• The first two of 70 modules for the prefabricated pipe shafts have been lifted into the Life Science Building. Photo: AF Gruppen / Vebjørn Løvås

The modular shafts come in four sections and are stacked on top of each other in openings in the building that have been cast to size. Each module weighs approximately two tonnes, and a total of 70 modules will be installed in the building, distributed across 15 shafts.

The shafts are fully equipped with pipes and insulation, and are therefore ready to be connected to the building for further distribution of compressed air, water, wastewater, sprinkler systems, heating, and cooling as soon as they are in place.

“This is the first time this method has been used on such a large scale,” says Project Director Per Roger Johansen at Statsbygg.

“We aim to stay at the forefront and act as a driver of developments that will benefit the entire construction industry. By producing complex installations in a protected factory environment, we ensure safer conditions for those carrying out the work. In addition, efficiency increases when fewer operations are carried out on the construction site, and we also reduce waste.”

 
New solutions
AF Energi holds the contract for piping works in Livsvitenskapsbygget, and Portfolio Manager Luke Kollerøs Panton is very satisfied with the solution.

“Statsbygg has been receptive to our proposals for different solutions throughout the project. As a contractor, we have therefore had significant influence, enabling a higher share of prefabricated elements than in a traditional contract,” says Panton.

AF Energi has developed modular solutions for heating and cooling installations for more than 10 years and was an early adopter of systematised prefabrication of such solutions. These pipe shafts are prefabricated in Lithuania, with internal pipes already insulated.

 

  • The modular shafts come in four sections and are stacked on top of each other in openings in the building that have been cast to size. Photo: AF Gruppen / Vebjørn Løvås


Prefabrication provides several benefits
Normally, the pipe shafts would be assembled on the construction site, but they are now produced in a factory before being lifted into place. This provides several advantages:

  • Safer working conditions, as complex installations are produced in a controlled factory environment, reducing the risk of accidents and physically demanding working positions.
  • Increased efficiency in the construction process, as fewer operations need to be carried out on site. Installing pipes one by one on site would take significantly more time than completing the work in a factory, ensuring good progress.
  • Improved quality, as better control is possible when precision work is carried out indoors at a single location.
  • Less waste and fewer offcuts compared to adapting pipes on site.
  • The installed pipes can also be used for construction heating and roof drainage during the building phase, eliminating the need for separate temporary solutions.
     

Livsvitenskapsbygget
Livsvitenskapsbygget, which will house the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, will cover 100,000 square metres and bring together research environments in chemistry, pharmacy, and life sciences.

The facility will support the development of new solutions to major challenges in health and sustainability, with access to state‑of‑the‑art equipment required for world‑class research and innovation.

Statsbygg is constructing the building and will operate it when it is completed in 2026/27.