Knowing the eyes of the world would be on their city for the 2010 Winter Olympics, leaders in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, wanted to ensure facilities for the games would be top-notch and ready on time. The Vancouver Convention Centre was arguably the centerpiece of the array of buildings. It served as the main international media center and contained workspace for about 7,000 broadcasters and technicians. Not only does the 1.2-million-square-foot building house an exhibition hall, a ballroom, meeting space and a parking garage, it’s also the first convention center in the world to receive LEED Platinum certification.

The mechanical scope included a central chilled and heating water plant, glycol condenser system, in-slab radiant heating and cooling, constant and variable air volume systems, data/electrical room cooling systems, steam distribution, domestic water heating, and wastewater treatment and desalination plants. The Vancouver Convention Centre also relies on a seawater air conditioning system (SWAC) for year-round temperature control. The system runs ocean water from the Vancouver Harbor through plate and heat exchangers, rejecting and extracting heat for the chiller plant.

Faced with a significant scope and fast-paced timeline, Fred Welsh Ltd., the project’s mechanical contractor, created 3D models of the building’s complex piping and ductwork systems and leveraged easy-to-install Victaulic grooved products to help compress the schedule and increase on-site productivity. Fred Welsh Ltd., used Victaulic couplings, valves, fittings and pump dressings, including York chillers and titanium automatic flushing strainers and Advanced Groove System products for large-diameter pipe. Victaulic also created tailored Bell and Gossett stainless steel plate heat exchangers for the project, and coordinated material deliveries to arrive at the job site exactly as they were needed.

Beyond its debut for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Vancouver Convention Centre continues to draw people from all over the world to the area, hosting more than 500 events a year.