896 prefab installation skids for Binck City Park

In The Hague, the finishing touches are being put on Binck City Park. This impressive 'vertical city' provides space for four residential blocks with 896 energy-efficient apartments, cleverly oriented around an innovative green roof park that increases living comfort and should contribute to better air quality and biodiversity. In order to build efficiently and quickly, prefabrication was chosen wherever possible. From the balconies, stairs and galleries to the facade anchors and hot/cold installation skids. Commissioned by Eneco, ERA Prefab Systems will manufacture and install no fewer than 896 skids, which will provide efficient heating and cooling of the apartments as well as contributing to lower energy bills and a smaller ecological footprint.

For nearly 20 years, ERA Prefab Systems has been manufacturing and assembling prefab installation shafts and installation walls based on steel frames, into which piping for heating, ventilation, drainage, electricity, (potable) water and/or sanitation is already integrated in advance. "The assembly and installation of our skids does not require highly skilled personnel," says Eduard Aubri, founder of ERA Prefab Systems. "Moreover, the quality of the systems is guaranteed at all times. The skids are assembled year-round under the best labor and climate conditions in our factory, where our assemblers have the proper and highly accurate machines and tools. This allows us to dimension and finish all components properly and to the millimeter in one go."

Answering current construction challenges

For mounting, four holes in the floor and ceiling are often sufficient, Aubri says, after which the skids can be easily placed and coupled. "Logistical facilities such as waste and storage containers on the construction site are not necessary. We deliver the skids just-in-time, after which they can be installed within one day and by only a handful of employees. This provides a solid answer to various challenges in construction, such as the shortage of skilled workers, short construction times and tight inner-city construction sites. Because only minimal transport movements are required, the environment is relieved. The modular construction of installation shafts also has the advantage that you can code all shafts and enrich them with relevant data. This also makes circular construction possible."

Fully in-house

The hot/cold installation skids for Binck City Park provide heating, cooling and hot and cold tap water for the 896 apartments. "At the basis of our skids is a self-produced steel frame in which the main pipes, a ready-to-use suspension bracket for the heat exchanger of the off-take set and all provisions for monitoring are already pre-assembled," Aubri said. "Think, for example, of a GSM module, an energy meter and a socket. In the preparatory phase, we provided both architectural and installation advice. All skids were designed in-house by ERA Prefab Systems, in which we provided advice on, for example, the type of shafts, the necessary cut-outs and fire resistance. With a team of 4 to 6 colleagues, we can assemble an entire floor in just over a day. Thanks to our prefabricated method, we stay ahead of our construction partners. We can assemble our skids independently of the construction process, so disruption is not an issue."

Installation skid as a meter box

The skids in Binck City Park are mounted in the meter boxes of the apartments. However, ERA Prefab Systems advocates a new approach in which the skids also form the final meter box. This avoids the "closet-in-cabinet principle," saves material and eliminates a labor-intensive step from the construction process, Aubri concludes. "Moreover, the beauty of our technology is that in this case we can mount all the skids level and perpendicular above each other, after which the walls can be perfectly connected to them. This also benefits the quality of construction."