Office Building, Stevenage

A three-storey office development in Stevenage, Hertfordshire was built in early 2021. The building includes office space, a restaurant, meeting rooms and supporting facilities.

 

  • Building Type: Commercial 
  • Main Contractor: Willmott Dixon
  • M&E Contractor: Kershaw Mechanical Services Limited
  • Services: Electrical Containment / HVAC / Pipework
"We used Gripple products due to the speed of installation and labour savings compared to traditional suspension systems. The customer service at Gripple is always very helpful, Gripple has a solution for most applications and it’s easy to use their products and receive technical advice on suspending our MEP services."
Site Supervisor, Kershaw Mechanical Services Limited

This office building in Stevenage has been purpose-built for a multinational company. The £20m commercial development has 1,268 sqm of floor space across three storeys. Main contractor for this project, Willmott Dixon appointed Kershaw Mechanical Services as the M&E contractor. Representatives from Kershaw Mechanical Services have utilised Gripple products on a number of previous projects so were confident that Gripple could provide a solution for suspending electrical containment, pipework and HVAC systems on-site.

Strict timescales meant that Kershaw Mechanical Services was seeking a faster and more cost-effective alternative to traditional systems. After consultation with a Gripple Area Sales Manager, Fast Trak, Gripple's rapid trapeze bracket solution, was proposed for securing the electrical containment on the project. Fast Trak is a pre-fabricated trapeze bracket solution that delivers significant time savings. Fast Trak is also a zero-waste product, comprising metal tracks and mounting brackets which arrive to site in pre-cut lengths.

Gripple's UniGrip - QT suspension system was used to suspend air conditioning units on-site. UniGrip - QT offers quarter-turn installation to Gripple Universal Brackets, removing the need for a mechanical fix. UniGrip was also used in conjunction with QT Universal Clamps and Universal Brackets to suspend pipework systems on-site. Universal Brackets arrived to site pre-cut to required lengths, eliminating on-site cutting and filing requirements that are characteristic of traditional suspension systems.

Gripple Pipe Clamps offer tool-free installation and quick attachment to the brackets, again ensuring Kershaw

Mechanical Services could make significant labour savings during the installation of pipework. Kershaw Mechanical Services used Gripple’s UniGrip - Central Exit system for suspending primary rectangular ductwork on this project. UniGrip hangers were supplied as ready-to-use kits with a Toggle end fixing, length of wire and channel nuts in order to fix directly onto channel supports.

Kershaw Mechanical Services also used Gripple Express No. 2 to efficiently suspend secondary spiral ductwork. Express No. 2 is a tool-free suspension kit with a keyless release mechanism for the fast suspension and adjustment of a variety of building services including mechanical, electrical and lighting applications. By choosing to switch from traditional installation methods to Gripple products, Kershaw Mechanical Services was able to maintain project timescales and provide the client with a visually pleasing and viable alternative to threaded rod and channel.

All fixings and products used on-site required approval by Willmott Dixon prior to installation. Gripple’s Sales Support team were on hand to provide technical guidance in the form of technical submittal packs alongside a product fixing board. This enabled multiple stakeholders on-site to have full visibility of Gripple products and understand how they can be installed in an efficient manner.

A Gripple representative also conducted a pull test on-site and a report was presented to Willmott Dixon in order to provide key information on Gripple’s product specifications including load ratings, safety factors and safe working loads. Kershaw Mechanical Services has now used Gripple products on numerous projects to save time on the installation of electrical containment and mechanical services.

  Gripple solution Traditional method
Overview Fast Trak, UniGrip QT, UniGrip - Central Exit, Universal Brackets, Express Hangers, QT Universal Clamps, Universal Clamps, Standard Hangers, Y-Fit Accessories, Cable Tray Clips and Cable Basket Clips. Channel, threaded rod, channel nuts and pipe rings
Installation Time 451 hours 1,185 hours
Total Material Weight 2,280 kg 3,285 kg
Total Embodied CO2 5,177 kg 7,456 kg
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Tags: Building Services

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Featured Products

UniGrip™ – Central Exit

The next generation of wire rope suspension products designed for the fast suspension of cable containment, pipework, ductwork, HVAC systems and modules, including multi-tier installations.

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UniGrip™ – QT

The next generation of wire rope suspension products designed for the fast suspension of cable containment, pipework, ductwork, HVAC systems and modules, including multi-tier installations.

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