Construction News.
Bam Construction discovered ductwork problems at its thrice-delayed £365m Manchester arena project during acoustic tests last month, Construction News can reveal.
A letter to council officers flagging the issue has come to light, hours after an air conditioning failure last night caused the last-minute cancellation of its third attempt at an opening night.
The Co-op Live arena called off last night's scheduled Boogie Wit Da Hoodie show after part of an air conditioning unit fell from a gantry during a soundcheck.
The heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit separated from the ductwork, developer Oak View Group said.
Previous issues with ductwork at the arena were first picked up during noise tests, according to planning documents Bam submitted to Manchester City Council on 9 April, weeks before the venue was due to open on 23 April.
Two Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) intake louvres at a hangout bar on the building’s fourth floor were not connected to the louvres with ductwork, consultancy SRL said in a letter to planning officers.
It is not clear if this is related to the HVAC unit that fell yesterday.
Work was taking place to rectify the installation of the ductwork, “sealed appropriately to the louvres and lagged with a dense barrier material”, Bam told the council in a letter.
Council planning officers have yet to formally sign off the work, a council source today told Construction News.
Wates-owned SES Engineering Services delivered the project’s mechanical and electrical works.
Last week, a source close to the project said that SES Engineering Services was not responsible for the delay.
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