On the edge of the famous Sydney Harbour and at the heart of Barangaroo’s brand new commercial district, there are three high rise office towers currently under construction that will become a new corporate centre for the Asia-Pacific region.
Developed by Lendlease and designed by internationally acclaimed architects, the three commercial towers at Barangaroo in Sydney are ready to set new benchmarks for sustainable workplace design.
Called International Towers Sydney, the towers sit at an impressive 49 floors, 43 floors and 39 floors respectively. With the 2016 completion date, there was a huge number of contractors working on them. All three mechanical contractors, Axis, Brown & Moodie and Sydmec, plus the hydraulic contractor, used Viega’s Propress technology.
After initially considering another approach, Viega’s innovative and highly efficient pressfit technology won out.
“Productivity was the main reason for the change from brazing to Viega pressfit as there is a lot of time lost moving oxyacetylene bottles vertically between floors - it is more efficient to use pressfit,” explains Rob Elliot, NSW State Manager for Axis Plumbing.
“Other reasons included site work and safety requirements and the need to reduce/eliminate hot works on site due to safety reasons.”
Viega the preferred solution
Brown & Moodie, another contractor working on the project, also supported the use of Viega’s pressfit technology.
“Viega’s Propress was already approved and preferred by the consultants and engineers as a superior product, which made it easier for Brown& Moodie to get it through,” says Quentin Brown, Brown & Moodie Project Manager.
“We were happy that the engineers were also convinced that pressfit was suitable for this project.”
Developer Lendlease secured a number of high profile tenants including Westpac, KPMG, PwC, HSBC and Lendlease itself. The pressure was on all contractors involved to deliver the highest quality work, under tight timeframes, as safely as possible.
“That is the best thing about the Viega Propress system – it offers fast, flexible and safe copper pipework installation that assists with overcoming the challenges of working on such a large scale project,” says Rob. “The technology also works with the elimination of fire/flame/hot work permits.”
Technical support and training
Viega Propress copper press fittings are being used in all three towers for potable hot/cold water, as well as mechanical services and gas services. A huge project for all involved, contractor Axis is particularly pleased with the technical field support and training Viega provides on site.
“There is a peace of mind when using a premium product like Viega,” says Rob. “We know that Viega is a premium product with unique features, the most innovative of which are the patented smart connect feature and leak detection safety feature.
“The added safety on site, ease and speed of installation and quality of installation are the icing on the cake.”
Contractor Brown & Moodie also expressed a strong confidence in the quality of Viega’s products and the accompanying warranty.
“The product gives us the ability to capture any unpressed joints thanks to their smart connect feature,” explains Quentin. “Propress saves us time on installation, minimises the need for hot work permits and provides us with top notch technical support and training.”
Providing clients with the best on-site support in the industry is exactly what Viega aspires to do, as Robert Hardgrove from Viega Australia attests.
“Since its introduction into Australia over 10 years ago, major construction, plumbing, HVAC and industrial users have eagerly adopted Viega Propress. Through our team of experienced technical representatives, Viega offers support, training and high performance tailored solutions Australia wide”.
Viega. Connected in quality.
