Scope of project
Redlands were nominated as principle contractor to carry out the backup generator installation for Cheval Residences in South Kensington to ensure their essential equipment was maintained and backed up in the event of mains failure.
Cheval were experiencing a high volume of power outages on the supply network which were leaving them without power to the building meaning essential equipment like lifts and water pumps were not functioning.
Redlands were instructed to design, install and commission a backup generator and an uninterrupted power supply which would be sufficient to keep their essential equipment functioning in a power outage.
Due to the age of the building and the nature of the roof fabric a steel support frame had to be deigned and to bare the weight of the generator. Redlands employed a structural engineer and metal fabrication company to deliver this crucial element of the project.
Due to the lack of space, the generator had to be installed on the roof of the building which meant Redlands managed the process regarding the lifting which consisted of road closures and a mobile crane all delivered out of normal working hours. Also, we decommissioned the chillers on the roof and cleared them from site using the crane. We prepared the site for the new chiller installation and run the supply cables in preparation for commissioning.
The design elements of the project were complexed and required careful consideration, but load monitoring and start up currents were recorded on both lifts and pumps to ensure the correct size of generator and the necessary switchgear were installed. The UPS was also an important element as we needed assurance that the loads would continue to function whilst the generator went into start up mode. Noise surveys were also undertaken to ensure compliance within a conservation area.
Building & Fabric work
We designed and installed a steel frame on the load baring walls of the building to take the weight of the generator and to provide stability when under load. Whilst carrying out this work we also renewed the fabrication of the roof around the newly sited generator which included the application of a primer and carrier felt in addition to relaying the slabs to ensure that the roof remained watertight. We also repaired and replaced all the pointing on the surrounding parapet wall.
