
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The building was designed to
take maximum advantage of
solar design, which minimizes
energy consumption through
the integrated use of mechanical
and electrical systems.
Safeguarding water quality
To minimize excessive runoff,
erosion and sedimentation con-
trol measures have been speci-
fied during and after construc-
tion. Due to the proximity of the
project to wetlands, the use of
short elevated structures will
support most of the trackwork.
These structures consist of steel
thru-spans supported on steel
girders. The girders are support-
ed by a deep pile foundation.
This design minimizes the
amount of excavation and soil
disruption that needs to be per-
formed during construction,
thus minimizing impacts to
groundwater and runoff as well
as reducing the risk of finding or
disturbing contaminated soils.
Contaminated soil is a clear and
present possibility in any rail-
road facility constructed more
than 20 years ago.
A number of other strategies will
also prevent contamination of
the soil and water table, includ-
ing the use of non-creosote-
treated ties and timbers, the use
of fiberglass rather than cre-
osote-treated softwoods for the
third rail protection board, and
the use of environmentally
acceptable rail lubricants.
Water conservation and reuse
A rainwater harvesting and
water storage system will reduce
the use of potable water for car
washing. Low-flow plumbing
units and faucets will also be
used.
Energy efficiency, renewabili-
ty, and conservation
A 100 KW photovoltaic array will
be integrated into the skylight
system to generate a minimum
of 5% of the annual energy
requirements. A roof-mounted
fuel cell will also generate 200
KW of power.
The fuel cell will operate either
in a grid-connect or grid-inde-
pendent mode and can switch
between modes automatically
or upon demand. In the event of
grid power loss, the power plant
will automatically disconnect
from the grid and switch to a
grid-independent operating
mode to provide power to dedi-
cated loads. The fuel cell and
the PV system will enable the
maintenance shop to remain
functional. Since both power
generating sources are housed
in the maintenance building, the
threat of total loss of power is
eliminated.
The maintenance shop will be
naturally ventilated with a sys-
tem consisting of insulated
motorized dampers at the sky-
light roof and exterior wall lou-
vers with fans to eliminate hot
spots. In addition, variable air
volume (VAV) boxes in the
administration and employee
areas will enable more individ-
ual control of indoor tempera-
ture. Daylight sensors will be
used in conjunction with the
skylights and windows to turn
off or reduce light outputs if
adequate natural light is avail-
able. Lighting switches with
motion sensors will be used in
the offices. These strategies will
contribute to overall energy sav-
ings.
The building envelope—includ-
ing walls, windows, doors, roofs
and floor surfaces—was
designed to balance require-
ments for ventilation and day-
light while providing thermal
and moisture protection appro-
priate to the site’s climatic con-
ditions. Concrete masonry
blocks—the main building
material for the walls—provide
thermal insulation and mass to
help shift peak cooling and
heating to off-peak hours. A
tight building envelope will min-
imize infiltration and contribute
to overall energy savings.
Operable window panels
increase natural ventilation.
Energy-efficient glazing pro-
vides protection against
unwanted solar gains in the
summer. The highly reflective
white roofing membrane con-
tributes to a high R-Value for
maximum energy savings and
also minimizes the heat island
effect. The roofing membrane of
the shop will be ENERGY STAR-
rated for maximum energy effi-
ciency. All other future energy-
using products will be ENERGY
STAR-rated.
Durability and longevity of the
project
The facility will undergo com-
missioning to ensure that the
building systems perform as per
design intent, and that they
meet expectations for energy
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consumption and costs. The
building commissioning process
will be used to discover any
deficiencies in the building and
its systems before occupancy. It
is more cost-effective to correct
any deficiencies (both in design
and construction) prior to occu-
pancy. The project will also
incorporate additional commis-
sioning as outlined by LEED.
Conservation of materials and
resources
Although renovation of the
existing facility might have been
viewed as environmentally
preferable to new construction,
this option was found to be
impractical since massive
investments would be required
to upgrade structural, mechani-
cal and electrical deficiencies
and to meet current code
requirements. In addition, oper-
ational volume had grown and
created significant opportunities
to increase productivity.
Renovation would have margin-
alized operational efficiency.
The use of commissioning will
result in the most effective use
of resources and energy, indoor
air quality environments that
are healthy and productive for
occupants, and reduced human
impact on the environment.
Indoor environmental quality
Some of the strategies employed
to increase the quality of the
facility’s indoor air and ensure
long-term occupant health and
comfort include specifying mate-
rials and interior finishes with
low-VOC values, minimizing
infiltration of outside air and
moisture by designing a tight
building envelope, replacing the
filtration media after construc-
tion and prior to occupancy, and
installing carbon dioxide moni-
toring systems. An Indoor Air
Quality Management Plan during
construction as well as before
occupancy will be followed with
a two week building flush-out.
Indoor air quality will be tested
after one year of occupancy.
Protection of human health
and the natural environment
Wetlands
There are five wetlands on the
Corona site. Despite exemption
from NYSTWR under New York
Public Authorities Law, NYCT
proposed the development of
an appropriate mitigation plan
for the project to ensure that
any adverse impacts to wet-
lands are mitigated.
Air
In addition to climate change
mitigation, fuel cells offer great
advantages with respect to envi-
ronmental impacts that are
caused by pollutants, such as
acidification (mainly caused by
Nox and Sox), eutrophication,
summer smog or carcinogenic
substances. Compared to these
impacts, fuel cell power plants
yield reductions of pollutants
ranging from 40% (summer
smog) to almost 90% (eutrophi-
cation) depending on the base-
line technologies.
How the Corona project’s green
design will contribute to human
health and the natural environ-
ment is exemplified by the fol-
lowing statistics:
When compared to local grid
source power supply, the PC25
fuel cell should result in a net
875,670lbs/year of CO2 emission
reduction and 10,027lbs/year of
NOx/SOx emissions reduction.
The pollution avoidance savings
is estimated at $819,155 over 5
years.
With 100 KW of PV capacity, the
following emissions are avoided
annually: NOx 258(lbs); SOx
276(lbs) and CO2 180,333(lbs)
By using 100 KW of PV capacity,
reduction in carbon dioxide
emissions equal the emissions
from driving approximately
225,417 miles in an average pas-
senger car!
By using 100 KW of PV capacity,
reduction in carbon dioxide
emissions equal the carbon
dioxide absorbed by approxi-
mately 25 acres of trees in one
year!
Noise
Except for the permissible noise
associated with demolition and
construction activities, the proj-
ect is not expected to significant-
ly affect the permissible noise
levels in the project area.
Economic, cultural and social
impacts of the project
The program attempts to
reduce pollution and land
development impacts from
automobile use by encouraging
the use of mass transit and car-
pooling by limiting the number
of employee parking spaces
and designating preferred spots
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for car-pooling. Bicycling is also
encouraged by providing bicy-
cle racks and locker
room/showering facilities. To
cater to future needs, two
recharging stations for electric
vehicles are provided in the
parking area.
The goal of the project team is
the development of a building
that makes a statement—a
building where environmental
principles are demonstrated to
the community.
IMPEDIMENTS FACED IN
DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND
CONSTRUCTION
Because new territory was, and
is, being covered, the “green-
ing” of Corona presented many
challenges. The successful com-
pletion of this project will not
only be measured by “on time
and within budget” delivery of
a fully functioning facility, but
also by how the project meets
additional challenges.
For Corona, NYCT chose a
design-build delivery method
rather than the standard
design-bid-build delivery, and
this project also had to include
elements of NYCT’s DfE pro-
gram. The use of design-build
demanded that NYCT be specif-
ic in the contract document to
the extent of specifying what
was required while permitting
the design entity the flexibility
to be innovative. In addition,
NYCT had to balance how much
“greening” to specify and in
what manner, so that bidders
did not misinterpret the require-
ments, leading to the project
being green-compromised.
The development of the contract
documents started with the
intent to prepare drawings to
the 10% level of design.
However, given the project’s
green objective, it was difficult
to determine what constituted
10% design and if that was ade-
quate. As the project developed,
it became apparent that there
were areas that required more
than 10% design effort. As a
result, the criteria for the RFQ
had to change to include
requirements to: specify the
MUSTS for the project; specify
performance requirements; and
specify “green requirements.”
Evaluating project costs and
benefits has required a new
mindset since higher initial costs
such as those required for rain-
water collection and daylighting
have to be assessed from a long-
term perspective, with an
emphasis on long-term returns
on investment.
Resistance to change is more dif-
ficult than any technological
challenge. The most serious
impediment to the greening of
Corona has been changing the
way people think and do busi-
ness. From training personnel, to
developing new ways of working
on multidisciplinary teams, to
writing effective new building
programs and specifications, to
incorporating new and more effi-
cient project delivery systems
and informing the public, the
new Corona project team is tak-
ing the lead in demonstrating the
feasibility of incorporating the
principles of sustainable design
in the design and construction of
transportation facilities.
5
DEMOLITION
1. Car Maintenance Shop
2. Car Washer
3. CBH
4. Signal Relay Room
5. Lead Tracks
6. 12 Backyard Storage Tracks
7. Light Towers/High Masts

85% of waste from demolition of

existing facilities will be recycled.

6
NEW SITE FEATURES
1. Car Maintenance Shop
2. Car Washer
3. CBH
4. Signal Relay Room
5. Lead Tracks
6. 5 Rail Tracks Inside Shop
7. Light Towers/ High Masts

New maintenance shop takes the

place of the existing backyard
tracks.

7
ELEVATIONS
Intended for a public location,
the building was designed with
aesthetics in mind.

8
 PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM
AND FUEL CELL SYSTEM
Supplementing the building’s
energy-efficient design, a roof-
mounted PV system will generate
100 KW and a roof-mounted fuel
cell will provide 200 KW of power.
Roof Plan

9
NATURAL VENTILATION
Natural air flow through louvers
eliminates the need for mechani-
cal ventilation.

10
DAYLIGHTING
Skylights and windows provide
an average of 100 foot-candles in
the maintenance shop, eliminat-
ing the need for artificial light
during the day.

11
RAINWATER FOR
CAR WASH
Rainwater and 75% of used car
wash water will be collected,
treated, and reused.

12
BUILDING SECTION
Use of deep-pile foundations
minimizes excavation and soil
disruption.

13
PARTIAL ROOF PLAN
The project team evaluated a
number of photovoltaic system
and skylight designs.

14
PARTIAL PLAN
The design incorporates the use
of low-impact building materials.

15