Clyde L. Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center

RTM Engineering Consultants provided electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fire protection and special systems engineering design services for the life safety upgrades project at the Clyde L. Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center, totaling forty-seven (47) buildings and 779,138 square feet. The first buildings were constructed in 1872, so the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency consulted during every phase of the project.

The scope of work provided for repairing and replacing existing building elements in 18 buildings to achieve compliance with applicable life safety codes and standards, including work at egress routes, fire separation assemblies, egress identification devices, fire alarms and fire suppression systems.

The project first phase assessed seventeen (17) buildings that were all built before 2000 and considered existing buildings. Surveys and assessments were in accordance with NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, 2000 edition (LSC) and referenced standards and codes.

All buildings were assessed as existing health care occupancies under Chapter 19 of the LSC. Reports included specific room summaries and documentation consisted of reports, deficiency summaries in tabular form, drawings, narratives, and budgetary estimates for corrective actions. All were part of a program analysis (PA) to determine budgeted costs and priority corrective actions to meet the CMS participation. The PA was used to proceed to further phases of design development, construction documents and bidding.