The project

Monsoon Forest is part of Chester Zoo’s £40m Islands development, which has created the UK’s largest indoor environment for rare animals and plant species.

It features its own tropical weather system with temperatures reaching 80°F to replicate the conditions of South East Asia to house animals including a Sulawesi crested macaque, a rhinoceros hornbill and a pair of Sunda gharial crocodiles.

The 14-acre site also features unique plant species, including star fruit, mango, pawpaw, orchids and palm trees that reach heights of over 20ft.

Our design

The unsung hero of Monsoon Forest is the central heating and power (CHP) plant that generates the consistent heat required to maintain the tropical climate of South East Asia. And flue systems play a key role within the CHP plant; A1 Flue Systems installed a large flue dilution system that serves two Broag 610 condensing boilers and two Sav XRIG 20G CHP units.

This project was particularly challenging because the development of the flue systems required very careful co-ordination with other services to fit into a crowded plant room.

Testimonial

Phil Ashton, senior project manager with main engineering contractor Laing O’Rourke, has expressed his delight with the part played by A1 Flue Systems. He said: “I have worked with them many times before and when a job is complicated, they are the people to have alongside. The flue dilution system in the Zoo’s Monsoon Forest was a key element of the exercise. With the design finished and approved, A1 Flue Systems had to move on site to carry out the complex installation in a confined workspace, operating alongside other service providers. The result was exactly what we required.”

Facts at a glance

Client name: Chester Zoo

Project Value: £40,000

Time to Complete: Six weeks

Location: Chester