This engineer got very excited especially when it was decided to have him design a cooling system to limit the impact of motor heat gain on the building occupants and process equipment. The facility is the United Parcel Services Hub 2000 Project, located in Louisville, KY. This massive air hub facility houses conveyor systems that sort packages and encompasses over 45 acres under one roof. The final conveyor system build-out will contain approximately 33,000 motors, each with a vfd.
UPS had been planning this project for several years before our firm became involved in designing the building envelope. Many parameters had been worked out in advance, such as the general shape and size of the facility, including the stepped height of the roof. The building could not cast a "shadow" on the existing runways as seen from the air traffic control tower.