Saint-Gobain PAM have developed a new pre-assembly service alongside Fitzpatrick Mechanical Services for the Peninsula Hotel in London. The services were to be installed in a central core, up the 8-storey building, and believed it could save them 60% on the installation time.

Matthew Hassall, Product Development Manager for Saint-Gobain PAM, explains how they developed the service after Fitzpatrick Mechanical Services had initiated the idea.

Traditional materials such as cast iron would perhaps not immediately spring to mind for “modern methods” of construction, such as pre-assemblies and offsite construction, but Saint-Gobain PAM is proving that it’s time to change perceptions about cast iron.

The benefits of offsite manufacturing have long been understood by the building and construction industry. A pre-assembled soil stack solution meets the pressures of tight deadlines, overcomes the problem of skilled labour shortages, minimises the need for storage on site and ensures consistent quality through a strict factory-controlled quality inspection routine with full testing prior to dispatch.

Fitzpatrick having traditionally installed the Ensign system on many projects over recent years are fully aware of the value that cast iron as a material can offer installers. The logical next step was to move into the area of pre-assembly and through the close collaboration throughout the early stages of the Hotel project, the new service has proved its worth.

Fitzpatrick chose to use the Ensign cast iron above ground system not only because it offers superior acoustic performance compared to other materials and is also non-combustible with an A1 fire rating, but also because it is quicker to assemble than HDPE. Mechanical couplings such as the stainless steel rapid takes just seconds when compared to fusion welding, with a one bolt assembly for up to 300mm diameter and there is no specialist jointing equipment needed.