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Temporary dehumidification helped two Carolinas Medical Center expansion projects maintain workable interior conditions during cold, damp winter finishing, and project managers said drywall work moved faster. That 2010 Building Design + Construction case study is useful as a project example, not proof that every dehumidifier produces a predictable schedule saving. The practical lesson is to control moisture deliberately, distribute dry air through the work area, and verify concrete or other substrates against the project specification and finish manufacturer’s limits before covering them.
What did dehumidification do on these hospital projects?
The case involved two simultaneous additions at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina: the 245,000-square-foot, 12-story Levine Children’s Hospital expansion and the 190,000-square-foot, four-story ICU Surgical Tower expansion. Robins & Morton was carrying out interior finishing during cold, damp winter weather, when wallboard, fireproofing, lumber, block and concrete could hold or absorb moisture.
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The contractor contacted Moisture Control Services (MCS), a division of Munters Corporation, for a temporary humidity-control approach. MCS recommended one high-capacity desiccant dehumidifier for each project, supplemented by heaters, blowers and ducting. At Levine, the equipment remained outside and dry air was routed into the building and distributed through stairwells. At the ICU tower, the equipment was also outside, with ducting routed to upper floors and air directed toward work areas. The equipment was removed at Levine after the permanent HVAC system became operational and at the ICU tower when interior finishing was nearly complete. Building Design + Construction’s 2010 case study describes the installation and the participants’ reported results.
What conditions and results did the case report?
For the Levine interior-finishing stage, the requested conditions were 55–75°F and 25–30% relative humidity. Those figures were project targets, not universal setpoints for all buildings, materials or finishes. A different specification, coating, adhesive, flooring system or climate may require a different temperature and humidity range.
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| Project | Reported scale | Temporary approach | Reported outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Levine Children’s Hospital expansion | 245,000 sq. ft.; 12 stories | One MCS 9000 high-capacity desiccant dehumidifier outside; heaters, blowers and ducted dry air through stairwells | Managers reported maintained conditions and faster portions of drywall work; equipment left when permanent HVAC was operational |
| ICU Surgical Tower expansion | 190,000 sq. ft.; four stories | One MCS 9000 outside; ducting to upper floors and work areas | Manager reported satisfaction with performance and installation; equipment remained until interior finishing was nearly complete |
The Levine team had previously fallen two months behind during an earlier phase, but the case does not quantify how much time, if any, the dehumidifiers recovered. Senior project manager Scott Merritt said, “The progress was accelerated; drying cut days out of the drywalling effort.” ICU project manager Jeff Fox said, “We were very pleased with the performance of the units, their easy installation and the periodic monitoring by Munters technicians.” These are attributed statements from the case study, not independent measurements.
The article provides no control project, instrumented productivity study, slab-moisture dataset, energy analysis, rental cost or universally applicable schedule-saving number. The defensible conclusion is narrower: on these two projects, the participants considered temporary desiccant equipment useful for maintaining the desired environment and supporting faster drying in specific work areas.
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Finishes are affected by both moisture and temperature. Concrete and masonry can release construction moisture for a long time; drywall joint compounds, fireproofing, coatings, adhesives and wood products also need an environment within their manufacturers’ application and drying ranges. Cold air generally holds less water vapor than warm air, but a cold enclosure can still have high relative humidity and slow evaporation. Wet materials, weather infiltration and curing concrete can continuously add moisture faster than natural ventilation removes it.
Relative humidity is a condition measurement, not a direct declaration that a slab is ready for flooring. A room can meet a target humidity while moisture deeper in concrete remains above a flooring or coating limit. Conversely, heating without moisture removal can raise evaporation temporarily while leaving vapor in the enclosure. A temporary system therefore has to be matched to the moisture load, temperature, enclosed volume, air movement and the materials’ acceptance criteria.
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How should a contractor plan temporary humidity control?
Start with a written moisture-control plan, not with a particular machine. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s construction moisture guidance recommends coordinating the schedule and delivery sequence with moisture objectives, establishing a construction moisture-control plan, and drying wet materials before finishing or enclosing them.
- Map the moisture sources. List weather exposure, open façades, roof or plumbing leaks, curing slabs, wet-applied products, stored materials and moisture already in the enclosure. A dehumidifier cannot compensate indefinitely for an active leak or uncontrolled rain entry.
