BSEE Safety first


As sites reopen and heating installations resume, Baxi Heating’s specification director, Tom Murray, looks at how use of prefabricated heating solutions could meet both new and existing challenges to quality boiler installation


focus extends beyond maintaining essential services in critical buildings, operating in the ‘new normal’ continues to require innovation, flexibility and adaptability from the entire building services supply chain. Physical distancing measures are still to be enforced where possible to ensure safe working, as set out in the Construction Leadership Council’s latest guidelines for site operating procedures. Where the distancing rule cannot be applied, the guidelines advocate reducing the time and frequency workers are within close contact of each other and minimising the number of workers involved in these tasks.


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What will this mean for previously fairly straightforward, routine projects like boiler installations? As commercial boilers serve a significant proportion of non-domestic buildings, efficiency often starts with the boilers. Replacing ageing, inefficient models with new, more energy- efficient boilers is still one of the most cost-effective ways to make buildings more sustainable and maintain a comfortable environment for its occupants. And in these challenging times, the financial and environmental benefits from improved energy efficiency are arguably more important than ever. So how to ensure that the backlog of planned and emergency heating refurbishments is carried out swiftly, without comprising safety measures or a quality outcome?


One solution is to increase the use of offsite prefabricated heating equipment. The rise in use of offsite manufacturing in the construction industry highlights the advantages that this method can bring to heating projects. In a survey of the top 50 construction companies by legal firm Clyde and Co., two-thirds anticipated doubling the amount of work carried out offsite to improve efficiency, reduce costs, tackle the skills shortage and overcome technical challenges. Fortunately, building services professionals have the opportunity to reap the same benefits from offsite prefabricated heating equipment. A good example for multiple-boiler installation projects is the bespoke, prefabricated rig system.


Turnkey solution


What is a bespoke rig? Effectively, it is a mini plant room system, complete with a bespoke configuration of boilers, pumps, low loss headers or plate heat exchangers, and any ancillary items such as controls, a dosing pot and a pressurisation unit.


ith site restrictions easing and projects reopening, building services engineers are now able to return to the work they began before lockdown. But even as the


Good manufacturers offer tailored, prefabricated solutions for wall-hung and floor-standing boiler models – or for a combination of the two, if required. The maximum and minimum output is defined at the design stage, together with the number of boilers and whether to use a back-to-back or an in-line layout.


A low loss header or plate heat exchanger, sized specifically for site requirements, can be integrated into the design to achieve hydraulic separation. The rig can additionally integrate project-specific controls such as weather compensation, sequencing or building management system direct operation to maximise seasonal efficiency and lower running costs. These can be pre-wired into a rig- mounted control panel.


Bespoke design


BOILERS & HOT WATER


Each module can be designed using BIM tools and 3D computer­aided design systems


From the design engineer’s perspective, the ability to configure the boilers bespoke to each project means that all the unique site and project requirements can be factored in from the very start. This enables best use to be made of the available space. Or, where access is restricted, a further option is to design the bespoke rig so that it can be split into smaller modules, with simple re- connection into a single frame in the plant room.


This means that health and safety can remain a top priority from start to finish. While this should be a key concern at all times, it is more crucial than ever in COVID-19 times.


Specifically, use of offsite fabricated bespoke boiler modules will not only reduce onsite hot works but also the time installers need to spend on site and the number of workers required, making compliance with social distancing requirements easier.


Adding to the list of advantages in the current situation is the requirement for only one delivery slot due to the equipment coming from one supplier. This can be particularly beneficial on sites where delivery restrictions could be enforced.


Rapid installation


How does a bespoke rig differ from a standard manufacturer cascade package? Unlike ‘flat pack’ cascade systems, which generally need to be assembled onsite, a turnkey offsite solution like this can remove the need for onsite fabrication as it is delivered to site on a wheeled boiler frame with insulated pipework set.


The ability to tailor the prefabricated offsite rig to individual site requirements means that even the position and size of the system connections on the rig can be designed to match the existing system pipework in the plant room. Connection to the system is therefore both straightforward and rapid, reducing installation and commissioning time to a matter of days rather than weeks. In short, prefabricated options like these can enable specifiers, designers and contractors to complete more projects within the same timeframe without compromising on either quality or safety.


Each module can be designed using BIM tools and 3D computer-aided design (CAD) systems. The drawings then form part of a comprehensive operations and maintenance documentation manual, part of the building’s ‘golden thread’ of information, for future servicing and replacement. Once the design is clearly identified, production take place in a factory environment, with end-of- line testing providing added quality assurance. By carrying out most of the manufacturing offsite, using specialist machinery in a quality- controlled factory environment, better build quality can be achieved through improved control procedures. At the same time, this technique reduces waste, leading to a lower environmental impact.


Health and safety


How does this resolve the safety requirements around site working?


The opportunity to select equipment that is prefabricated offsite will enable safety requirements to be more easily met and policed.


14 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER JULY 2020 Win­win


As businesses and organisations turn their attention to improving building energy performance, the energy-saving benefits from cost-effective boiler replacement are evident.


Prefabricated heating solutions like the offsite rig offer compelling time-saving and quality assurance benefits for design engineers, consultants and contractors at all times. But as the building services industry is forced to improvise to arrive at safe and effective new ways of working in the weeks and months ahead, they take on added relevance.


Rapid, bespoke solutions like these will enable the entire supply chain to ramp up activity, achieve the required heating performance for their customers and ensure a safe working environment. All this with the added assurance that the specification has been met. T: 0118 978 3434 E: info@remeha.co.uk


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