Under the End User Framework, SPIE UK will be responsible for the design, upgrade and replacement of mechanical and electrical installations until 2021.

The team will be tasked with a significant amount of complex mechanical engineering work requiring specialist BIM skills, steam design, HPHW design and the ability to maintain live environments so as not to disrupt the studies of the university’s students across over 50 buildings within the University facility.

A key element of the contract is the replacement of existing steam systems critical to the running of the School of Life Sciences. The work is typical of that required under the framework because it needed advanced BIM techniques to demonstrate how downtime of the learning facilities will be minimised, whilst also necessitating mechanical engineering skill to meet the specific requirements and engineering excellence expected by the University of Dundee.

In addition, The Wellcome Trust Building, where SPIE is installing the new steam boilers, serves laboratories with ongoing medical research. Some of these research projects have been running for years in some cases, therefore the importance of maintaining the live steam whilst undertaking the new installation is critical and requires meticulous attention to detail which SPIE is able to deliver.

Other elements within the framework include a new plant for the student union swimming pool, removal and provision of a new state of the art oil tank facility in preparation of a new CHP plant, and provision of additional heating to the library space via duct mounted heater batteries.

Will Smith, divisional managing director at SPIE UK, said: “Through the use of 5D BIM capabilities we have been able to precisely map out every phase of the delivery process, showing where temporary systems will be installed and how downtime will be kept to a minimum. Using BIM has also allowed for a level of pricing accuracy that would have been impossible using traditional designs. Combined with SPIE’s engineering ability and ingenuity, the use of cutting-edge practices will ensure a high quality and efficient delivery to their specific requirements.”

A University of Dundee spokesperson added: “We have a duty to our students and staff to provide the highest quality environment for research and learning, therefore we needed a contractor who could not only demonstrate that they could meet the refurbishment criteria to the highest level, but do so on budget and with minimum impact on the users of the facilities. SPIE’s technical and engineering expertise gives us the confidence that they’ll deliver to the highest standard.”