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Liebherr-Great Britain Ltd has installed radiant tube heating from AmbiRad at its £15m state-of-the-art British HQ building in Biggleswade. The 5,000m² hi-tech facility houses service, maintenance and equipment testing for the Group’s complete range of heavy plant and construction equipment.

The new building, which is the size of a soccer pitch, has a roof height of 18 metres to accommodate the 25-tonne capacity overhead cranes. Among the innovative features designed into the premises is the UK’s biggest rolling road for mobile cranes, capable of handling up to 20-tonnes axles. There are 10 separate workbays for cranes, earthmovers, concrete truck mixers and a welding area.

Heating and maintaining comfort temperatures in such a large space building, which is subject to influxes of cold air when entrance doorways are opened, was a challenge for the services design engineers QuinnRoss Consultants Ltd.

AmbiRad designed a Nor-Ray-Vac continuous radiant tube system that would guarantee even heat coverage throughout the main assembly part of the building. The system was installed by M&E contractor Mitie Engineering Services (SE Region) Ltd.

A total of 14no. 46kW and 3no. 38kW burners were positioned in the main assembly areas, mounted at 15.3m from floor level. In the vehicle cleaning area, two AR35 U-tube radiant heaters were installed. This model is suitable for car wash environments, where water could be dangerous to standard radiant tubes. An additional heating supplement is supplied to the welding bay by four SG31 wall-mounted radiant plaque heaters.

The systems achieve excellent heat coverage, in spite of having to be positioned around and between the high-level cranes. The principal requirement of the system was that it should be economical to run. Radiant tube heating from AmbiRad is among the most economical forms of large space heating available. It allows the end-user close control of the heated environment, both with regard to temperature and zoning. The Liebherr system is divided into four separately-controlled zones to optimise fuel economy.

Radiant tube heating is cost-effective in large space buildings because it does not waste energy heating the vast volume of air within the building. It warms only people and objects in its path. All the heat is focused at the lowest two metres, exactly where it is most needed by people working in the premises.

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Building services contractor, Smith & Byford, have always been forward-thinking. In a competitive M&E sector, technology delivers advantages which the Surrey-based contractor has been swift to adopt. Now, ten years after first implementing a ViXEN solution, Smith & Byford are looking back on a decade of growth.

“In 1997 we realised our business would benefit from an integrated system and we’ve been keen to get the very most out of it since”, said director Will Smith. “Having the right system in place has helped our performance and the client service improvements have played an important role in us winning new business.”

ViXEN is a specialist building services system developed by leading software provider Vixensoft. “We’ve enjoyed working with Smith & Byford”, said Vixensoft Managing Director, Wayne Rogers, “and appreciated their enthusiasm and involvement in helping us develop a quality building services solution. I’m sure Will would agree that their growth over the last ten years can, in part, be attributed to the time they’ve invested in maximising the potential of their ViXEN system. It’s helped them deliver a superior client service and a level of reporting which clearly sets them apart.”

Smith & Byford use ViXEN across their entire business, with integration playing an important role in avoiding duplicated effort and cutting costs. The modules they employ include Estimating, Job Costing, Purchase Ordering, Financials, Payroll and, most recently, Service & Maintenance. With the introduction of mobile communications and mapping software, Smith & Byford sought to modernise their reactive service operation as well as improve their client service offering.

“Knowing where our engineers are located at any one time and then scheduling jobs accordingly using the ViXEN diary system is proving extremely useful,” said Will Smith. “It means that we can monitor our service operation much more effectively and get real-time information back to create KPI reports for our clients. For our engineers, it’s meant a lot less paperwork too, as they can receive job information on their PDAs and use them for completing forms and timesheets on-site which they then send in electronically. Data can then get posted automatically in the Job Costing and Payroll modules making it easier for us to invoice our clients quickly”.

”This is a particular bonus to the company which, in 2007, moved offices and took the opportunity to review their operations to ensure it was being eco-friendly. “Obviously, over time the digital ‘paperwork’ makes a big difference to storage pressures and our use of paper,” says Will Smith, as they strive to attain the ever-elusive paperless office. “It is also fair to say that improved efficiency in paperwork and systems provided by ViXEN have contributed to steady improvement in our operating profit over the last 3 years”.

Today, Smith & Byford employ 205 staff and are competing for major contracts across their operational area which stretches from Sevenoaks in the east to Basingstoke in the west and incorporates south London. The company’s notable successes include a 7 plus 5 year maintenance contract working alongside Mears plc for The Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames. The contract is worth approximately £40 million to Smith & Byford over its full term. In April 2007, they also secured a contract with the London Borough of Merton for 7 years valued at around £12 million.

Looking ahead, as Smith & Byford have been so successful at doing, ViXEN continues to help the company drive things forward. Recent developments within the ViXEN portfolio include an onsite procurement facility as an extension of the mobile communications solution. “It’s a two way street. Some of our developments are specifically at the request of our customers and others are conceived by us in reaction to issues we know the industry faces,” said Wayne Rogers. “Either way, we hope our software continues to help Smith & Byford and others achieve even greater success in the future.”

