CASE STUDY
M&E PREFABRICATION
GOING ROUND
IN CIRCLES
2
There is a common illusion
that residential projects are
generally repetitive, however,
the Gasholders project in London
tells another story. Set in King’s
Cross – one of the largest areas of
central London to be developed in
the past 150 years – the circular
Gasholders project is a pioneering
example of cutting-edge offsite
manufacturing and prefabrication.
Housing 145 luxury apartments,
the project is the sixth Mechanical
& Electrical (M&E) design and
build project for leading national
engineering specialist, SES
Engineering Services on the King’s
Cross site. Its success has been a
team effort. Working alongside main
contractor Carillion and developer
King’s Cross Central Limited
Partnership, SES is delivering full
M&E works on three ground-breaking
circular residential buildings which will
sit within the original Grade II-listed,
cast-iron gasholder guide frames.
Following the success of offsite
manufacturing on the revolutionary
Plimsoll Building (P1) where SES
utilised world-leading offsite
manufacturing techniques to design
and install 255 service cupboard
modules – one for each apartment –
containing all essential mechanical
and electrical plant and equipment,
the team is now applying the same
technologies to install more than 300
(due to services being split) cupboard
modules at the new Gasholders build.
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The project presents the additional
challenge of ensuring M&E solutions
are designed exclusively for a circular
building.
has successfully delivered the 3D
BIM modelling for prefabricated M&E
service risers, full take-offs and cut
lists for the basement plant areas and
corridors. To date the hours taken
offsite on this project are substantial,
currently standing at a total of
over 5,000.
By creating the cupboard modules
offsite, SES has avoided multiple trades
onsite working in a congested area,
along with the associated logistical
and health and safety issues.
The cupboards are produced at SES’
dedicated offsite manufacturing facility,
Prism, and delivered to site shrinkwrapped in batches of 15 modules
per lorry. The frames are fitted with
wheels and stiffening bars to prevent
any twisting during transportation, so
that once hoisted up the building they
can be rolled across the concrete floor
slabs to the flats. Once in position, they
are jacked up, the wheels are removed
and they are then lowered and fixed
into position.
In addition, SES is delivering all the
main service risers covering six riser
shafts each extending up the three
gasholders incorporating 1.7km
of finished and tested pipework,
ductwork and electrical containment.
SES Operations Manager, Will
Newman explains: “By using these
cupboards and developing them in the
factory, we’re taking about eight trades
offsite. They only take about a week
to make and the finished products are
dust free, clean and ready to go.”
The project has been set with high
offsite manufacturing targets. In
addition to the circular modules SES
WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | SPRING 2017
SES ENGINEERING
SERVICES
SES Engineering Services benefits from
a dedicated offsite manufacturing facility,
Prism, which provides an innovative
alternative to labour-intensive, time
consuming onsite production and
assembly. SES Engineering Services is
committed to the ‘art of pre-construction’
and is entirely dedicated to improving
design and pre-construction activity
in the industry. Our design, technical
engineering and BIM modelling ability has
resulted in award-winning efficiencies.
SES Engineering Services was the first
mechanical, electrical and plumbing
contractor (MEP) to achieve BRE BIM
Level 2 Business Certification, one month
ahead of the government’s public sector
project compliance deadline.
For more information visit:
www.ses-ltd.co.uk
Images:
01. Gasholders London King’s Cross. Courtesy of
King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership.
02. 3D image of the GHT prefabricated core
03. Manufacture in the Prism facility
Photo courtesy of: King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership
Creating smarter,
better environments
SES Engineering Services is recognised as one of
the leading M&E partners in the UK, delivering
for a wide range of customers by creating
environments where our clients can excel.
As a market leader, SES delivers building services
that are derived from an exceptional level of
technical authority. We deliver bespoke designled solutions and optimise productivity for the
whole construction team, by maximising offsite
manufacture in our award-winning production
facility, Prism.
Above all, it’s about people
To find out more about how we can work together,
please call:
Paul Newby, Executive Engineering Services Director
T: 01904 629151
E: [email protected]
Our locations: York | Birmingham | Bristol | Glasgow |
London | Manchester | Newcastle
www.ses-ltd.co.uk