INSTALLATION NEWS
The flexible approach to refurbishment
State-of-the-art underfloor air conditioning from AET has helped London-based property group, Commercial Estates Group (CEG), complete the renovation of Tricorn House in Birmingham. Following over £5 million of investment, CEG has transformed this two storey office building, constructed in the early 1970’s, to provide a cost effective, high quality office environment with a total lettable area of 160,000 sq ft. Like many buildings of its era, Tricorn House was initially designed and constructed to high standards for its day. However, the perimeter fan coil units had reached the end of their life and their position restricted flexible, deeper plan layouts. The 2.8m slab-slab height also created problems in providing a thermally comfortable solution which could meet tenant expectations.
AET’s underfloor air conditioning system, specified by project Consulting Engineers Andrew Wilkes Management, has provided the low energy comfort heating and cooling air conditioning to all levels from beneath a 175 mm raised access floor. The task was to find a solution that would bring cooling to the inner areas of each deep space floor area whilst permitting the developer to maximise headroom. The duct-free air conditioning and ventilation system plus all cabling and power distribution services are located in the floor void. The result is a 2.5m floor-to-ceiling and a suspended ceiling of only 80mm and a remaining 45mm tolerance for concrete slab sag. This increase in available headroom is fundamental for letting agents and investors who seek to offer the highest quality of space.
Total flexibility
Each floor of Tricorn House is divided into a number of air conditioning zones depending on the potential use and occupancy density of the area, with each zone supplied with chilled or warmed air by a conditioned air module (CAM). The underfloor void is split into supply and return air plena using easily relocatable, airtight baffles. Supply air is drawn up into the occupied space by fan assisted terminal units (FTU450), which are
Exceptional services for children’s home
LG has installed a new Multi V III heating and cooling system to benefit children and young people at a Hampshire children’s home.
Swanwick Lodge is a purpose built facility providing care for children aged between 10 and 17 years of age and for two consecutive years it has scored an Outstanding Ofsted rating.
An exceptional establishment needs exceptional services, and when the existing heating and cooling system needed replacing LG’s new Multi V III was installed, a brand new product to the market. The £1/2 million project was won by mechanical contractor ARB Mechanical Engineering. ARB contracts manager Rob Henderson and project manager Jay Kirby then called in DX Engineering Solutions to undertake the installation.
Flagship product
recessed into the floor, plug into an underfloor power source and are connected by data cabling for intelligent control. The building has been systematically refurbished floor by floor as tenants leases have come to an end and the building is now complete. The technology was also applied to the ground floor which has been transformed from a car park and undercroft to a magnificent reception and restaurant area utilising the AET Flexible Space system.
These fan tile units feature individual controls to provide variable speed and temperature adjusted for maximum user comfort. Since they are not restricted by duct or pipe connections, they are easily interchangeable with floor panels in a matter of minutes, allowing easy reconfiguration of the system to accommodate changes in office layout with minimum cost and disruption. Air travels back to the CAM via return air grilles located over the return plenum for re- conditioning and is mixed with fresh air at that point to achieve high standards of indoor air quality.
Multi V III is LG’s flagship VRF product and it offered three important key benefits – higher energy efficiency, larger capacity and longer piping design. It also promised whisper quiet operation.
LG’s third generation VRF solution, it is the result of major investment in research and development. It offers many technological advances over previous models as well as featuring many useful USPs not currently found elsewhere in the market place. A complete re-engineering of the compressor has increased COP by up to 11%. In addition, LG’s patented HiPOR (high pressure oil return) on its own improves the system’s COP by up to 5%. The replacement of the AC motor with a BLDC inverter motor also improves efficiency.
Installation costs were reduced due to savings offered through the innovations of Multi V III. Cost savings on a 20hp unit are delivered due to reduced labour and transportation costs, ie there is only one outdoor unit to crane into place rather than two and as a result piping is also reduced, all of which results in up to a 30% cost reduction for a 20hp installation. Multi V III also offers a 38% reduced footprint. Working on the design concept established by Hampshire County Council’s in-house engineering team, LG’s technical
department developed the initial design. The team, led by the County Council’s engineers and comprising LG’s technical department and Elementa Consulting, then brought the project through from detailed design to installation on site.
Easy installation
The installation had its own specific requirements as the installer would have to work in phases around the needs of the facility and those of the young residents. The job itself was scheduled over 16-20 weeks. Kevin Reynolds, Air Conditioning Contracts and Sales Manager at DX says: “We have installed many VRF systems, this job was just one of many, and without a shadow of a doubt we will now be offering our clients the LG Multi V III option. It is good value for money and considerable energy savings can be made. We found the system to be very easy to install, and the engineers were very pleased with the equipment. The longer external pipe runs (up to 100m) were a considerable benefit.
“This job required good planning and we had to make sure that we didn’t have any noise issues as it is very close to a residential properties – Multi V III enabled us to do this.” Jay Kirby of ARB Mechanical Engineering says: “The project was very successful with both the centre and the client (HCC) very happy with ARB and the sub contractor’s performance. The programme was extremely tight with penalty clauses if it wasn’t completed on time. However we planned the project well and handed over on the day requested.”
Swanwick Lodge was one of the first UK LG Multi V III installations and the feedback on the installation and the service received from LG has been extremely positive.
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FEBRUARY 2013 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER 11
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