Welsh Medium Primary School, Rhydyfelin

• Building Type: Education
• Main Contractor: ISG
• Subcontractor: Whitehead Building Services
• Services: Electrical Containment / Pipework

The new school is being constructed on the site of the existing Heol y Celyn Primary School in Rhydyfelin, Wales. Rhondda Cynon Taf Council appointed ISG as main contractor to deliver the scheme in time for the 2024/25 academic year. This development is one of the council’s major investment projects currently being progressed via Welsh Government’s Sustainable Learning for Communities Programme and is part of a £75.6m investment across the Greater Pontypridd area. The new two-story, 540-pupil school will have 20 classrooms and is net zero carbon in operation. A number of innovative technologies have been included within the building's design.

Gripple’s rapid trapeze bracket solution, Fast Trak, was selected by M&E subcontractor, Whitehead Building Services, to suspend electrical containment and pipework on-site. Fast Trak is a versatile, prefabricated, off-site solution that vastly simplifies the installation of building services. The four-sided bracket provides a suspension point on every face which is ideal for the installation of combined bracketry and multi-tiered configuration to accommodate additional building services. Fast Trak is made up of a pre-fabricated slotted channel, whilst a patented 'Track' and 'Cartridge' allows you to safely install a complete trapeze bracket up to six times faster than traditional systems. In conjunction with Gripple Universal Brackets, Trapeze Plus FR wire rope kits were also utilised throughout to suspend cable baskets. Trapeze Plus FR kits are independently tested and offer fully compliant, fire resistant suspension systems which are 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.

Whitehead Building Services opted to use Fast Trak and Trapeze Plus FR as they required a quicker M&E installation method than traditional systems and all suspensions needed to be F60 fire rated. Gripple Cable Basket Clips, Cable Tray Clips and QT Compact Clamps were also used on this project - all these accessories easily slot into Gripple brackets during installation by turning them ninety degrees.

Gripple QT Compact Clamps are suitable for pipe diameters ranging from 15 mm (1/2”) to 89 mm (3 1/2") allowing contractors to stock one clamp size instead of having to store various pipe rings on-site.

Gripple's in-house UK Technical Services team provided Whitehead with an installation design service which consisted of numerous 2D bracket detail drawings to further assist with their installation. Whitehead have used Gripple products on various projects to reduce carbon emissions and save time on the installation of building services.