- Define the work-zone requirements. Identify which floors or rooms need conditioning, the temperatures and humidity ranges in the specification, and the finishes that will be installed next. Separate occupied or protected areas from dusty, wet or high-load zones where practical.
- Sequence enclosure and drying. Close the building envelope as soon as safely possible, protect materials from precipitation, and schedule deliveries so products are not stored in damp conditions. Allow wet materials to dry before covering them.
- Select the drying approach for the actual load. Compare desiccant dehumidification, refrigeration-based dehumidification, supplemental heat, ventilation, air movement, vapor barriers or topical systems where applicable. The choice depends on temperature, moisture load and the substrate or finish requirements; the sources do not provide a universal sizing formula.
- Design air distribution. Place equipment where it can be serviced and discharge dry air to the work areas. Ducting through stairwells or to upper floors, as in the case, can reach remote zones, but airflow must not create unsafe conditions, damage materials or simply short-circuit back to the return.
- Provide power, fuel and access. Confirm electrical capacity, heater fuel or exhaust arrangements, weather protection, condensate or purge-air handling, duct routes, lifting points, noise limits and emergency access. Include installation, monitoring, rental or service, and removal in the schedule.
- Set inspection and response rules. Record temperature and relative humidity at representative locations, inspect equipment and ducts, and define what happens when readings leave the approved range. Monitoring should continue through transitions between temporary and permanent HVAC.
How do desiccant dehumidifiers, heaters and blowers work together?
A desiccant unit uses a moisture-attracting material to remove water vapor from an air stream. Heaters can raise air temperature and improve drying conditions; blowers and ductwork move conditioned air into areas where moisture is being released. In the hospital case, the equipment was outside the buildings and dry air was distributed indoors, limiting the need to occupy valuable floor space with the main unit.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThe combination is not automatically better than every alternative. Heating can increase evaporation but may also move moisture into another part of the building unless that vapor is captured or exhausted. Air movement can dry a surface while leaving deeper moisture in concrete. Refrigerant dehumidifiers may be less suitable at low temperatures than desiccant systems, while desiccant systems require attention to purge air, heat and discharge arrangements. Compare approaches using the actual moisture source and load, expected temperatures, enclosed volume, distribution path, material compatibility, monitoring plan and installation logistics.
How do you know whether concrete or another substrate is ready for a finish?
Finish readiness is a measured acceptance decision. Follow the project specification and the coating, flooring, adhesive or other finish manufacturer’s written requirements; do not substitute a room humidity reading for the specified substrate test.
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| Method | What it can tell you | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic-sheet method | Indicates whether moisture is accumulating at the surface under the sheet | Provides limited information about moisture deeper in the slab and is not automatically an acceptance test |
| In-situ relative-humidity probes (ASTM F2170) | Measures internal relative humidity at defined depths; probes can remain in place for readings over time | Requires installation and interpretation according to the specified standard and project requirements |
| Electronic moisture meter | Useful for preliminary, comparative mapping of areas that may differ | Not a replacement for specified quantitative acceptance testing |
The AMPP guidance on concrete moisture testing and mitigation explains these distinctions and emphasizes ongoing care when dehumidification is used. Establish where tests will be taken, the required number and depth, environmental conditions during testing, the acceptance threshold and who has authority to release the area. If results fail, keep drying or apply a specified mitigation system; do not cover the substrate merely because the air feels dry.
What should a daily monitoring and acceptance record contain?
A useful record ties environmental readings to decisions. At minimum, log the date and time, floor or room, temperature, relative humidity, equipment identification, operating status, duct or airflow observations, weather or enclosure changes, leaks or wet work, and corrective actions. Record substrate-test locations, method, instrument or probe identification, calibration status where required, readings and the applicable acceptance limit.
Trend readings rather than relying on a single favorable measurement. A stable room humidity can hide a rising slab moisture value, and a temporary drop after heating may reverse when the building cools overnight. Keep records with the quality-control file so the flooring, coating or drywall trade can confirm that its own requirements were met.
What are the common failure modes?
- Using consumer equipment for a construction load: Residential units may not provide the capacity, low-temperature performance, ducting or service support required for a large enclosed project.
