Terminal 5 CIP areas test Trox’s capabilities in specially designed multi-service chilled beams
Trox multi-service chilled beams are used extensively in CIP (Commercially Important People) areas in Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport.
Trox UK has completed a £450 000 project at Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport to supply exposed and recessed multi-service chilled beams for the luxurious ‘galleries’ of British Airways. The company worked with SPIE Matthew Hall’s recently formed southern central and airports division. The air and water MSCBs represented about 70% of the product mix supplied by Trox, which also included fan coils and grilles. The specially designed beams included architectural cladding to integrate into the ceiling structure. The recessed beams incorporate a variety of lighting types, with Trox collaborating with the lighting consultant. Trox worked closely with the consultant WSP and architect YRM on a series of iterations to reach the final design. The MSCBs were then made at the Trox factory in Thetford. The most challenging aspects of this project were the detailed designs required to ensure uniform chilled-beam sections and phasing the designs with manufacture. Graham Burley, strategic account manager, explains, ‘Originally, the client wanted uniform sections of chilled beam so that they could be interchanged. This meant that each section would be the same length and should have the same performance characteristics and integrated lighting. ‘That became difficult because we were feeding the beams with ductwork and pipework, sometimes in the middle of a beam run. This meant that each section could not be identical. Added to that, the scheduling and design were being completed almost at the point we were manufacturing. We had very short lead times to interpret the latest design requirements and manufacture the beams. In some cases, this was only two seeks. This was a significant manufacturing challenge, but our factory met all the deadlines.’ The beams were mocked up and tested in Trox’s laboratories under the supervision of services contractor SPIE Matthew Hall. The tests were witnessed by the consultant WSP, architect YRM and project manager MACE.
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