Kirkby Leisure Centre, Kirby-in-Ashfield

• Building Type: Leisure
• Main Contractor: Kier Construction
• Subcontractor: Ambivent Ltd
• Services: Mechanical and Electrical Containment 

Kirkby Leisure Centre in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, is a brand new £15.5m facility, boasting state-of-the-art swimming pools, climbing walls and a gym. The new leisure centre is due to open in September 2022 and has been been built alongside the existing leisure centre, Festival Hall. The build programme has strict lead times on-site as the new leisure centre needs to be complete before demolition of the old Festival Hall can take place.

Due to the need for speed on this project, Gripple’s new and improved rapid trapeze bracket solution, Fast Trak, was selected by M&E subcontractor, Ambivent, in order to suspend pipework and electrical containment services. Fast Trak allowed Ambivent to combine M&E services onto one bracket instead of having to double tier brackets which helped to further increase efficiency.

Fast Trak is a versatile, pre-fabricated, off-site solution that vastly simplifies the installation of electrical containment, pipework and ductwork in building services applications. The four-sided bracket provides a suspension point on every face; ideal for the installation of combined bracketry and multi-tiered configuration to accommodate additional services. This was a huge benefit for Ambivent's installation team at Kirkby Leisure Centre. The ability to install building services above and below the Fast Trak bracket along with using different tiers for different containment helped with flexibility and cost savings, as it has enabled Ambivent to suspend electrical containment above the bracket and pipework services below.

When speaking of the use of Gripple on this project, Ambivent's Site Supervisor said: "Our close working relationship with Gripple over the years has proven to be a successful venture. We collaborated early on this project and throughout we received a fast and reliable service, with help always at the end of the phone. Gripple provided on-site pull tests which always provide confidence as some installers are cautious when moving away from a traditional system."

Ambivent installed Trapeze Plus FR and Universal Brackets to suspend pipework on-site. This was to navigate the roof decking on the upper floor of the two-storey leisure centre. Trapeze Plus FR was fastened to the roof profile with an M8 Stud end fixing. Trapeze Plus FR kits have been independently tested and offer a fully compliant, fire-resistant suspension system which is suitable for a range of applications. Adjustments can be made completely tool-free, allowing installers to save time and labour and allow for changes during installation.

Kirkby Leisure Centre is part of a low carbon initiative in the area so it was crucial that carbon savings were as high as possible on the project. Fast Trak was an ideal product for this project as Fast Trak delivers significant cost and labour savings, carbon efficiencies and minimises health and safety concerns.

The simplicity of the Fast Trak system reduces the labour requirement on-site, while also reducing the time spent working at height and removing the need for cutting and filing. Fast Trak, along with other Gripple products selected for this site, provided an embodied carbon saving of 2,459 kg (when compared with traditional methods).

Speaking on the collaboration with Ambivent, Gripple Area Sales Manager, Charlotte Wroe, commented: "Fast Trak enabled Ambivent to combine electrical containment and pipework on one bracket at short drop lengths. We came to the site to pull test both the concrete and tin to check the suitability of both bracketry systems. I have been back to the site since where the feedback from Ambivent’s team has been brilliant."