The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) carries out pioneering research into advanced manufacturing and machining, and Vital Energi were contracted to install district heating mains onto the site in preparation for future expansion.
In a joint venture between the university and Boeing in 2001, the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) was established and is a space for innovation, research and technology, which is designed for industry collaboration and rapid commercialisation.
The centre saw the expansion of three new buildings which were completed in 2017: the Sheffield Royce Translational Centre (RTC), the Laboratory for Verification and Validation (LVV), and the Integrated Civil Infrastructure Research Centre (iCAIR). These buildings would be a place of research into new technologies which can be translated into industry-ready applications, and would be utilised by large businesses, and small and medium-sized enterprises.
Vital Energi were contracted to design, supply, and install the district heating mains to the new site, connecting the three buildings in preparation for a future larger heat network.
We worked closely with consultants HE Barnes, who specialise in providing mechanical and electrical solutions, to develop a scheme and a design that would be the starting point for a potentially larger heat network, and provide the ability to connect the buildings to a future energy centre.
We worked from the consultants’ drawings to develop the design and add our layouts. HE Barnes were impressed with our efficiency in completing the design work and with the quality of the design, which enabled us to begin work quickly to help the project develop. The design consisted of the installation of 147m of flow and 147m of return in 250mm pre-insulated series 2 Logstor pipework, with 32m of flow and 32m of return pipework in 65mm.
