A goliath of student accommodation, GSU North Terrace is a 725 bed, 36 storey, 118m tall student accommodation facility at the core of the Adelaide CBD, featuring 352 student apartments accompanied by student services and amenity spaces.
The $82M building was completed by Synergy Construct, which received nomination at the 2022 Master Builder Award South Australia, and was a finalist in the National Master Builder Awards for the Commercial/Industrial building category for their work on this very building.
Synergy’s mechanical contractor, Climat Commercial, entrusted Masterflow with the sourcing of pumps, heat exchangers and air/dirt separators and pressurisation units for the esteemed building’s HVAC system, ensuring reliable and efficient comfort for the end user.
- Location:Adelaide (SA)
- Industry:Education
Our Process:
Receiving the building’s Equipment and Systems installation description, Masterflow noted that 2 chillers were to be stored in the rooftop plantroom, each operating at 50% of the building load.
Each chiller has a primary chilled water pump dedicated to them. Additionally, 2 plate heat exchangers were required, each requiring a jockey chilled water pump located on the primary side to circulate water through each plate heat exchanger. Finally, 2 further variable pumps were needed as secondary units in a duty-standby arrangement, serving the chilled water loop of the lower levels.
The supplied pressurisation packages included expansion vessels, 3 bar safety relief valves, automatic refill units and a pressure reducing valve and gauge. This ensures that equipment operates within ideal pressure conditions, enhancing efficiency and preventing potential damages caused by overpressurisation.
2x Optivent large throat air/dirt separators with ball valves for the dirt chamber were supplied, minimising low head loss zone and optimising performance through maintaining the purity of the system’s internal environment.
Additionally, a packaged sidestream filtration skid was supplied to this site, with a 5.5 kW close-coupled pump at its heart, featuring an automatic self cleaning filter that operates using pressure differential, and easy installation thanks to conveniently located inlet, outlet and drainage flanges.
Finally, 2x 316 stainless steel plate heat exchangers were supplied to this site. Alfa Laval heat exchangers feature a 5 point alignment system that ensures perfect alignment, optimising the product’s lifecycle and performance. The Alfa Laval heat exchangers supplied to this job were AHRI-certified, meaning that their specs are more than just manufacturer claims. Learn the significance of AHRI certification here.
Outcomes:
Close-coupled pumps were used to make optimal use of the plantroom space, leading to a smooth installation on site without compromising serviceability as the back pull out (BPO) feature allows technicians to operate maintenance without severe space restrictions.
Seismic restraints were fitted on all units, ensuring protection of machinery in the event of an earthquake, especially important for high-set rooftop plantrooms such as the one used in this elevated structure.
As the client entrusted Masterflow with the sourcing of pumps, heat exchangers and air/dirt separators and pressurisation units for this site, our engineers were able to optimise the compatibility of equipment, while the client benefitted from a synchronised delivery. This put money back in their pocket thanks to the minimisation of downtime and delays.
If you’re in need of a pumpset for your upcoming project, or even a replacement set for an existing plantroom, reach out to us for a quote on our expert solution to your installation description.