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The Washington Convention Center
The Washington Convention Center
The Washington Convention Center (WCC) has engaged Technology Design Resources (TDR, a qualified independent consultant) to evaluate certain performance aspects of the permanent control and distribution system installed in the new Washington Convention Center (Center), located at 801 Mount Vernon Place, N.W., Washington, DC 20001.
The system consists of a network of fourteen intermediate distribution frames (IDFs) located in a central Network Operation Center and ten remote service closets that controls a complex of over one hundred meeting rooms, exhibit halls, public concourses and related areas throughout a three-building, five level 2.3 million gross square foot complex.
The system was installed in 2003, with a soft operational startup in May 2003 and full turnover to the WCC in August 2003. The system has been in continuous use since its soft operational startup.
The control and distribution system also serves as the annunciation component of the facility-wide Siemens life safety system. The audio control and distribution system is a mission-critical system that must operate with full reliability and with WCC full confidence at all times.
TDR’s independent evaluation will assess certain performance anomalies of the control and distribution system; recommend corrective actions to bring the system to full reliability, and proof test the execution of the recommended actions.
Following are some of the assessment parameters:
- An evaluation of the logged anomalous performance (including frequency and nature of anomalies) of certain digital system hardware during actual system operation.
- The recommended and actual life cycle of certain digital system hardware, including but not limited to DSP hardware, installed in the WCC’s audio system, with a comparative analysis of said component performance to date.
- The extent to which certain digital system hardware, including but not limited to DSP hardware, is performing according to manufacturer specifications and industry standards.
- The extent to which IDF environmental conditions (temperature, ventilation, cleanliness, etc.) are adversely affecting performance of certain digital system hardware, including but not limited to DSP hardware.
- The extent to which electrical power distribution (system grounding, actual voltage, measured waveform amplitude, etc.) is adversely affecting performance of certain digital system hardware, including but not limited to DSP hardware.
- The extent to which normal system operation is adversely affecting performance of certain digital system hardware, including but not limited to DSP hardware.
- Any other operating condition which is adversely affecting performance of certain digital system hardware, including but not limited to DSP hardware.
