Waitrose teams with Big Foot to support chillers
To solve the problem of installing chillers on a roof finished with a single-ply membrane, Big Foot Systems supplied bespoke supports for a new Waitrose store in Warminster. This chiller installation was part of a £4.5 million project that involved Henry Boot Developments redeveloping a key town-centre site into a new 1858 m2 Waitrose.
It was feared that traditional penetrative supports for the chillers on this roof would damage it and that penetrations in the single-ply membrane would pose the risk of leaks and thermal bridging. There were also concerns about the distribution of load on the roof.
Another problem was how to minimise chiller noise on this flat-roof installation. A louvre screen was installed on the roof, but lowered supports were needed to ensure the chillers were sited no higher than the maximum permitted height beneath the louvre screen, as set out by the acoustic engineer.
In response to a request to design bespoke supports, Big Foot visited the site to assess the installation and designed all the frameworks for the plant in 3D CAD. The drawings were approved by the project team before the frames were made and delivered flat packed for quick and easy assembly.
Design was by Boyes Rees Architects, with building services installed by Jehu Group.
