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of the work required to keep the building in operational condition was realized, a Master Implementation Effort was initiated to plan and schedule the work in such a way as to limit the major disruption of each area within the building to one period of time and to take advantage of cost savings by grouping tasks together. Although fire protection improvements have been under way for several years (guided by a Fire Protection Master Plan developed in 1979), and some asbestos removal or containment work has previously been planned, it is the replacement of the HVAC and major electrical equipment that gives this project major significance and drives the scheduling of the work. The majority of the HVAC equipment has been in operation in excess of 20 years and has deteriorated to such a degree that it must be replaced immediately to avoid massive system failure. The automatic temperature control system is obsolete and does not operate satisfactorily. Ninety percent of the electrical lighting and power panels in the building have been in service over 20 years and are at or near the end of their useful life, and the main high-voltage switchgear equipment, which serves all the transformers for the Natural History as well as the Freer Gallery, Arts and Industries and Smithsonian institution Buildings, is approximately 40 years old. These and related electrical equipment components are difficult to repair due to the unavailability of spare parts and must be replaced.

A detailed plan and schedule for the replacement of building systems at the Natural History Building have been developed, with work to be phased over fourteen years in order to avoid major disruption of programs or closing of the Museum. The plan includes replacement of the HVAC system, with a new centralized system to be located in new penthouses over the east and west wings, and modifications to the building envelope such as roof insulation, replacement of single-glazed windows with triple-glazed windows, installation of air locks or vestibules at entrances and loading docks, centralization of laboratories with new exhaust air systems, improvements to the automatic temperature control system, and connection to a central control and monitoring system. Deteriorated and unserviceable electrical equipment will also be replaced, and lighting systems in the exhibit and some office areas will be incorporated into the automatic control system. Fire protection work originally planned under the Master Plan will be incorporated, along with removal or encapsulation of asbestos insulation located in the attics and on equipment, ductwork and piping throughout the building.

The total cost of the project is estimated to be in excess of $100 million. The estimate also provides for early replacement of HVAC and electrical equipment which cannot be expected to last through the fourteen-year construction period. Funds appropriated in fiscal year 1986 ($236,000) were used to prepare the Master Implementation Plan and to evaluate the requirements for interim corrective measures to keep the facility operational during the implementation of the project. Amounts of $100,000 received in fiscal year 1987 and $475,000 anticipated for fiscal year 1988 will be used to begin preparation of design and specifications of the initial phase of the work. For fiscal year 1989, a total of $4,363,000 is requested to continue design of the initial phases of the major replacement project ($1,117,000), to design and begin interim equipment replacement ($3,019,000), and to begin planning the relocation