MEGAPRESS BEATS THE SQUEEZE AT LUXURY APARTMENTS
Replacing the existing heating system at 42 Embassy Court, a luxury development of 25 apartments and penthouses in St John’s Wood, London without disrupting the residents was always going to be a challenge. However, by switching to Megapress, Henshall and Sheehy Support Services were able to overcome the challenges of traditional piping to get the job done.
The project included upgrading the conventional boiler system along with the air-to-water heat pump with an eco-friendly Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP). This supplied the hot and cold water returns, as well as heating for the building. For added reassurance, the system was backed up by four conventional boilers to ensure a constant supply.
Tony Hall, Project Manager from Henshall and Sheehy Support Services described the layout of the project:
“The building is divided into two halves with an ASHP in the south wing and another in the north wing. The boiler house is located in the south wing and the boilers were installed here in case the system needed extra back up, especially in the winter.”
Henshall and Sheehy Support Services had previously relied on traditional welding and threading for steel pipework, but soon realised they would not be suitable for this type of project.
Time constraints and limited space
Immediately the team were presented with a significant installation challenge: the tight gap between the false ceiling. This made it extremely difficult to thread, offer up, and install the steel pipework. Though not impossible, the intricate work would have increased labour hours, resulting in greater costs and more disruption to residents.
Welding on site would have been difficult too, with the lack of space meaning any hot works would need to be done in the car park. Not ideal against the backdrop of residents’ cars.
While space was an issue, it wasn’t the only challenge Tony and his team faced: “Timings were huge on this project. We essentially ripped the heart out of the building water supply to change the heating system – never a good time to do it but the summer months were the most suitable. We knew we had to get it done quickly as the residents would not have been happy if the system was down for too long.”
Weighing up the switch to press
Considering all the piping options available to them, Hensall and Sheehy Support Service conducted a detailed feasibility study and a cost analysis. This involved analysing the cost and installation times versus the potential savings as well as the practicality of using each system. While Megapress made sense on paper, it had to be commercially viable too.
“Conducting our own feasibility study ensured we were able to deliver the project within the time frame whilst consolidating our understanding, so we were confident with our decision to swap from welding and threading to Megapress.”
In the end it was decided that Megapress was the way to go, reducing costs and causing minimal disruption to the residents.
“We decided to go with Megapress because this project had lots of awkward, cramped spaces that just could not accommodate the restrictions of traditional methods. Megapress was far better suited to these spaces. For me it’s about efficiency on site and this, combined with the convenience of the equipment, made it a huge time saver.”
With Megapress installing up to 80% faster than welding, the system offered the team the flexibility they needed to complete the project fast. And by only needing one pressgun and a set of press jaws, teams were able to tackle a variety of different challenges without the need for a van’s worth of equipment.
Pressing steel pipes up to 4 inches without the need for hot works permits and minimal equipment kept the team lean, agile, and efficient.
With the project nearing completion, Tony and the team have been so impressed with Megapress, they’re already planning their next project with the system in mind. His advice to contractors thinking of making the switch to press connections would be:
“Start with a feasibility test and cost analysis. Recognise the risks and constraints for a conventional system like threading or welding and consider the space you’re working in. For us, press was commercially on par with traditional methods in terms of overall cost of the job. If you’re tight on time, press is absolutely the way to go.”
This was Henshall and Sheehy Support Services’ first experience with Megapress, “it definitely won’t be our last.”
