A raft of construction activity is dominating London's waterside town of Wandsworth. Already an affluent, bustling area of the capital, the borough is now home to Riverside Quarter, a new residential complex currently in development that sits beside the Thames. Due for completion in 2016, the luxury multi-use site will comprise 326 contemporary apartments across four buildings, creating a new vibrant community in this sought-after location.

The scheme's building services were installed by MEP contractor Briggs and Forrester Ltd., who selected a grooved end piping solution from GRINNELL, part of Tyco Mechanical Products, to meet the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and fire protection needs of this project. Having forged a successful working relationship from partnering on previous projects, the two companies looked to build on this experience and utilise their combined expertise for the Riverside Quarter development.

By choosing GRINNELL grooved products over construction welded or flanged alternatives, the contractors eliminated much of the need for hot works. Critically, site safety was also improved, removing the necessity of special health and safety regulations, permit to work areas and the isolation of work spaces due to fire risk, electric arc or fume generation that occur during the welding process.

Furthermore, the GRINNELL grooved system facilitates a faster installation time which keeps construction costs and delays to a minimum, and ensures that the project is completed to the necessary deadline. The joint assembly method of GRINNELL products minimises operator training requirements, optimising labour on site.

In addition to supplying the grooved HVAC solution, the GRINNELL Technical Services team delivered added value and a positive customer experience to the project by assisting the contractors from design through to installation. The experienced team provided Revit objects and material take-off details from drawings in the early design stage as well as consultative support with expansion calculations and thrust calculations. Incorporating this information into the build plan prevented unforeseen issues with equipment or product supply further down the line.

The GRINNELL team's attention to detail – key to a successful project – played an essential role in planning materials requirements with distribution partners to ensure that the customer received the correct materials at the right time in the project cycle. Coupled with frequent site visits and clear and regular communication between all parties, this led to successful execution of the Riverside project.

"Having worked with GRINNELL and its grooved products on previous projects, we were confident that the selected system could meet the Riverside Quarter development's HVAC applications," comments Bill Simpson, site manager at Briggs & Forrester Ltd. "The consistent high quality of the products, coupled with added benefits such as cost savings and efficient installation, ensured smooth operations and enabled us to meet tight deadlines. The team's support was integral to the successful delivery of the project and we wouldn't hesitate to work with GRINNELL again on future endeavours."

Mark Lane, sales manager, Tyco Mechanical Products, adds: "Thanks to our extensive installed base and proven success on numerous large-scale construction schemes, customers can have confidence that GRINNELL mechanical couplings serve as a reliable alternative to welded solutions. We understand the need to add value at every stage of the project and our early involvement ensures that it runs smoothly and is executed successfully. We were delighted to be asked to supply our grooved solution, which satisfies the requirements of the Riverside Quarter development and provides peace of mind to customers and end users alike."