- Choosing capacity by floor area alone: Moisture generation, enclosure leakage, material inventory and outdoor conditions can dominate the load. Obtain a project-specific assessment rather than applying the hospital case’s equipment choice to another building.
- Conditioning only the room with the sensor: Multi-story projects can have large differences between floors, shafts and perimeter zones. Place monitoring points where work is occurring and where air distribution is weakest.
- Confusing relative humidity with slab readiness: Air readings do not establish internal concrete moisture. Use the specified quantitative test.
- Drying around an active water source: Repair leaks, improve weather protection and remove wet materials first. Otherwise the system may run continuously without achieving acceptance.
- Stopping when permanent HVAC starts: Verify that the permanent system actually maintains the required conditions in all work areas before removing temporary equipment.
- Ignoring finish-specific limits: Paint, resilient flooring, wood, epoxy and adhesives can have different temperature, humidity and substrate requirements. The most restrictive applicable requirement governs the release decision.
How should project teams compare dehumidification with other moisture controls?
There is no single best method. Use a decision review that asks:
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- Where is the moisture coming from, and can the source be stopped?
- Will the approach work at the project’s expected temperatures?
- Can it deliver adequate capacity and air distribution to the actual enclosed work area?
- Is it compatible with the materials, coatings and finishes?
- What monitoring and acceptance tests will prove readiness?
- What are the installation, energy, rental or service, safety and removal requirements?
Possible controls include waiting for natural drying, temporary dehumidification, supplemental heat and air movement, weather protection, vapor barriers or retarders, and topical moisture-mitigation systems where approved. These options may be combined, but each must be checked against the project specification and finish manufacturer’s instructions. The available sources describe options and one project configuration; they do not establish a validated cost comparison or universal equipment ranking.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What can this case legitimately tell a schedule manager?
It shows how a contractor integrated temporary equipment into two large, occupied-schedule-sensitive hospital expansions: units outside, ducted air inside, heaters and blowers supporting drying, and monitoring continuing until permanent systems or finishing milestones made removal practical. It also shows why a moisture plan belongs on the critical path when drywall, fireproofing, concrete and other moisture-sensitive work overlap.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsIt does not prove that a dehumidifier alone prevents mold, guarantees a completion date or makes a slab ready for flooring. Nor does it establish that 55–75°F and 25–30% relative humidity should be copied to another project. Treat the reported acceleration as participant testimony from a manufacturer-linked 2010 case study. A current project should make its own release decision from documented conditions and specified substrate tests.
A practical pre-finish checklist
- Envelope substantially enclosed and leaks corrected.
- Moisture sources and wet materials identified, protected or removed.
- Temperature and humidity targets written for each material and finish.
- Drying equipment capacity, duct routes, power, fuel, drainage and service access approved.
- Monitoring locations and logging responsibility assigned.
- Concrete or substrate test method, locations, timing and acceptance limits approved.
- Finish manufacturer’s instructions reviewed for application and storage conditions.
- Failed readings trigger continued drying or an approved mitigation—not concealment.
- Permanent HVAC demonstrated to maintain requirements before temporary equipment is removed.
- Records retained with quality-control and closeout documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a dehumidifier make a concrete slab ready for flooring?
No. It may help lower building moisture and support drying, but readiness depends on the slab’s specified quantitative test and the flooring or adhesive manufacturer’s limit. Use the approved method, such as in-situ relative-humidity testing where required, before release.
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Are 25–30% relative humidity and 55–75°F the correct targets for every construction project?
No. Those ranges were requested for the Levine Children’s Hospital finishing stage in the 2010 case study. The correct limits depend on the project specification, product data sheets, climate and the particular finish.
How long should temporary dehumidification run?
Run it until monitoring shows that the approved environmental and substrate criteria are stable and the responsible parties release the work. Do not set a universal number of days; moisture load, enclosure leakage, material thickness and weather vary by project.
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Usually not when the specification calls for a quantitative acceptance test. The plastic-sheet method is a surface indication and says little about moisture deeper in concrete; follow the finish system’s required method and limits.
What should happen if readings rise after a finish is scheduled?
Pause covering work, investigate leaks, weather entry, wet materials and HVAC or dehumidifier performance, then correct the source and continue conditioning. Re-test against the approved criteria and document the decision rather than relying on a short-lived improvement in room humidity.
