Mr. ANDREWS. Let me ask you again, How much did you say heating and air conditioning of the proposed Madison Memorial Library Building would add to the operating load of the Capital Power Plant percentagewise? Was it 40 percent? Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir; 40-percent increase in the refrigeration load. The additional steam load for heating can be supplied by the existing steam-generating equipment. In modern office buildings, the high-intensity artificial illumination provides most of the heat for comfort conditions. Mr. ANDREWS. It is hard to believe that one building would add 40 percent. Mr. RUBEL. The proposed building has 1,700,000 square feet of floorspace in it. It has floorspace that can accommodate 5,000 persons. The Rayburn Building has less than 1 million square feet of usable floorspace and has added a refrigeration load of 3,000 tons, or about 29 percent of the load existing prior to the advent of that building. Mr. ANDREWS. Your plant now provides air conditioning and heat to how many buildings? Mr. RUBEL. All of the legislative buildings on Capitol Hill and the Supreme Court Building. A total of nine buildings. Mr. ANDREWS. And you say this Madison Memorial Library Building will add 40 percent to the refrigeration load? Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir. Mr. ANDREWS. I do not understand it. You have the Capitol Build ing Mr. RUBEL. It is large in physical dimensions but the air-conditioning load is only about 1,500 tons, relatively small compared to 5,300 tons required by the Madison Memorial Library Building. It has been roughly estimated that the usable floor space in the Capitol is 465,000 square feet. Mr. ANDREWS. On page 118 in the first paragraph under the increase for the purchase of electrical energy, you make reference to a saving of $23,525 in 1967. What do you mean by that or how did you figure it? Mr. HENLOCK. That, Mr. Chairman, was where Mr. Rubel estimated $1,355,000 and the actual cost came to $1,331,475. As he indicates, each year there may be a slight fluctuation. INCREASE FOR STOKER REHABILITATION Mr. ANDREWS. You are asking for $10,000 for stoker rehabilitation. Explain that item. Mr. HENLOCK. That is on page 121 of the justification. Mr. RUBEL. Two or three years ago the Congress authorized the replacement of the spreader stoker in each of the three steam generators it the Capitol Power Plant. Each of these generators has a steamgenerating capacity of 110,000 pounds per hour. At that time the stokers were 12 years old and there was evidence all three should be eplaced, but we decided it could be done under a 3-year program, relacing one stoker each year. We have replaced two stokers at a cost somewhat less than originally contemplated. Do you have that figure? Mr. HENLOCK. Originally, we told you it would cost in the neighborood of $140,000, however, by Mr. Rubel working out an agreement 92-655-68-21 I can foresee the possible development of new loads within the next 10 years totaling 9,300 tons. These new loads are 5,300 tons for the Madison Memorial Library Building, 1,500 tons for the extension of the New Senate Office Building, 1,000 tons for the extension of the West Front of the Capitol, and at least 1,500 tons for additional facilities for the House of Representatives. Therefore, we are confronted with some critical long-range decisions with regard to the next expan sion of the refrigeration plant and its associated chilled water distribution system. Previously I mentioned that the Madison Memorial Library Building alone would add a load of 5,300 tons, whereas our present standby reserve is only 2,000 tons. Obviously, some capacity must be added as soon as the Madison Memorial Library Building is financed to preclude an imminent deficiency of 3,300 tons, and no standby reserve. The magnitude of the capacity to be added with the advent of the Madison Memorial Library Building is related to the calculated risk to be assumed by the designing engineers. In my judgment, it would be prudent always to maintain a minimum of 2,000 tons standby reserve to allow for machinery failures. Based on this premise, we must proceed to add not less than 5,300-ton capacity as soon as the Madison Memorial Library Building is funded. At the present time, the largest machine available from the industry is 5,000 tons. To limit the expansion of the plant to the installation of a single 5,000-ton machine would not be good engineering judgment for the simple reason that the accidental loss of that machine, during the peak of the cooling season, would result in an immediate deficiency of 5,500 tons, with consequent discomfort to the building occupants. When translated into laymen's language, I am saying that the installation of a single 5,000-ton machine is the equivalent of putting too many eggs in one basket. Obviously, it would be more prudent to install 3 smaller machines so that the accidental loss of one of the three new machines would not result in a significant depreciation of overall capacity. Unfortunately, however, the limited floorspace remaining in the plant permits the installation of only two machines, each having a maximum capacity of 5,000 tons. Accepting the limitation of floorspace previously mentioned, then the question that must be resolved is whether the next expansion should be restricted to the installation of one 5,000-ton machine and take the calculated risk that accidental machinery failures will not occur during the peak of the cooling season. The cost of this limited installation could be in the order of $6 million. In view of the fact that there are foreseeable additional loads totaling 4,000 tons over and above the Madison Memorial Library Building requirements, it would be my recommendation to the Congress to proceed now with the installation of two 5,000-ton machines of identical design at a cost of about $8 million. No final decision should be made until a comprehensive engineering and economic study is completed by a firm of reputable consulting engineers. The fee for these services alone would be $35,000 to $40,000 This study should commence as soon as the Madison Memorial Library Building is totally or partially funded by the Congress. Mr. ANDREWS. That is a well-written statement. Mr. RUBEL. Thank you, sir. Mr. ANDREWS. Let me ask you again, How much did you say heating and air conditioning of the proposed Madison Memorial Library Building would add to the operating load of the Capital Power Plant percentagewise? Was it 40 percent ? Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir; 40-percent increase in the refrigeration load. The additional steam load for heating can be supplied by the existing steam-generating equipment. In modern office buildings, the high-intensity artificial illumination provides most of the heat for comfort conditions. Mr. ANDREWs. It is hard to believe that one building would add 40 percent. Mr. RUBEL. The proposed building has 1,700,000 square feet of floorspace in it. It has floorspace that can accommodate 5,000 persons. The Rayburn Building has less than 1 million square feet of usable floorspace and has added a refrigeration load of 3,000 tons, or about 29 percent of the load existing prior to the advent of that building. Mr. ANDREWS. Your plant now provides air conditioning and heat to how many buildings? Mr. RUBEL. All of the legislative buildings on Capitol Hill and the Supreme Court Building. A total of nine buildings. Mr. ANDREWS. And you say this Madison Memorial Library Building will add 40 percent to the refrigeration load? Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir. Mr. ANDREWS. I do not understand it. You have the Capitol Building Mr. RUBEL. It is large in physical dimensions but the air-conditioning load is only about 1,500 tons, relatively small compared to 5,300 tons required by the Madison Memorial Library Building. It has been roughly estimated that the usable floor space in the Capitol is 465,000 square feet. Mr. ANDREWS. On page 118 in the first paragraph under the increase for the purchase of electrical energy, you make reference to a saving of $23,525 in 1967. What do you mean by that or how did you figure it? Mr. HENLOCK. That, Mr. Chairman, was where Mr. Rubel estimated $1,355,000 and the actual cost came to $1,331,475. As he indicates, each year there may be a slight fluctuation. INCREASE FOR STOKER REHABILITATION Mr. ANDREWS. You are asking for $10,000 for stoker rehabilitation. Explain that item. Mr. HENLOCK. That is on page 121 of the justification. Mr. RUBEL. Two or three years ago the Congress authorized the replacement of the spreader stoker in each of the three steam generators at the Capitol Power Plant. Each of these generators has a steamgenerating capacity of 110,000 pounds per hour. At that time the stokers were 12 years old and there was evidence all three should be replaced, but we decided it could be done under a 3-year program, replacing one stoker each year. We have replaced two stokers at a cost Somewhat less than originally contemplated. Do you have that figure? Mr. HENLOCK. Originally, we told you it would cost in the neighborood of $140,000, however, by Mr. Rubel working out an agreement 92-655--6S- -21 whereby we have purchased the required replacement parts ourselves and installed them with our own Power Plant personnel, under the supervision of a representative of the manufacturer of the stokers, instead of doing all the work by contract, we were able to reduce the total replacement cost, thereby effecting a $35,000 saving on the whole program. Mr. ANDREWS. The committee will adjourn until tomorrow at 1∙ o'clock. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1968. Mr. ANDREWs. The committee will come to order. EXPANSION OF FACILITIES, CAPITOL POWER PLANT PROGRAM AND FINANCING (IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS) STATUS OF UNFUNDED CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION (IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS) On page 97 of the committee print there appears a nonrecurring iter: of $250,000 from last year's bill for continuing the program of expanding the Capitol Power Plant facilities. I believe $135,000 of that was subsequently, in the supplemental bill in December, transferre for emergency repair work on the west-central part of the Capito That would have left you $115,000; is that correct? Mr. HENLOCK. Yes, sir. AUTHORIZED BUT UNFUNDED EXPANSION WORK Mr. ANDREWS. Looking at the bottom of the page, at the schedule of status of unfunded contract authorization, it is indicated that at the beginning of the coming fiscal year there will be an unfunded balance of $635,000. What does that mean or what does it represent? Mr. HENLOCK. When the project was authorized by Public Law 85-895 on September 2, 1958, the authorized limit of cost for the project was fixed at $6.5 million, and that is what we expect the total work to cost. You have funded, to date, $5,865,000, so all that the $635,000 item represents is the balance that has not been appropriated under the Authorization Act and which we believe will be eventaully required to complete the program. Mr. ANDREWS. Basically what is the work we are talking about? Mr. HENLOCK. Expansion of facilities at the Capitol Power Plant and its steam and refrigeration distribution systems, required by the expansion of buildings and structures and other additions on the Hill since 1958 and additional services required to serve them at the power plant. Mr. ANDREWS. What particular work at the Power Plant? Mr. ANDREWS. Tell us briefly and expand on it in the record. Mr. RUBEL. Generally, it included the procurement and installation of four refrigeration machines, associated pumping equipment, and cooling towers; the procurement and installation of four oil-fired boilers and associated fuel oil pumping and storage facilities; a new coal-handling installation with its associated coal car trackage; and numerous secondary items of work. Mr. ANDREWS. Just general renovation and overhauling of the plant? Mr. RUBEL. Installation of additional facilities, primarily attributable to the new demands for refrigeration and steam needed for cooling and heating the buildings on Capitol Hill, and for heating the Botanic Garden, Government Printing Office, and city post office. Mr. ANDREWS. And the whole thing will cost how much? Mr. RUBEL. It will eventually cost $6.5 million. Mr. ANDREWS. And how much are you requesting be funded in the 1969 bill? Mr. HENLOCK. Nothing. Mr. ANDREWS. There would be an unfunded balance of $635,000? Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir. Mr. ANDREWS. You are not ready for that? Mr. HENLOCK. No, sir; we do not have to ask for that appropriation this year. We probably will have to ask for it in the fiscal year 1970. (Statement furnished for the record:) Public Law 85-895, 85th Congress, approved September 2, 1958, authorized and directed the Architect of the Capitol, under the direction of the House Office Building Commission, to effect changes, improvements, and expansion in the facilities of the Capitol Power Plant and its steam and chilled-water distribusion systems, necessary to provide steam and chilled water for the Rayburn House Office Building and for other improvements and projects then underway or proposed, and authorized the appropriation of a total amount of $6,500,000 for such purpose. |