Two Furnaces for One Building

[action]

I am a structural engineer employed at a Midwest army base.
We have a situation where a barracks remodeling project done in the recent past involved the installation of two furnaces (with a common plenum) in the barracks. What are the possible reasons why two furnaces were installed, as opposed to one larger output furnace? FYI, the building always existed as one structure--it was never divided into two separate living quarters. Thanks.

 

[ccfowler]

Two reasons come to mind as possibilities. First, mild weather fuel consumption may be better if only one furnace is fired (with both being fired during colder weather). Second, some now-unknown circumstance made this a lower cost option at the time of acquisition.