Internal works are well underway on Manchester’s most talked-about new developments, No.1 Spinningfields and the XYZ Building. This week, Eccles-based engineering group J Fletcher Engineers have started work on a revolutionary new heating and chilled water pipe system that uses cutting-edge materials - in keeping with the ‘forward-thinking’ theme of the two buildings.

The £73m No1 Building will be 24 storeys high, home to 343,000 square foot of flexible office space and a skyline restaurant. J Fletcher will be onsite at the Quay Street location in July, expected to fit some 3,000 metres of tube to the plantrooms. In comparison, the 160,000 square foot XYZ Building project will see the firm install 5,000 metres.

The two internal projects, each valued at £500,000, are thundering along, with XYZ now nearing first-fix completion. J Fletcher Engineers plans to utilise new technologies in pipeworks; forgoing traditional carbon materials and designing an advanced system made from stainless steel.

The firm frequently works with stainless steel on commercial projects for many reasons. The high chromium content in the alloy forms an invisible layer on the steel, to prevent corrosion and staining; which in turn dramatically extends product life.

Contemporary architects such as Simpson Haugh and Partners and Cartwright Pickard Architects, creators of the respective buildings, champion this alloy, thanks its advanced features.

Steve Fletcher, director at J Fletcher Engineers says “Traditionally, carbon steel pipework has been used on such projects. We’re using thin-wall stainless steel as it has many benefits; it’s much lighter, so health and safety risks during installation are greatly reduced. It’s also cost-effective; corrosion is limited so the material offers a much longer lifespan than carbon steel; a lifespan of up to 40 years.  

“Immediately we understood the client’s need to create an innovative and forward-thinking space, and set about designing a system that would reflect the “XYZ way”. Winning the project has seen us take on extra staff – we’re now a 130-strong workforce. We’re also now looking for larger premises because of the expanding workload and the rising demand for prefabricated pipework and steelwork.

“We’re always championing innovative design and materials, so it’s a pleasure to work on some of Manchester’s most advanced commercial buildings. It’s projects like these that evidence the exciting future of the engineering industry.”

Before work begins onsite, J Fletcher will utilise complex 3D models of each building. This will enable the firm to efficiently co-ordinate the pipework, ventilation and electrical systems.

Steve says “Our in-house 3D modelling facility offers the client the option to co-ordinate the installation before the building is complete – enabling clients to prefabricate with confidence. We then exercise greater quality control by building the systems offsite and transporting them to be readily installed. This also dramatically reduces timescale and health and safety risk.”

No 1 Spinningfields is expected to be completed in summer 2017. The 10-storey XYZ Building is due for completion this summer. The combined project worth is estimated to be more than £100m to the city of Manchester.