253 prefab installation skids for One MilkyWay

Smart installation skid answers current construction challenges

In The Hague, construction is busy on the One MilkyWay housing project. Designed by OZ, the complex in The Hague's Binckhorst district provides space for 253 rental and owner-occupied homes and approximately 3,650 square meters of offices, hospitality and healthcare facilities. The complex on the corner of Saturnusstraat and Melkwegstraat consists of three parts, including an approximately 75-meter-high residential tower, a low-rise section of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and a parking garage of some 1,500 square meters with a green facade and a public roof garden. Commissioned by Eneco, ERA Prefab Systems is manufacturing and installing 253 prefabricated hot/cold distribution skids, which provide efficient heating and cooling of the homes. In addition, the installation skids contribute 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. "People with two right hands are sufficient, which allows us to recruit mechanics locally who, under our supervision, handle the assembly. This way we contribute to local employment as well as ensuring the quality of our systems from start to finish."

Right the first time

The skids are assembled year-round under the best labor and climate conditions at ERA Prefab Systems' factory in Almelo, where mechanics have the proper and highly accurate machinery and tools. "This allows us to dimension and finish all components properly and to the millimeter in one go."

Relief of construction and environment

For assembly, four holes in the floor and ceiling are often sufficient, Aubri says, after which the installation skids can be easily placed and coupled. "Logistical facilities such as waste and storage containers on the construction site are not necessary. The hot/cold distribution skids are delivered just-in-time by us, after which they can be installed within one day and by only a handful of employees. With this, we offer 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, CO2 emissions are minimal and the environment is greatly reduced. The modular construction of installation shafts also has the advantage that you can code all the shafts and enrich them with relevant data. In our database we can see at building, floor and dwelling level which elements are present. But also by whom and when they have been produced, assembled and tested. This makes reuse possible in the future, thus connecting us to the circular building principles."

Lots of work off your hands

The installation skids for One MilkyWay provide heating, cooling and hot and cold tap water for the 253 rental and owner-occupied homes. "At the basis of our distribution 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. With this, we take a lot of work off the hands of installers." 

Fully in-house

All skids were designed in-house by ERA Prefab Systems. "During the preparatory phase, we additionally advised contractor WAAL on the structural aspects in this project. From recesses and positions to architectural finishes and fire separations. Thus, on our advice, rectangular recesses were chosen, just like in the opposite complex 'Frank is a Binck' (FIEB)." The great advantage of rectangular cutouts is that the pipes can always be stacked without resistance, Aubri says. "Moreover, the insulation can be placed freely first, so you keep the piping nice and tight. When sealing the recesses, we can also include the fireproof sealing, eliminating a time-consuming and cost-intensive extra step from the assembly process."

One day per floor

"With a team of four to six colleagues, we were able to assemble an entire floor in just over a day," Aubri emphasizes. "Thanks to our prefabricated method, we stayed ahead of our construction partners. We are not dependent on walls and other construction features, allowing us to assemble at our own pace. Disruption of the construction process is not an issue here." The final installation skids for One MilkyWay were installed in mid-November.

Installation skid as a meter box

The installation skids in One MilkyWay are mounted in the technical rooms and meter boxes of the homes. 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 distribution skids level and perpendicular above each other, after which the walls can be perfectly connected to them. This also benefits the quality of construction."