In what is believed to be a world first, Fläkt Woods has suspended its huge EU AHU units in situ for the duration of the construction project, on a scheme currently being built in South Korea.

AHU’s are often complex structures, and when left to the last stages in the construction process, require a great deal of planning to install and interface with other services.

The new complex is known as Samsung Seocho Town, and is located in the centre of a newly developed business area of southern Seoul. The hi-tech project will incorporate financial trading areas, insurance and accounting floors, and will become a global centre for Samsung’s financial related business, operating 24 hours a day with multinational banks, insurances and funds.

Fläkt Woods’ services contract is split in three phases. The first phase, which is approaching €2 million, is for the supply of 75 EU units.

Until now Fläkt Woods has only ever delivered and installed units in the latter half of construction progress, requiring lifting gear and engineers, and potential difficulties that can arise from connection with other processes.

Now, at the end of the contract, the complete AHU’s will be lowered into their final position (just below where they are currently suspended) once the rooms are completed and the connections are arranged. This will significantly reduce site management costs (initial calculations estimate savings of 10+ percent) as well as guaranteeing 100 percent quality control, and needing less service engineers and equipment for installation.

Protecting the AHU’s needed some careful planning as South Korea is susceptible to heavy rain and typhoons. The team had to analyse the structural integrity of the steel framed building to see if it could withstand the weight during construction, as well as designing protective envelopes to surround the AHU’s.

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