CONTRACT NEWS
ONE MORE TIME
City centre retail and leisure destination Liverpool One has appointed George Birchall Service as its retained M & E contractor .
Following a competitive tendering process , family run Birchall was selected for the high profile contract which is valued at £ 3m over a three year period .
The contract covers full M & E support across the entire Liverpool One estate which consists of 29 buildings including : anchor retailers John Lewis and Debenhams , a 14 screen Odeon Cinema and a series of high street and exclusive brand name retail outlets .
In addition , it also covers a series of brand name restaurants , the 1,900 space underground car park operated by Q Park , the 17 storey , 326 apartment One Park West residential development and the extensive public realm areas including the five acre Chavasse Park . Central to the new approach from Birchall is the introduction of a new Computer Aided Facilities Management
( CAFM ) system developed by specialist facilities management software company FSi .
The system , called Concept Evolution , is entirely web based and is described as the ‘ new breed ’ of CAFM interfaces . Its use will provide Liverpool One ’ s estates team with a single , ‘ real time ’ view of facilities and maintenance activities , schedules and contracts .
GOOD COOPERATION
Powerstar has recently completed the installation of 25 voltage optimisation units across Co-op Food convenience stores and supermarkets in Lincolnshire .
The latest developments build on Powerstar ’ s longstanding relationship with Co-op Food , previously known as Cooperative food , which has resulted in over 400 installations across the UK , including all the stores in Plymouth .
In 2015 , the Lincolnshire Co-operative ( LCL ) trialled Powerstar voltage optimisation systems in four food stores , which reduced average electricity consumption by 8.2 per cent .
Following the success of voltage optimisation , LCL commissioned Powerstar to survey 56 sites . As a result , 25 facilities with the potential for the greatest payback and return on investment were selected , including : 21 food stores , a bakery , a chilled butchery and ambient food warehouse , an ambient food only warehouse and the head office building .
During installation , Powerstar approved partner AES worked closely with LCL to manage the voltage tolerance on IT systems and refrigeration units , ensuring all onsite equipment continued to operate without interruption .
Overall , the significant energy savings produced by Powerstar voltage optimisation systems will provide a payback period to LCL of less than four years .
HIGHLAND CLEAN
Mira Showers is claiming what might be Britain ’ s remotest hot shower installation thanks to an Elite QT installation in the far highlands of Scotland .
The Elite QT has been incorporated into accommodation at a virtually inaccessible dam , near Inverie , Knoydart . Inverie can only be reached by boat or by a 17 mile hike over very rough ground ; and its remoteness is acknowledged by Guinness as a national record .
The dam – which provides all the community ’ s power supplies – is even further flung : and the accommodation serves a team from Knoydart Renewables based there . So remote is the site that the team has to have all its supplies and equipment – and even the accommodation – airlifted in by helicopter .
As the helicopter lift capacity to the dam is only one tonne , the accommodation blocks were specially designed to be readily transportable . And on one of those lifts was a Mira Elite QT , donated to the community by the company ; and intended for the crew ’ s shower room .
SCHOOL REPORT
LJJ has been hard at work on the new £ 15m Maiden Erlegh School , a secondary free school currently under construction in Reading .
Designed by architect Stride Treglown , the new Maiden Erlegh School will ease demand on its sister site , with the same name , which last year saw more than 800 applicants for 280 places . The building will provide a much needed educational facility for some 900 students between the ages 11-16 .
The first intake of Year 7 students are currently housed in temporary classrooms while the new school , due to open in phases from September this year , is constructed around them .
LJJ is responsible for a £ 2.8m design and build M & E package for main contractor Kier Construction . The project has been designed to achieve a BREEAM Very Good rating and includes a commitment to generate at least 20 per cent of energy demands through renewable sources . This has been achieved through a combination of a combined heat and power ( CHP ) plant and a rooftop mounted solar photovoltaic array .
The sports hall will be handed over for use when the new intake starts in September 2016 , with practical completion on the remaining facilities due in the middle of November .
SAFE DRIVE
An intelligent frost protection system from Gaia Climate Systems has been installed under the driveway of a luxury home in the centre of London .
Gaia ’ s Devi DTCE-30 frost protection cables , mounted on D49 wire mesh , were installed under block paving on a 40m 2 driveway in the fashionable Notting Hill district .
The special twin-conductor electric cable produces 30W of heat per linear metre to raise the surface temperature of the pavement sufficiently to melt ice or prevent standing water from freezing . Especially useful on steeply sloping surfaces , the system is invaluable for maintaining pedestrian safety and preventing vehicles from skidding or getting stuck .
The system , which works well under most surfaces covering materials including asphalt , concrete and tiles , operates fully automatically . Thermal and moisture sensors combine to register the need for ice and snow melting and send a signal to the Devireg 850 thermostat which switches on the power to the cables . The thermostat ensures that optimal results are achieved with the least possible amount of energy .
Besides ensuring a safe surface on which to walk or drive , the preventative advantages of the Gaia system mean that snow shovelling and salting becomes unnecessary .
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