CASE STUDIES
No late fees for ZoomLock at Weston Favell Library
I
n any workplace or public facility, it’s simply not an option to close the building for weeks, even to undertake essential infrastructure upgrade work – which is one of the reasons that ZoomLock proved so useful to TClarke East when they recently installed a new HVAC system at Weston Favell Library in Northampton. The no-braze system’s speed and ease of use enabled the company to work quickly and cleanly, ensuring that the job was completed with minimal disruption to the service users and staff at the library.
Initially responding to a tender invitation from Northamptonshire County Council, calling for boiler replacement quotes, TClarke East proposed an alternative solution which offered both cooling and heating.
Darren Keeling, contracts manager at TClarke East explained: “The existing boiler was very old. It hadn’t worked for some time, and in order to replace it with a new unit we’d have had to have the gas main upgraded, and put in all new pipework. Our proposed solution not only offered cooling as well as heating, but it was more energy
62 September 2017
efficient than a boiler replacement, and it cost 10%-15% less, too.”
The cost-effectiveness of the quote was aided by the time saved using no-braze jointing. Mr Keeling continued: “The job took six or seven weeks in total, and we saved about a week’s worth of work by using ZoomLock rather than the traditional brazed jointing method. This meant our quote could be very competitive, since our labour costs were lower.”
Another element of TClarke’s tender helped them secure the contract: the promise of no hot works. Mr Keeling explained: “It was one less thing for the clerk of works to worry about. With a building full of books, you can imagine the concern about fire risk. Using ZoomLock, we were able to leave all the fire alarm systems and sprinklers on while the works were taking place. This reduced risk was very appealing to our client, and that was clear right from our first meeting.” Having used the ZoomLock system on several such installations in 2017, TClarke East envisages the method becoming their go-to for most jobs. Mr Keeling said: “It’s just so easy and fast. The
cost was a little off-putting at first, but it really pays for itself quite quickly because of the fact that works can be completed more speedily. “Each joint takes about a third of the time it would take to braze, which makes a big difference, plus there’s not so much complexity – you can cut out the time you would have needed to get hot works permits, perform risk assessments, do a fire watch, and then find the right person to sign off the permit at the end of the works. Those things can add a surprising amount of time to a job.”
Mr Keeling added: “We have one kit currently, but we plan to buy more as our division grows. We have found we’re securing a lot of work based on the time – and therefore labour costs – saved, and being able to install without hot works means we’re particularly in demand for work on sites with that requirement.
“I can envisage ‘no hot works’ becoming a common client stipulation, whatever the site circumstances, which means that the whole industry will need to switch over to no-braze jointing to remain in the game.”
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