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McQuay UK have now completed and delivered the first batch of air conditioning equipment for Derby City General Hospital, which is being redeveloped by Skanska under a £333 million PFI project.

A total of 50 Easdale FP air handling units (ahu) have been supplied, installed and commissioned in the first phase, with air flow rates ranging from 1.17cubic metre per second to 17.36 cubic metre per second. All the systems include heat recovery in the specification, either run-around-coils or plate heat exchangers, together with the standard features of uPVC corner pieces, an extruded anodised aluminium frame and foam filled panels with excellent thermal properties and noise reduction. The units on this phase are serving the Pharmacy, Education, Acute West and the Kings Treatment Centre.

Working along side the ahu’s in this phase are eight McQuay air cooled chillers, including six ALS-E super silent single screw units and two small reciprocating models. All the chillers, which have cooling capacities ranging from190 kW to 950kW, have a tight noise specification of 61dBA at one metre and will operate with environment friendly HFC’s.

The second and final batch of equipment, including 30 ahu’s and two chillers, are due for delivery in Feb 2008. These are for the Acute East building and the refurbished Retained Estate programme.

Jamie Buxton, senior project manager for Skanska commented “From the beginning we worked closely with the project team from McQuay, to design and develop a workable solution for the complex air system at this ‘super hospital’. The first phase equipment is now on-line and so far we are very pleased with the quality and performance of the equipment.”

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McQuay UK has secured a contract for a large number of air handling units at what will be the first new hospital to be built in Birmingham in over 70 years.

This PFI procured hospital, which will cost over £560 million when completed in 2012, is being built for the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust, by a joint venture of Balfour Beatty(BBCL) and Haden Young (HYL). The main facility, which is on the 50 acre site of the old Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston, will have over 1200 acute and 130 psychiatric beds.

A total of 111 Easdale model 50 air handling units have been ordered to date for the six sectors in the development by HYL, who have the responsibility for designing, installing and commissioning all the building services. McQuay are required to supply, install and pre-test all the ahu’s on site, before commissioning by others. The majority of the units, which have an airflow range from 0.5 cubic metres per second to 7.99 cubic metres per second, are supply and extract models and incorporate McQuay heat recovery run-around- coils as part of the ‘green’ features of the project.

The model 50 system utilises a concept for the frame and panels similar to the New Generation range, in that it employs uPVC corner pieces, an extruded anodised aluminium frame and foam filled panels with excellent thermal properties and noise reduction. Here the differences end as the profile of the model 50 frame and galvanised panels has been simplified to smooth the manufacturing process and produce a flush finish without affecting the thermal feature.

Units for the first sector have already been shipped to site, while those for the second sector are to be incorporated into packaged plant rooms. The units for the remaining four sectors are on schedule for completion in 2009.

To complete the supply, McQuay UK will provide eight ALS XN air-cooled chillers, each featuring four high efficiency single rotor screw compressors.

Each unit has a cooling capacity of almost 1500kW and an overall length of 11 metres. Prior to delivery on site, they will be split into two sections for lifting purposes and reassembled in position on the roof, before testing and commissioning. All the chillers will operate on the environment-friendly refrigerant HFC 134a.

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A complete flooring system of Mapei products has recently been used to prepare the substrate and install a stylish wooden floor at the Arizona Coffee Shop in Belfast.

Flooring contractors Owen H James began the refurbishment of the floor area by completely removing existing wooden planks and mechanically grinding the old adhesive to smooth the concrete, this left an abraded surface that was then treated with Mapei’s MAPEPROOF ESM, two-component, solvent-free, surface membrane vapour barrier for substrates with residual or static moisture. The Mapei approved contractor then applied a scattering of kiln-dried sand followed by Mapei’s LATEXPLAN, two-component self-levelling and smoothing compound to provide a perfectly even substrate for the wooden floor covering.

Owen H James installed 94m2 of European Qt Saw White Oak in a single herringbone with wedge banding and Dante Soldier Border using Mapei LIGNOBOND, a two-part solvent-free epoxy-polyurethane adhesive for the bonding of all types and sizes of wooden flooring.

The Mapei products used allowed a fast-track flooring application that allowed the entire refurbishment to be completed in record time to the delight of the owners

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Life for some of the world's best sailors could be a little bit more comfortable in the future thanks to Underfloor heating specialist Warmafloor (GB) Ltd. The company's systems have been installed at the new Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPSA) in Portland, Dorset which has been selected as the venue for the 2012 Olympic sailing events, should London be chosen to host the games.

Weymouth Bay and Portland harbour are widely recognised as some of the finest sailing waters in the UK. As a result, a new purpose built onshore facility has been developed, providing a superb venue, not only for events and training, but also as a teaching centre and active members club for all abilities.

Facilities include a licensed clubhouse, conference/meeting rooms, slipways, a boat hoist, permanent crane and storage for all types of boats.

