Effective Ventilation Provided During Construction of London Skyscraper

Project Overview

Dubbed the Scalpel, the £500m skyscraper in the City of London is due to be completed by the end of 2017. About one quarter of the office space will form the European headquarters of the global insurance business W. R. Berkley Corporation, which is also the financier and developer.

This landmark building was designed by U.S. architects Kohn Pedersen Fox, who won kudos for the Heron Tower in Bishopsgate. It is part of the skyscraper cluster in the City of London which includes the Leadenhall Building (‘the Cheesegrater’). The Scalpel’s slope mirrors that tower’s incline and preserves the view of St Paul’s dome.

In July 2013, Skanska, a leading project development and construction group, beat off stiff competition from Mace to win the £198m contract with WRBC Development UK - the London property arm of W. R. Berkley. Byrne Bros was commissioned to construct all the reinforced concrete elements within the development. Construction began after a year was spent demolishing three buildings, preparing the site and establishing the foundations.

Challenge

A ventilation system was required in order to manage the air quality within the work area, during the excavation of the top-down basement of the tower. This was vital to avoid the workers being at risk of long-term health damage from poor air quality and the build up of diesel fumes. comprehensive support was required in the hire of the equipment and the logistics of delivering and fetching the fans, taking into account the vehicle compliance requirements on site.

Solution

Based on the information provided by the client, we calculated that the finished basement would be approximately 6,250m³ in size. Taking into account the type of equipment commonly used on such sites, we allowed for 160kW of diesel machinery to be operating on site. Referencing BS 6164, we calculated that 30,00m³/hr of fresh air was required to counteract the fumes from these machines. We recommended the use of two Ventex 450CF fans, each with 24m of 450mm flexible ducting. The key advantage of forced ventilation, versus extraction, is the guarantee of fresh air at the outlet of the duct. This ensures that the health of those workers furthest from the exit routes is protected, and offers them assurance.

he fans were positioned at ground level with the ducting running into the furthest points of the excavation. We supplied accessories to extend the power supply and ensure that the placement of the units in the busy site did not disrupt other trades. Fresh air was forced into the hole to ensure that any fumes were diluted and displaced, thereby preventing areas of foul air from forming.

"The fans worked really well. The reliability was also excellent, with no breakdowns or loss in effectiveness, even with the constant use over a period of several months." - Paul Williams, Project Manager, Byrne Bros

"The performance and suitability of the solution supplied by RVT could not be faulted. The service was exceptional.” - Kieran Odlum, Project Manager, McGee