When Tranmere Rovers sourced a location for a new training facility, BGS Utilities were approached by KGA partnership to provide gas and water service connections for the build. As part of our commission, we provided advice on the most practical and cost effective way to install the gas and water services, as well as completing the installation of these services to budget and in line with the build programme. The training facility is set back approximately 100m from the main road and as such balancing the need to account for pressure drop while ensuring the pipes weren’t oversized and costing more than they had to was the key on this project.
Brief
We were to advise on and install gas and water services to the new facility, working closely with the main contractor, Lyjon Construction. The building design contained multiple changing rooms, a gym, physiotherapy and rehabilitation areas as well as a comfortable indoor viewing and refreshments area. There was a total of twenty-eight showers and several large bathtubs, as well as a laundry facility for the players’ kits that all needed to be adequately supplied on demand.
Design & Implementation
Due to the complex’s ample facilities, the gas and water demands in particular were fairly high. The M&E Consultant KGA partnership calculated the water flow rate requirement to be 6 l/s, which we designed as a 90mm diameter water pipe, taking into account the distance the service had to run. The Gas load had been confirmed to be 600 Kw/h, which would require a U65 meter.
The water and gas services were to terminate into the dedicated internal plantroom to meet and serve the facilities’ demands and the requirements of the internal apparatus. We evaluated that the water supply had to have a boundary meter chamber, and would then run directly into the plantroom. The gas would also be a 90mm supply, and the meter would be located within a kiosk situated on a purpose built concrete plinth just inside the site boundary, with 125/180mm composite outlet pipework to take it into the plantroom.
A multi utility trench to NJUG specification was excavated and provided by the principal contractor, Lyjon Construction, at a width of 1.6m and with a depth of 0.7 m which was used for all utilities from telecoms to water. This was excavated from the boundary to the dedicated plant room situated on the corner of the building, providing an ideal internal termination point.
Into the trench we laid the 90mm water pipe, leaving an electrofusion end cap by the boundary with the public property, and a double check valve and isolation valve at the end in the plant room. Into this pipe, we imported water to pressure test and chlorinate the installation, which passed all tests first time. This pipe was then inspected by United Utilities, ensuring that they were happy for it to be adopted onto their network. From this point, the connection was made onto the main in the road, and the external meter chamber was constructed.
The gas was constructed by initially creating a plinth and installing the kiosk, as well as installing the outlet pipework so that the trench could be reinstated as it was restricting access and deliveries to site. After this, the new 90mm service was connected to the main in the road and the meter installed.
The project was successfully completed a to professional safe standard and to budget. All the working parties coordinated and executed their works in a streamlined, dynamic and professional fashion which inevitably led to a timescale that was met with all works delivered on time. With the installation being completed down the only access road to site, it was imperative that there were no delays.
Project Manager: Ben Heath
