Bespoke Gantry Bridge to Support HVAC / M&E Services

Our M&E client was tasked with installing the building services to a new section of the Royal Cornwall Hospital and asked Kernow to assist with a support frame for the services. The client was also busy with multiple projects across the hospital site, so it was vital to meet the strict deadlines, help maintain the momentum and keep the overall project on track. A fast solution was required.

Background

This particular project was just one of the many ongoing developments at Royal Cornwall Hospital. 

As part of the Government’s New Hospitals Programme and the Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STP) Wave 4 Funding stream, The Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust is undergoing a huge programme of major construction work and associated hospital reconfiguration. The programme of improvements will be delivered across the Trust over the next ten years.

Kernow Fixings’ Involvement & Support

Kernow were involved from the start, carrying out site visits - initially to review the requirements, perform site surveys and take measurements as well as researching the available options. On receiving further information on weights, a deflection analysis was also carried out and analysed to ensure the safe working loads, which confirmed the proposed solution would be optimal. 

After the first site visit we provided a detailed sketch to the client so they could visualise our proposed solution and ensure they were happy with our approach.
 
Working closely with our client was key. It enabled us to gain more accuracy on the quantity of pipework required which had increased, meaning we could take into account the additional weight and calculate the correct load per metre across the span.

Kernow’s combined knowledge of both supports and fixings, along with our working relationships with manufacturers meant we could help deliver a successful and efficient solution for our client.

Support Provided by Kernow

Kernow worked with the client to build and supply a bespoke gantry bridge that would support the HVAC services from a newly installed AHU to a ward within the hospital via a roof surface (in order to provide clean air to patients through the ceiling of the hospital). The extract and supply ductwork would span the gantry bridge, which would also support the M&E services to power the AHU.

The gantry bridge would be fixed to existing steelwork supporting the AHU and then be connected to the building. Additional support legs to the ground were to be added utilising existing concrete bases.

Challenges

The client had strict deadlines to adhere to, so time was of the essence. Although we had to work fast and each job is always different, these are challenges Kernow is prepared for and has the flexibility to deal with.

Inadequate access meant it was difficult to measure the distances for the bridge with standard equipment so we had to use a ‘LASER’ device to gain accurate measurements to base the span measurement from.

There were also a variety of points to consider and obstacles to overcome due to the site location and existing structures which prevented the use of a simpler solution, such as a frame with a non-penetrative foot. This resulted in proposing an alternative solution in the form of perforated modular steelwork that could also provide other benefits to our client over traditional steelwork options, such as install flexibility. This made it easy to adapt on site, especially useful in this complex location and was much lighter to install at the required height.

We also had to overcome the issue of potentially obstructing a ventilation grille by using specific brackets and subsequently changing the fixing method to non-expanding chemical fixings to ensure the distances between fixings could be smaller. In addition we were mindful in our approach not to obstruct the access walkway beneath when adding vertical legs to help with shear load, so it was recommended this should be fixed to a wall mid-way along the span.

Outcome

With a multitude of factors to be considered and on-site challenges navigated, we delivered the ideal support frame solution for this project. The gantry was a great success, addressing all requirements and allowing our M&E client to complete the job by the required deadline.

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