May 16, 2023
When Bristol Community College’s original steam lines began leaking more BTUs than they delivered, routine fixes escalated into a full-scale mandate: replace an aging, piecemeal network with a modern, high-efficiency district-energy system capable of powering the campus for decades.
This project was executed by a powerhouse team: R.W. Sullivan Engineering for design, BOND Civil & Utility Construction for deep civil work, and Arden Engineering Constructors for mechanical execution. John C. Digertt Inc. served as the critical link, ensuring design intent, field realities, and material logistics remained perfectly in sync.
Success hinged on seamless coordination across three key areas:
- Design Synergy: Our engineers collaborated with R.W. Sullivan’s MEP team to translate campus load profiles and routing constraints into a constructible, future-ready layout.
- Civil-Mechanical Handshake: BOND’s trenching schedule, manhole placements, and road restorations were precisely choreographed with Arden’s mechanical tie-ins, eliminating idle crews and surprise change orders.
- Supply-Chain Certainty: Digertt sourced and delivered Perma-Pipe® prefabricated, pre-insulated steam piping and custom manholes. This shaved weeks off the install time while locking in optimal thermal efficiency for the long haul.
- Field Service & Oversight: From weld inspections to pressure tests, our on-site team kept every milestone on time, on spec, and on budget.
The comprehensive upgrade covered:
- Campus-Wide Steam Main Replacement: We removed failing carbon-steel runs and installed miles of prefabricated, polyurethane-insulated pipe rated to withstand New England’s freeze-thaw cycles.
- New Manhole Network: We introduced factory-built vaults featuring corrosion-resistant linings, integrated sump pumps, and safety ladders for easy, long-term maintenance.
- Condensate Return Optimization: High-temperature condensate piping and smart pumps were installed to reduce flash loss and reclaim valuable thermal energy.
- Pressure & Flow Monitoring: Digital transmitters and remote gateways now feed live data to the facilities dashboard, enabling proactive maintenance.
- Commissioning & Training: Hands-on sessions with campus staff ensured they fully own and understand the new system—no mysteries, no vendor lock-in.
“Digertt’s ability to bridge design sketches and field conditions kept the job moving—even when trench rock and surprise utilities tried to slow us down.”
— Project Executive, BOND Civil & Utility
“Their material logistics were airtight; every Perma-Pipe vault arrived numbered, staged, and ready to drop. Huge schedule saver.”
— Senior Project Manager, Arden Engineering Constructors
With heat losses arrested and a data-rich backbone in place, Bristol Community College can pivot from crisis response to strategic energy planning. This opens the door to future projects, such as steam-to-hot-water conversions or integrating renewable thermal sources. John C. Digertt Inc. stands ready to assist with tuning controls, adding smart metering, or guiding the next phase of low-carbon infrastructure.
For over 40 years, we’ve partnered with campuses, hospitals, and utilities to turn fragile steam and fuel assets into bulletproof, data-driven systems. From concept to commissioning, we deliver the materials, field expertise, and project oversight that keep critical infrastructure humming.
Is your district-energy system showing its age? Let’s future-proof it—together. Connect with us on LinkedIn or head to digertt.com to schedule a discovery call.
