RMF Engineering

Please join us in congratulating Michael Scruggs, PE, RMF’s newest Shareholder!

Since joining RMF in 2015, Michael has played a key role in the growth of our Charleston, SC office, building client relationships, and leading the delivery of complex healthcare and laboratory projects, as well as higher education and commercial facilities throughout the Southeast.

As mechanical design lead, his dedication to developing both impactful projects and people reflects the qualities that continue to strengthen RMF.

Learn more on our Newsroom: https://bit.ly/4pGwKPu

Exciting news! On July 12, the NSMV III State of Maine successfully berthed for the first time at Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) in Castine. ⚓⛴

The $330 million training vessel is the third National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) project supported by RMF, following similar work for State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College and Massachusetts Maritime Academy. RMF has played a key role in helping each institution accommodate these state-of-the-art ships by upgrading campus infrastructure, strengthening local electrical grids to meet increased power demands, expanding utility services, and supporting the long-term needs of both the academies and their surrounding communities.

The State of Maine can accommodate up to 600 merchant marine cadets. As MMA President Craig Johnson noted in an article for The Ellsworth American, “This is the largest investment in the U.S. merchant marine in our history. It’s an incredible opportunity for our students, Maine, and our country. This ship is, and will continue to be, full of future mariners that this country will need.”

Welcome home, NSMV III State of Maine! While there is still much work ahead, we are thrilled to see the vessel safely berthed in Castine Harbor and look forward to supporting the final stages of this impactful project.

MMA's state-of-the-art $330 million training ship docks in Castine “It’s an incredible opportunity for our students, Maine and our country. This ship is, and will continue to be, full of future mariners that this country will need.”

Following previous coverage of the MUSC Health and Clemson University Student Medical and Research Facility ribbon cutting, Healthcare Design has highlighted the project again in its "First Look" story both online and in the June/July print issue!

Developed through a partnership between MUSC Health and Clemson University, the three-story, 90,000-square-foot building will replace the existing Redfern Health Center and expand integrated healthcare, wellness, and research services for Clemson’s growing student population.

It’s been a rewarding experience to provide MEP engineering design for two of our longtime partners together through this collaboration.

Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4aZgwe5

McMillan Pazdan Smith, Perkins&Will, Rodgers Builders, Inc., Thompson Turner Construction

MUSC Health And Clemson University Student Medical And Research Facility, Clemson, South Carolina: First Look - HCD Magazine MUSC Health and Clemson University's new medical facility, to open in fall 2027, integrates student and employee wellness and health services.

The vision for a new 18,000 SF greenhouse at the main U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) campus in Houma, Louisiana, is taking shape as the project moves into construction. The Sugarcane Research Unit leads sustainable sugarcane research and variety development, using breeding and genomics to improve production and combat diseases, insects, and weeds.

RMF partnered with Merrick & Company and Greenhouse Design LLC to deliver the planning and design, with construction being carried out by JJR Construction.

Construction is underway for major campus-wide electrical upgrades at Williams College!

The project will increase the campus medium voltage distribution system from 4160V to 13.8kV, replace 33 transformers, install 9000 linear feet of new underground ductbank, provide two new switching stations and a parallelling switchgear.

These critical improvements will automate switching, enhance reliability and capacity, and enable future growth and decarbonization strategies.

Construction is being managed by BOND Building Construction.

Last week, RMF celebrated the opening of the new Mount Pleasant Waterworks Fleet & Facilities Center, a space built to keep essential operations moving efficiently and safely as the community grows.

The 14,300 SF facility brings together two heavy‑duty maintenance bays, four light‑duty bays, a fabrication bay, administrative areas, and supporting infrastructure. Our role centered on creating a dependable environment for fleet maintenance and daily operations, providing MEP design and working with Mount Pleasant Waterworks, DP3 Architects and Hood Construction Company, Inc.

Replacing major steam plant equipment can be challenging. Doing so within the footprint of a decades-old facility while maintaining critical utility infrastructure requires a strategically coordinated design and engineering approach.

At Buffalo State University, RMF helped replace decades-old steam plant equipment while working entirely within the constraints of the existing facility. To accommodate the installation of three new boilers, a substantial portion of the roof was removed and reconstructed, allowing large equipment components to be safely removed and lowered into the existing facility. The new equipment was installed within the original boiler room and a 1965 addition, maximizing the use of existing infrastructure while extending the plant's operational life.

The upgrade replaced two original boilers with new 62,500 PPH packaged watertube boilers and a summer boiler with a new 27,500 PPH firetube boiler, resulting in a total installed steam generating capacity of 152,500 PPH. Each boiler features 10:1 turndown capability on natural gas, low-NOx burners, feedwater economizers, and advanced controls designed to improve efficiency, operational flexibility, and emissions performance.

Completed through multiple phases, the modernization included not only the replacement of the boilers but nearly all the plant's ancillary balance-of-plant (BOP) infrastructure, including the deaerator, condensate tanks, pumps, and associated support systems essential to reliable steam generation and plant operation.

The project also included a comprehensive controls modernization, featuring an Allen-Bradley PLC-based combustion control system (CCS) and microprocessor-based burner management system (BMS) integrated with new SCADA and historian platforms, as well as a new PLC-based Balance of Plant (BOP) control system with redundant controllers to enhance system resiliency, monitoring, and long-term reliability.

RMF provided controls engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and civil engineering.

Projects like this demonstrate how thoughtful engineering can transform aging utility infrastructure into modern, high-performing systems that support facility operations for decades to come.

RMF celebrates the tenth class of graduates from RMF's Project Management Development Program!

Over the past year, this group has expanded their project management knowledge and leadership capabilities through focused training, collaboration, and practical application.

At RMF, we recognize that investing in our people is essential to delivering exceptional results for our clients. Programs like this provide employees with opportunities to continue developing professionally while preparing them for increased responsibilities and leadership roles across the firm.

We appreciate the commitment and dedication demonstrated by this year's graduates and look forward to seeing their continued impact as they lead successful projects.

Big lifts. New name. Major progress.

A significant milestone was recently achieved at the new University of South Carolina School of Medicine and Research Facility as critical air handling units (AHUs) were crane-lifted into place, advancing construction toward enclosing the building.

The AHUs were installed in three sections each, requiring six lifts to assemble two 30,000 CFM units serving the building’s second- and third-floor wet laboratory spaces. Over the course of a week, a total of eight air handling units, providing 213,000 CFM, were lifted into the penthouse. Two additional 37,500 CFM laboratory units were installed in the ground-level mechanical room. The campus is served by a new central energy plant also designed by the RMF team.

When complete, this 300,000 SF state-of-the-art facility will support the University of South Carolina School of Medicine with advanced research, medical education, and future growth space. The building will include approximately 125,000 SF of wet labs and support space, along with education, faculty, student, and collaboration areas designed to support the next generation of healthcare innovation.

With the unveiling of its new name too, the University of South Carolina Floyd School of Medicine reflects both a legacy of leadership and its future as a hub for innovation in healthcare and education.