London Design & Engineering - UTC, London, UK

• Building Type: New-build, education
• Contractor: Wates Construction
• Building Structure: Concrete structure
• Services: Electrical Containment, Pipework, Ductwork & HVAC

“We put up every bracket in half the time Gripple quoted us for installation, which meant we were able to get the works completed much faster than anticipated.” Site Manager, Wates Construction

London Design and Engineering UTC is a mixed University Technical College, situated in the London Borough of Newham. Main contractor for the project, Wates Construction, was tasked with creating a building which complemented the design and engineering ethos of London Design & Engineering UTC, while providing an inspiring environment for students to learn.

For this project, Wates chose to use Gripple solutions for the suspension of all M&E services. Due to the strict timescales of the build, Wates required a proven method of drastically reducing installation times on-site, which also delivered an aesthetically pleasing finish.

Wates opted to use Fast Trak, Gripple's pre-fabricated trapeze bracket solution, which delivered significant time savings for the installation of the electrical containment and pipework. Fast Trak is a zero waste product, comprising metal tracks and mounting brackets which arrive to site in pre-cut lengths.

Adjustments can be made completely tool-free, allowing contractors to save time and labour. In conjunction with the Fast Trak, QT Compact Clamps were used for quick and easy support of the pipework. This method is up to ten times faster to install than traditional methods, due to the tool-free, quarter turn attachment of the Clamp to the Fast Trak bracket.

Express No.2 with Y-Fit Accessory was used to suspend the lightweight electrical cables and tray. Y-Fit provides a balanced and easy-to-install approach for all lightweight containment requirements.

To further facilitate rapid delivery on this project, the Gripple Technical Services team provided Wates with a full installation design service, which comprised suspension system design drawings. This service also allows Gripple to deliver each box of products to site with labels according to the area it will be installed in, reducing margin for error and streamlining the installation process.