This project improves upon existing electrical systems by installing electrical generators and associated equipment at the Plains High School building, which is the park Visitor Center and Museum, and the Bally Building, a museum storage building. The completed project protects the security and environmental controls of the park’s museum storage rooms. Tropical storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes impact these properties on an annual basis, often leading to the temporary loss of electrical power, which threaten the security and survival of the park's museum collection. This project is identified as a need in the park's "Museum Collection Management Plan," which was approved and signed by the Regional Director on April 14, 2011.
The installation of the two generators consisted of subsurface excavation and pouring concrete into the excavated areas on both the exterior of Plains High School and the exterior of the Bally Building. Preparation for this project on the exterior of Plains High School included removing two bushes just north of the existing HVAC system on the east end of Plains High School; saving the bushes to replant after the project. The actual installation of the concrete slabs consisted of clearing an area on the ground, adjacent to the existing HVAC units, that measure 8' in length, 6' in width, and 6" in depth. Then, pouring a concrete slab within the cleared area, ensuring that the slab is below grade 6" and above grade 3". The final measurements for the concrete slab changed once the subcontractor and the Maintenance Supervisor at Jimmy Carter
National Historic Site, Randall Dillard V, inspected the installation location together in person. They decided to shorten the width of the slab from 6’ to 4’. The slab was also placed 2.5’ off the east wall of Plains High School in order to protect the new generator as well as the existing air conditioner units from overheating.
Once the slab was dry, Mr. Dillard and his team installed a Standby Generator (30KW, 120/280v, 132 Gallon Diesel Tank), which measures 4'x8'x3'-4". Additionally, they installed a 200A, 3 Pole, 120.208v Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS)/Panel Box into the slab and the wiring and conduit to connect the generator with the ATS/Panel Box. Next, they drilled a hole, 2" in diameter, at the base of the brick to facilitate the electrical conduit between the ATS/Panel Box and the interior of the building.
Once the construction is complete the maintenance team and Sarah Saunders, the gardener at Jimmy Carter National Historic Site, will replant the existing bushes on the edge of the project area, just northeast of the generator.
The work carried out on the interior of the Plains High School consisted of installing four electrical outlets (2 in museum storage, 1 in the processing room, and 1 in the curatorial office). Each outlet is a standard, GFCI outlet measuring 3"x5". The outlets were installed on the wall above the historic wood trim in each room. The maintenance team drilled a ¾” hole to facilitate the conduit to the outlet.
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