The Met Quarter is one of many ambitious developments going ahead in the run-up to Liverpool’s reign as European Capital of Culture for 2008. The former Post Office building in the heart of the city has been redeveloped to offer 81,000 sq ft of retail accommodation for names such as Armani and Flannels together with restaurants and bars. The development by Milligan RRI, the specialist retail developer, retains the traditional façade of the old Post Office but blends this with a contemporary curved glass façade on other frontages. Internally it is designed as a three-storey covered streets mall.

A&B Engineering was responsible for installing the full electrical and mechanical services package including all landlord’s infrastructure and services mains, sub-mains, power, lighting, emergency lighting, fire alarms, sprinkler systems, security systems and data networks. Electrical installations included an 11kV substation feeding Eaton’s double-ended packaged substation at Level 4, and low voltage distribution to the individual retail units.

The 12.4m long substation had to be lowered into position by crane in sections through a 2.3m x 1.7m aperture in the switchroom roof. The substation was delivered on schedule and craned into position. The transformer housings were built at Eaton’s Birmingham factory and then flat-packed for delivery to site. The switchboard comprising ten sections, including two incoming sections, each 2.6m high by 1100mm wide by 1200mm deep was also built in Birmingham.

A & B Engineering has used Eaton equipment previously on numerous contracts including the Linda McCartney Cancer Research Centre and the Swallow Hotel in Liverpool. “We selected Eaton for the Met Quarter substation because of its competitive pricing and its ability to meet the ten-week delivery deadline” says A & B Director, Joe Carroll.

Main contractor for the Met Quarter was Carillion Building, and Consulting Engineer was Waterman Gore of Manchester.

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend