AO Arena, Manchester

The Client

Lorne Stewart Engineering Ltd

The AO Arena undergoing a £50 million transformation to revitalise and future proof the iconic Manchester venue. The project includes new artist dressing rooms, a world class green room, plus a new VIP entrance with a new mezzanine level development, which will provide a unique and innovative experience delivering the very best British and Global cuisine, champagne, fine wines, cocktails and pre and post-show entertainment.

The Problem

In order to allow the construction of the new mezzanine and VIP entrance, significant changes to the existing structure had to be carried out. One key area was to divert and re-route the existing heating, domestic and gas piped services. These pipes ranged from 54mm up to 200mm in diameter.

Whilst all these works were being undertaken the venue remained open and events were still going ahead. Living up to the mantra of “The show must go on”.

This posed significant issues to the project as it was not an option to just isolate the services and make the necessary changes as this would have entailed weeks of downtime meaning the venue would be unable to host the shows.

Allied Pipefreezing were approached to provide assistance.

The Solution

Allied Pipefreezing Services Ltd attended site and surveyed the site and discussed options with the client.

Our line stopping option, with a temporary bypass, was decided upon as the best course of action in this scenario, as this would allow local isolation of the existing system to allow the installation of new inline valves and tees whilst still allowing the rest of the site to continue with its operations.

Double position Line stopping and bypass works were carried out on the following systems

  • 200mm HTG Flow and Return (Total of 8 Linestops)
  • 200mm Gas Main (Total of 2 Linestops)
  • 150mm Gas Main (Total of 2 linestops)
  • 125mm Copper MCW
  • 108mm Domestic Hot Water mains
  • 67mm Domestic hot water mains
  • 108mm Copper MCW mains

Allied were also asked to supply and install the new inline isolation valves and tee sections to allow the new mains to be connected up before the redundant pipework was removed.

As part of the project Allied carried out the following tasks to ensure that everything went smoothly.

Tasks Involved

  • Ultrasonic Thickness Test of existing mains before any welding works were commissioned.
  • Welding of the linestop fittings to the existing mains
  • Fabrication off site of new tee sections
  • Cutting out sections of existing mains, welding of new flanges to open ends of pipework.
  • Installing of new isolation valves then
  • Pressure Test of new sections prior to reinstating the lines
  • Hot Tapping/Under pressured drilling
  • Linestopping
  • Indirect Purge
  • Gas safe Purge Certificate.

 

Conclusion

Working closely with the main contractor and scheduling works around the Arenas bookings works onsite posed a significant challenge. The majority of the works were completed out of hours on nights and between shows.

The whole project was completed within budget and on-time. Allowing for the main steel and concrete infrastructure to be installed.

Allied Pipefreezing - Project Management - Onsite photo 1

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Key Information

Location:

Timescale :

Manchester

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