Officials at the 14,000-sq-ft Georgia Department of Corrections (GDOC) minimum-security Bainbridge Probation Substance Abuse Treatment Center recently tested an hvac IAQ design. The project was done under the guidance of GDOC's Danny Brown, director of engineering and construction, with James (Bill) Knox, project manager.
Bainbridge is part of GDOC Commissioner, James Wetherington's ongoing quest to upgrade the state's correctional facility system. Instead of using conventional DX rooftop air conditioners, the design by mechanical/electrical/plumbing consulting engineer firm Jordan & Skala Engineers Inc., Norcross, GA, uses packaged outdoor air dehumidifiers by Dectron Internationale of Roswell, GA, to supply cooled or heated dehumidified air. The four Dry-O-Tron DK-30 units and accompanying outdoor condensers satisfy outdoor air requirements by dehumidifying southeast Georgia's hot and humid air by using compressor hot gas for reheat when desired.