The ideal spatial environment and building infrastructure for modern advanced medicine, patient care, research and science are currently being created at Tübingen University Hospital. Founded in 1805, the University Hospital is spread across two main areas: the “valley” site north of the city centre, and the “mountain” site to the northwest of the centre, halfway up Schnarrenberg mountain. 

The Crona Clinics began operating in 1988 and 1989. They are named after the abbreviated German terms for the units they contained at the time: the surgery, radiology, orthopae-dics, neurology and anaesthesiology clinics. Nowadays the building contains other additional units, and the main operating theatre is now located in the basement floor. The Crona Clinics stand at the centre of the area on Schnarrenberg mountain. Significant conversion, expansion and renovation work is currently being carried out to allow the health care unit to continue to provide space for research and science in Germany in future.

The installation of cooling pipes in the technical centre and media conduits was part of the renovation work that was carried out between December 2019 and February 2020. It was particularly important for escape and rescue routes and the corridor used for loading and unloading materials to be kept unobstructed. The cooling pipes were successfully installed with the new fischer massive channel system FMS. This installation system is ideal for transferring the high loads of the pair of cooling pipes with an inner diameter of 250 mm (nominal width of DN250) while taking the required span width of the framework construction into account. 

The fischer massive channel system FMS makes heavy building services such as these particularly flexible and efficient to install. This avoids the need for an elaborate steel construction that requires its own planning and preassembly and often leads to on-site building tolerances. The FMS channel system on the other hand provides short construction and installation times and lower costs during pipe installations such as those in Tübingen.

To begin with, the pre-exisiting installation and device situation was assessed at the Crona Clinics in order to determine the right dimensions and base points for the frame construction. The Dlubal structural analysis software RSTAB was used for this purpose. The programme allowed the steel framework to be recorded and calculated based on the product data and on-site parameters captured for the fischer installation system FMS. This allowed the planning of necessary structural dimensions and correct bracing and moulded parts, including the comprehensive documentation of the calculations, the corresponding dimensional drawings and the material list which was used as the basis for the client’s order. With these services fischer helped the executing firm successfully and securely install the cooling pipes with an innovative and user-friendly solution without having to plan and install an elaborate steel construction and pipe support system. 

The fischer massive channel system FMS ensured quick construction progress during pipe installation on the Crona Clinics without on-site prefabrication. Together with the profiles and massive construction elements, the universal connectors allowed variable applications and simple adjustment during the installation and alignment of the pipeline routes. Existing setups can easily be expanded and adapted. The profiles merely need to be cut to length at a right angle, which avoids waste. The pre-assembled construction elements require no further welding or processing on the construction site. The fully hot-dip galvanised product range means there is no need for subsequent coatings, making installation faster and easier while reducing both time and cost. 

Specific FMS products that were used included FMP massive profiles in lengths of 3 and 6 metres. The massive profiles were connected and attached to the subsurface using the FMHB hammer-head push connector. The products also included FMSF saddle flanges, FMA mountings angles, FMUF bolt connections and FMVB variable brackets in the corresponding sizes and configurations. All of these products that were used on the project are just a portion of the comprehensive and flexible FMS range. 

Refrigeration pipe clamps FRS-K were used with the corresponding accessories to attach the cooling pipes to the massive profiles. FMEC endcaps were used to finish off the ends of the profiles. All of the system components can quickly and easily be assembled to the desired construction using the modular design principle.

Further product solutions from fischer’s range of installation systems were used during the project in addition to the FMS items, such as the universal channel system FUS, FRSM heavy duty pipe clamp and accessories. Products from the fischer range of anchors included the FAZ II 12/20 GS bolt anchor which was used to install the frame construction. 
fischer therefore supported the client from the planning and calculation stage and the on-site delivery and project support through to the project’s successful conclusion.