WR8Tech Case Study – Delivering Precision Control in a Budget-Constrained Hospital Environment

Operating theatres are among the most demanding environments in any healthcare facility. Temperature stability, humidity control, infection risk, and surgeon comfort must all be balanced carefully — and even small fluctuations can affect both clinical outcomes and staff performance.

WR8Tech was engaged to assist a hospital client facing increasing complaints from surgical teams regarding operating theatre temperature control and condensation issues. What began as a relatively simple controls upgrade evolved into a staged engineering journey that ultimately delivered a robust, flexible, and reliable operating theatre environment.

This is the story of how a constrained budget, ageing infrastructure, and demanding operational requirements were successfully navigated through practical engineering and smart Building Management System integration.

The Client Brief

The hospital’s surgical teams were experiencing increasing discomfort during procedures. The existing air conditioning system could not provide sufficient temperature flexibility, and in humid conditions, the operating theatre walls were beginning to “sweat” — an undesirable situation in any clinical environment.

The surgeons requested a wider temperature control range between 16°C and 28°C, allowing them to tailor the environment depending on the type of procedure, staff numbers, lighting load, and patient requirements.

At the same time, the facility engineering team needed to reduce condensation forming on walls and surfaces, particularly during humid summer conditions.

However, there was a major constraint — budget.

The client made the strategic decision to retain the majority of the existing mechanical services infrastructure, including:

• Supply air fans
• Ductwork
• Air distribution grilles
• Air handling units
• Central chilled water plant

Because the chilled water system was centrally generated, major plant upgrades were avoided. This meant WR8Tech needed to focus on controls engineering, electrical infrastructure, and system optimisation rather than wholesale plant replacement.

This type of project is common in hospitals, where capital budgets are limited but operational demands continue to increase.

Assessing the Existing Infrastructure

When WR8Tech first attended site, it became clear that the mechanical infrastructure, while ageing, still had useful life remaining. The real opportunity lay in improving control and flexibility.

However, the mechanical services switchboard presented an immediate challenge.

The existing switchboard contained old black gear plates, typical of older installations and highly likely to contain asbestos materials. Any modification of this switchboard would carry risk, require specialist removal, and increase project cost significantly.

Additionally, the incoming electrical supply consisted of MIMS (Pyro) cable, typically used for fire-rated installations. While robust, this further complicated modifications to the existing switchboard.

Fortunately, the plant room had sufficient physical space, allowing WR8Tech to develop a practical engineering solution.

A Practical Engineering Approach

Rather than modify the existing switchboard, WR8Tech proposed a new mechanical services switchboard installed adjacent to the existing board.

This approach provided several advantages:

• Avoid disturbing potential asbestos
• Minimise operational risk
• Provide modern infrastructure
• Allow future expansion
• Maintain operational continuity

The new switchboard design included:

• New fire-rated sub-mains
• 35% additional electrical capacity for future upgrades
• Dedicated BMS division
• Improved protection and monitoring

This future-proofed the installation while maintaining budget control.

The existing switchboard was left in place but disconnected, forming part of the hospital’s long-term asbestos management plan.

Identifying Energy and Control Opportunities

While reviewing the system, WR8Tech identified an opportunity to improve both energy performance and control stability by installing a Variable Speed Drive (VSD) on the supply air fan.

Previously, the fan operated at constant speed, limiting control flexibility and wasting energy during part-load conditions.

The VSD installation allowed:

• Variable airflow control
• Improved temperature stability
• Reduced energy consumption
• Reduced mechanical wear

WR8Tech implemented:

• Low-level stop/start interface
• 0–1 Volt DC speed control signal
• High-level LonWorks interface

This allowed detailed operational data to be integrated into the Building Management System, including:

• Fan speed
• Fault monitoring
• Energy consumption
• Voltage and current
• Operational status

This additional data improved visibility and enabled smarter control strategies.

Expanding the Building Management System

The hospital already had a Building Management System, but it had been expanded over time in a piecemeal manner. The operating theatres had not yet been fully integrated into the overall control strategy.

This project presented an opportunity to integrate six operating theatres into a coordinated control system.

WR8Tech installed:

• Temperature sensors
• Humidity sensors
• Carbon dioxide sensors
• Outside air monitoring

These sensors allowed more intelligent control of:

• Heating hot water coils
• Chilled water cooling coils
• Outside air dampers
• Return air dampers

While this improved performance, it quickly became apparent that controls alone could not overcome mechanical limitations.

Discovering the Real Challenge

During commissioning, WR8Tech encountered a scenario that highlighted the limitations of the existing system.

Two theatres operating simultaneously required vastly different conditions:

• Theatre One: 28°C
• Theatre Two: 16°C
• Outside temperature: 32°C

Under these conditions, the system could not maintain both requirements simultaneously.

This is a common issue in older operating theatre designs, where systems were not originally designed for wide temperature flexibility across multiple zones.

It became clear that additional mechanical upgrades were required.

Engineering the Next Stage

WR8Tech proposed a targeted mechanical upgrade strategy:

• Additional reheat coils
• Additional chilled water coils
• Improved zone control

Rather than simply increasing coil size, WR8Tech recommended additional smaller coils, providing:

• Better control resolution
• Improved energy efficiency
• Greater operational flexibility

This approach allowed individual theatres to operate independently without compromising adjacent spaces.

Commissioning and Fine Tuning

Once the additional coils were installed, WR8Tech recommissioned the system and refined control sequences.

The results were significant:

• Independent theatre control
• Reduced condensation
• Improved humidity stability
• Enhanced surgeon comfort

During humid summer months — particularly February and March — the improvements significantly reduced wall sweating.

Stainless Steel Theatre Control Panels

As a final enhancement, WR8Tech installed stainless steel control panels inside each operating theatre.

This provided surgeons with limited local control, allowing:

• Temperature adjustment within safe limits
• Reduced engineering callouts
• Improved operational efficiency

The stainless steel panels were designed specifically for:

• Clinical environments
• Cleanability
• Durability
• Infection control compliance

This small addition delivered significant operational benefits.

Lessons Learned — The Cost of Piecemeal Upgrades

This project highlighted a key lesson frequently encountered in healthcare facilities:

Piecemeal upgrades often result in higher total project costs.

Initially, the client:

• Avoided full engineering review
• Implemented staged upgrades
• Worked within short-term budgets

While understandable, this resulted in:

• Multiple upgrade phases
• Extended project timeline
• Increased engineering involvement

However, the staged approach also allowed the hospital to secure additional funding over time, ultimately delivering a more robust solution.

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Long Term Results

This project was completed several years ago and continues to perform reliably today.

The outcomes included:

• Improved surgeon comfort
• Reduced condensation
• Greater temperature flexibility
• Improved energy efficiency
• Better operational control

The disconnected original switchboard remains in place as part of the hospital’s asbestos management plan, with removal scheduled in a future capital works program.

WR8Tech Healthcare Engineering Expertise

Operating theatre upgrades require:

• Practical engineering
• Control system expertise
• Healthcare environment understanding
• Budget-conscious design

WR8Tech specialises in staged upgrades, BMS optimisation, and mechanical control improvements, particularly in complex environments such as hospitals and healthcare facilities.

This project demonstrates how smart engineering and practical solutions can deliver high-performance outcomes — even within constrained budgets.

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WR8Tech — Practical Engineering. Smarter Buildings. Better Outcomes.