The Warmafloor installation, uses 20mm Polybutylene barrier pipe which is a 5 layer co extrusion specially manufactured for the project. The pipe has a fifty-year life time guarantee and was the natural choice for this landmark facility, providing a cost effective alternative to other heating systems and avoiding the need for surface mounted equipment that might be susceptible to damage. The installation provides readily controllable, energy efficient heating to the 414m2 ground floor which incorporates meeting areas, changing and shower rooms.

System selction also helps WSPA comply with the strict environmental standards it has set. The environmental impact that the manufacturing process of Polybutylene, in terms both of energy usage and emissions is markedly less than is the case for alternative metal pipe systems and many other types of plastics. In common with other polyolefin thermoplastics, Polybutylene can be recycled if required.

The academy has three principal functions: to promote the sport of sailing at all levels, to provide a facility for the community to use and to contribute to the economic regeneration of the area.

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Hard landscaping specialist, Charcon has supplied over 400 square metres of its environmentally friendly EcoPave Flag Paving to Wimpey Homes for installation at its new Dunston Staiths development in Gateshead

Committed to building homes that are safe, attractive and sustainable, Wimpey Homes was adamant that the development was environmentally friendly, as landscape architect on the project, Gerry Kemp from GlenKemp Architects explains: “The environmental aspect of the build was integral to the design and construction of the site. Every material was carefully chosen to maintain the look, feel and standard of the development.”

Having previously worked with Charcon on a number of projects, Gerry knew it could supply a range of eco-friendly hard landscaping products. “I knew Charcon had a wide range of environmentally friendly paving, blocks and kerbs that would suit the development perfectly and meet its objectives for aesthetics, cost and availability.”

Developed to optimise the manufacturing processes while minimising the usage of raw materials, Charcon’s Eco range has been specifically created to produce a range of hard landscaping with excellent green credentials.

Alan Hodgson, Charcon’s territory sales manager, said: “Containing over 76 per cent of recycled materials, EcoPave Flag Paving has been developed to meet the growing need for sustainable hard landscaping. Having seen the development and Wimpey Homes’ plans, EcoPave in Black Fleck was ideal for the project.”

Gerry concludes: “The flag paving looks great. The exposed aggregate within the paver gives a subtle sparkle and weathered natural appearance at a cost effective price.”

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A Warmafloor underfloor heating and cooling system combined with ground source heat pumps is contributing to a 30% to 40% reduction in energy consumption and CO2 emissions at Gloucestershire Constabulary’s new £18 million headquarters building. The sustainable solution played a key role in the PFI project receiving the ‘Excellent’ rating in the BREEAM assessment process, which looks at a broad range of environmental impacts across various building types.

The Warmafloor Tacker underfloor heating and cooling system, drawing energy from nine 90kW Water Furnace geothermal heat pumps, was specified by multi-disciplinary property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper. The company provided a complete consultancy package for the project, including architecture, mechanical and electrical services and cost management. Malcolm Hardacre, Associate Director of McBains Cooper comments, “The building is one of the first PFI projects to utilise this type of combined renewable energy solution rather than a conventional air conditioning system. It’s proved very successful and the building was recently awarded the 2006 Environmental Initiative of the Year by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers for its environmental friendliness and cost-efficiency.”

The combination of a Warmafloor Tacker System with geothermal heat pumps is making a major contribution to the building’s green rating. Whilst in heating mode during the winter months the heat pumps deliver a 50 / 40oC flow/return temperature to the underfloor heating circuits. During warm weather the pumps can achieve a flow/return temperature of 7 / 12oC to the same manifold serving the underfloor circuits to provide effective cooling. The system’s intelligent controls allow temperatures to be adjusted between these lower and upper limits to suit requirements for controlling condensation and comfort in the building.

Heating and cooling energy is drawn from 150 bore holes each drilled to a depth of 98m under the car park. Inside the building, the Warmafloor Tacker System is a high duty 65mm deep screed system with a thermal conductivity of 0.034W/mK and a compression strength of >110 kPa. The 18mm diameter polybutylene water pipe circuits were ‘tacked’ to laminated insulation panels and pressure tested before the screed was laid. At Gloucestershire Constabulary HQ the floor covering is Terrazzo.

In addition to the cost and energy saving benefits, an underfloor system frees up space and enables greater interior design flexibility as there is no need to allocate wall space to radiators or other heating appliances. Furthermore, unlike radiators, which transfer heat by convection, underfloor heating systems use radiant heat so there are no draughts or cold spots. No convection currents also mean the heating system is not constantly circulating airborne germs and dust. This contributes to a healthier environment and health and well-being is one of the key considerations in the BREEAM assessment process.

Warmafloor is one of the UK's leaders in underfloor heating and cooling solutions with over 20 years experience in projects from the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly to the British Museum, and from residential homes to the largest industrial buildings and schools. The company has worked in partnership with other suppliers to develop a wing of its own HQ building as the Sustainable Energy Centre to showcase expertise in integrating sustainable technologies which reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by extraordinary amounts even in 'ordinary' buildings. Visit www.SustainableEnergyCentre.co.uk for an introduction to these solutions, or call 01489 581787 to arrange a visit to the Sustainable Energy Centre in Fareham, Hampshire.

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