Trans Gulf Electro-Mechanical Company played a key role in making the Mercato Centre come alive with sophisticated, energy-saving and environmentally cleaner MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) systems.
Charged with the electro-mechanical installations for the visually appealing mall, Trans Gulf says it was associated with the project right from its conception.
With the guidance and support of its electromechanical consultant Richard Pearce and Partners, the contractor conducted an in-depth study of the centre's requirements, to enable the client make the best decisions for the mall's short and long-term goals, says a spokesman for the Dubai-based company.
'With its in-house CAD facility, technical expertise and excellent teamwork, Trans Gulf took extra care in choosing the location for the main plant room in order not to ruin the mall's aesthetics or elevations,' he says.
Water-cooled centrifugal chillers with a capacity of 2,440 tons of refrigeration (TR) air-condition the centre. All equipment is monitored and controlled by an integrated building management system (BMS).
A green-friendly ozone replacement system boosts the quality of water fed from and to the cooling towers, eliminating the need to treat the water with chemicals and thus reducing maintenance costs. 'This demonstrates the client's commitment to the environment,' the spokesman comments.
He continues: 'Another uncommon feature is a heat pipe system in the fresh air distribution equipment, in place of standard ducting, which controls humidity levels in the mall. Again, this feature reduces maintenance work, cuts down on power demand and is more environmentally friendly than other systems.
'Variable frequency drives for the chilled water pumps and cooling tower fans and pumps optimise the use of rotating equipment by reducing these units' mechanical output (rpm) when the centre's closed and during its off-peak hours. This reduces wear and tear, maintenance and electricity usage.'
'Central extract ventilation and exhaust systems, with sensors at the basement level car-park to ensure that carbon monoxide emissions are within the prescribed limits, also play a part in the overall MEP strategy.
'Ring mains for both the chilled water and water supply pipework systems at both levels of the centre provide the option to tap off, for future needs.
'Booster pumps and an expansion system located at the basement keep the pressure of potable water in the supply line at an optimal level, steady and ready for use.
' The main switchgear, at the heart of the power supply, is equipped with harmonic filters to regularise power fluctuations and mitigate costly damage to equipment. A standby generator system is provided as emergency back-up.'
The low current systems include a state-of-the-art high-resolution CCTV (close-circuit television); a PA (public address) system and satellite TV.
Some specific features include:
* An automatic people-counting system, which very few malls in the UAE can boast of, says the spokesman, adding that security guards no longer have the onerous task of counting heads anymore;
* Safety features including an addressable fire alarm system; sprinkler and fire-fighting systems; emergency lighting system and a central smoke extract system.
'Internal and external lighting of the centre is an outstanding example of teamwork on this project, involving everyone, from the end-user to the smallest contractor,' the spokesman points out. 'Extra effort and special care was taken to match and marry the lighting with the finishes on walls and elevations, a superb reproduction of a bygone era, reflecting the objective of the client, that is: to make the experience of shopping as pleasurable and memorable as possible.'
Trans Gulf's own philosophy is to provide a personal service to its clients by carefully controlling and balancing its turnover and workload to provide the best service, he says. This personal service results in repeat clients.
Trans Gulf Electro-Mechanical Company, one of the largest MEP contractors in the UAE, was established in 1972. The company has completed over 400 medium and large-sized projects.
These include residential, commercial, industrial and airport projects, including runway lighting, as well as street lighting, pumping stations, cinemas and catering facilities.
