Mechanical Design Services

Our Mechanical Engineering Department can provide the "routine" HVAC, plumbing, and sprinkler systems. What sets our firm aside from others is our excellence with the more complicated systems.

HVAC Systems

KTA has provided designs for many types of HVAC systems, including radiant heat, variable air volume (VAV), two-pipe and four-pipe unit ventilator, variable refrigerant volume (VRV), and water source heat pump systems. KTA has given special attention to and has received praise for addressing indoor air quality problems. "Sick building syndrome" can be eliminated through careful attention to the introduction of make-up air and to humidity control. We have designed retrofit systems to eliminate indoor air quality problems in many existing facilities and always address these issues in our own designs.

We have had a great deal of success with our water source heat pump systems. These systems are configured to allow individual heating/cooling control to individual spaces. Furthermore, these systems are not required to be manually switched between heating and cooling modes and they "winterize" themselves after every use. 

Two popular variations of the water source heat pump system are the ground-coupled water source heat pump (also known as geothermal) system and the hybrid geothermal system. In this system, the need for a boiler and cooling tower (or chiller) is eliminated. Instead, the water source loop is run into the ground to take advantage of the Earth's natural heating and cooling capabilities. Generally, 150' to 300' deep wells are drilled into the ground and the loop pipe runs down to the bottom and then back up and out of the same well. There are typically the equivalent of one 150' well per each ton of cooling required. The ground-coupled water source heat pump system has proven to be inexpensive to operate. The only system components requiring maintenance are high efficiency heat pumps and water pumps. In most instances, the savings in utility and maintenance costs have proven to pay back the initial increased cost of this system within ten years when compared with a boiler/cooling tower water source heat pump system. Comparisons to other types of HVAC systems often result in faster pay backs. To read an independently written article about an example of a KTA designed ground-coupled system at Paint Lick Elementary School, refer to this excerpt from the GeoExchange website.

The hybrid geothermal system has a smaller well-field sized for the heating load of the building and a cooling tower to provide the cooling.  This system has the advantages of a lower initial cost than a geothermal system, increased cooling efficiencies, and low operating costs similar to a geothermal system's costs.

All of our designs take into account reliability and maintenance issues. We work to provide the Owner with cost effective systems that will have a long useful life and that will not over-burden maintenance departments.

Plumbing/Fire Protection

Our plumbing and fire protection designs are optimized for maintainability and cost effectiveness. We attempt to extend the useful life of the systems through the selections of materials and means of installation. Plumbing system designs include sewage treatment plants, lift stations, or grinders, as necessitated by a project. We have designed wet and dry, pre-action sprinkler systems, depending upon the requirements of the project in question. 

For more information regarding this page or any other, please contact us via one of the methods listed in our contact information.