Linton Fuels is a new mixed-use, two-tower development of 109 homes and retail space in the local area. Located near the River Thames in Wandsworth, South West London, this project is another example of the burgeoning high-rise building trend that is taking over cities across the UK at the moment. To provide electricity for tall towers, the project consultant, MCA Consulting Engineers Ltd (MCA), and M&E contractors requested Box and Charnock for a solution that would deliver quality performance in line with the rest of the development. However, it also had to be quick to install and operate, given the demand for developments of this type to be completed by the end of March 2021. Connecting the blocks for electrical installations, one of the main challenges was how to connect the two main high-rise towers to the main electricity supply. The entire project was to be supplied from the basement factory room of Building A, and as such, the connecting rods were to be installed across an open car park between the buildings, as well as in the risers. “Because of the difficulty that the installation poses across the parking lot, we identified Zucchini MR Busbars from Legrand as the most practical option for this type of installation,” said Michael White, MCA Production Manager. “It reduced the large number of mains tubes needed for electrical installations within the platforms and across the parking lot, so it was naturally the most practical option to overcome this challenge.” In this type of installation – where the mains supply comes from a single location – the rails can easily add or upgrade circuits from the shutdown point. This means that the installation of the new circuit will not require restarting a subsidiary mains supply to the mains, saving time and potential disruption later in the life of the building. Because of this more complex rail mounting configuration, standard runs of three meters would not be sufficient, and so custom components were required. T-shaped elements, for example, were required to connect horizontal parking tracks to vertical boom aisles in Block B, as well as shorter transfer rod parts to fit the development’s exact measurements. “Many projects require a custom component when it comes to installation, however, actions can be disrupted if it takes a while to be provisioned,” said Danny Baldwin, Project Manager at Box and Charnock. “The Legrand engineer came to the site urgently and took the required measurements to get the equipment we needed. Despite being needed at a time when the pandemic was significantly affecting supply chains, the materials arrived quickly and we were able to install them without any problems.” Space Considerations In any high-rise residential development, building services must occupy a small area to hold more apartments. As such, the system chosen needs to take up as little space as possible in the rising areas, as well as offering flexibility in tight space. In the smaller A block, the position of the busbar center feeder inside the riser would not have been possible within the dimensions of the space if it had been mounted on the back wall, as designed. This meant that Box and Charnock had to reposition the connecting rod to ensure there was sufficient access to the unit. “Within the dimensions of the riser, luckily the space was deep enough to house the faucets, and mount the solution on the left wall instead of the back as we did with the other block,” Danny said. “There was minimal disruption thanks to the flexibility provided by the rails. It was probably easier than with a B-block, since we didn’t need to install the additional bracing to offset the equipment installation to pass the brackets to the GRP mesh floorboards.” In another effort to increase the available living space, Also the choice of additional distribution boards thanks to their size. Michael White explains, “The add-on panels were a simple, space-saving alternative to others on the market. Moreover, there were other options that might require mortise and sub-keys that would be difficult to install precisely with a tight space. The complete solution from Legrand was a much better system, thanks to Its scale and integration with all areas of building services throughout the development.” Rapid installation and commissioning For any contractors and consultants working in the development of high-rise buildings, ensuring the speed and ease of electrical installations is key when there is pressure to complete projects. Specific busbars combined with plug-in compatible distribution boards provided Danny and his team a quick solution to this problem. “Even with the challenges of installing the parking lot and limited lift space, the system was easy to fit in,” Danny said. Moreover, we did not detect any problems during the commissioning phase, while there was no need to replace any equipment. On a large project like this, replacements can be time consuming and costly, especially if there are other aspects that need to be removed to access the services. Having a high quality connecting rod and socket distribution panel system like the Legrand solution gives contractors peace of mind that replacements will not be required after testing. With the London construction market booming, Paul Martin, chief marketing director for Legrand’s power distribution division, said, “We want to support consultants and contractors who are under pressure to deliver projects to meet the growing demand in cities like London. Linton Fuels is a project where our busbar and plug-in distribution boards can overcome challenges at the design stage as well as during construction. Click here for more information on Legrand’s power distribution solutions.
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