Construction on Tacoma Community College's Harned Center For Health Careers Begins Monday

Construction of Tacoma Community College’s new Harned Center for Health Careers is scheduled to begin Monday.

Contractor S.D. Deacon Corp. of Washington will arrive on campus Friday, July 6 to fence off construction areas.

Parking Impact

Harned Center construction starts with the building’s geothermal heating/cooling system. More than 100 geothermal wells will be dug in Parking Lot C. In addition, a large storm water vault will be installed in Parking Lot D, and connections to city water and other services will be installed.

Parking will no longer be available in large sections of lots C and D, and the Mildred Street entrance to lots C and D will be closed. Digging the geothermal wells is expected to take about four months, but the parking lot construction areas will be closed for the duration of the building construction.

Geothermal Wells

150 geothermal wells, located in Parking Lot C and the campus central quad, will provide heating and cooling for the Harned Center. Well-drilling rigs will be in place at the geothermal dig locations for about four months.

Geothermal temperature control systems use the constant subterranean temperature to regulate the temperature of water. The water is then used to heat or cool the building.

• All piping is 5 feet or more below ground
• Wells are approximately 15 feet apart
• It is a closed system. There is no contact with groundwater
• Piping is made of a flexible poly pipe with thermal fused connections
• Wells are approximately 220 ft. deep
• Estimated total number of wells: 150
• Water is circulated down and back up the wells, either drawing heat or cooling from the surrounding earth
• This water is further heated and circulated through the building
• On hot days, the 55 degree F. earth temperature cools the water, which is then circulated through the building for cooling

-Tacoma Community College