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ELK RIVER ARENA <br />ELK RIVER, MINNESOTA <br />APRIL 8, 1998 <br /> <br />FEASABILITY STUDY <br /> <br />EXECUTICE SUMMARY: <br /> <br />The City of£1k River recently constructed a second ice sheet addition to the Elk River Ice <br />Arena. The new arena has experienced problems with the operation of the facility due to high <br />moisture levels in the arena. The high moisture levels result in condensation on the building <br />surfaces. The condensation creates both long and short term problems for the facility. Short <br />term problems appear in form of condensation dripping on the ice and floor surfaces. Fog can <br />also be an issue on humid days. Long term problems take the form of rust which quickly forms <br />on exposed metal surfaces, deteriorating the roof deck and other structural components of the <br />building. Rust is visible on many of the exposed metal surfaces after just one year of operation. <br /> <br />The moisture problems that the facility has been experiencing are the result of insufficient <br />dehumidification capacity. The amount of moisture being introduced into the building in the <br />summer months far exceeds the capacity of the existing dehumidification units. We recommend <br />that a new desiccant based dehumidification system be considered for the facility. The <br />desiccant based systems are ideally suited for ice arena applications. They have the capability to <br />provide a much dryer environment in the arena than conventional dehumidification systems. <br />They also operate on natural gas instead of electricity which reduces the overall electrical <br />demand charges on the facility. <br /> <br />The estimated cost to install a new desiccant based system including the desiccant unit, <br />ductwork, electrical connections, structural openings in the building, and engineering fees is <br />$108,00.00. The Gas Company offers a rebate for the installation of desiccant based <br />dehumidification systems. We have estimated the rebate to be approximately $22,000.00. The <br />total cost of the dehumidification system after rebates is estimated to be $86,000.00. <br /> <br />We have also been requested to review the costs associated with adding heat to the arena. We <br />recommend incorporating the heating system into the design of the new <br />dehumidification/ventilation system. The costs associated with the building heating system are <br />estimated to be $10,000.00. The total project costs including dehumidification and building <br />heat will be approximately $96,000.00 after rebates. <br /> <br />We have designed desiccant dehumidification systems for numerous arenas in the Twin City <br />area and around the country. The systems allow the arenas to operate without condensation or <br />fog on even the most humid days. We are confident that the City will see a dramatic change in <br />the arena conditions once an adequately sized dehumidification system is installed in the <br />facility. <br /> <br />NELSON-RUDIE & ASSOCIATES, INC. Page 1 <br /> <br /> <br />