At a glance
Client/project partners: University of Manchester
Duration: Complete
Location: Manchester
Engaged from the outset CHt was responsible for the design, procurement. manufacture, installation, commissioning, handover, and aftercare of the complete mechanical and electrical services scope. Extending across 9 floors and located at the heart of The University of Manchester's campus, it will foster world-class collaborative research in tandem with industry to act as an international convener for materials research excellence.
Using DfMA to deliver complex MEP services
More than 50% of the internal fit-out budget was allocated to services, which included six ventilation systems, category 5 laboratory water, process chilled water and PHX. The basement level has nuclear characterisation with double-knock sprinklers. MEP for each storey is bespoke to meet user requirements, and our distribution strategy connects all floors via a central steel-framed ‘mega riser’ which serves the building, split into five parts. Exposed services have been laid along the slab soffit with a level of quality enhanced by use of BIM coordination and offsite manufacturing.
Tracking and maintaining quality
Our manufacturing team in Oldbury used Field View a mobile tool that captures real-time field data to log progress and manage the quality of the MEP modules produced. The site database also captured real-time field view data, automatically updated every 24 hours at midnight to reflect the ‘live 'status of the whole package; ensuring information was never more than 24 hours old. A 3D model evolved with each new engineering drawing, to maintain accuracy, identify clashes and enable tasks like swept path analysis to be undertaken.
