KSB ensures that everything runs smoothly at The Circle

The Circle at Zurich Airport

The new complex, comprising around 180,000 m² of usable floor space, is located directly at Zurich International Airport. The masterpiece of design by architect Riken Yamamoto creates an element that links the airport and the adjacent park. While the slightly inclined facade facing the airport reflects the curves of the terminal and is largely closed, it gracefully branches out and opens up on the side of the park. The Circle and the park are directly connected to the airport terminals. It is the stylish new home to numerous stores, restaurants, medical services, two hotels and the headquarters of international companies.

During its construction, The Circle was the largest building site in Switzerland - and KSB was right in the middle of it. This is because sophisticated pump and automation technology is used in order to keep such a complex comfortably warm in winter and pleasantly cool in summer. The mega-project opened in early 2020 after more than five years of construction and was the largest Minergie building in Switzerland at that time.

The building services company Hälg & Co. AG

Hälg & Co. AG, with its numerous branches throughout Switzerland, is one of the leading suppliers in the field of HVAC, cooling and sanitation. The company has been involved in the broad field of building services since 1922. Today, the Hälg Group implements projects in a variety of disciplines, namely heating, ventilation/air conditioning, cooling and sanitation, as well as building automation and facility management. From its beginnings solely as a system installer, the company has developed into a comprehensive service provider covering the entire life cycle of building services systems. With a large number of installation personnel, even major projects like The Circle can be completed without any delay to the installation schedule.

Size, safety – and ongoing flight operations

A project of such magnitude demands not only a high level of competence and flexibility on the part of the supplier, but also a practical partnership: intensive use was made of the close contact between KSB, the consultants office and the contracting company. Coordination and agreement directly on the construction site, as well as active planning of logistics, assumed great importance for this project. 

In addition, of course, it had to be ensured that air traffic was not interrupted during the entire five-year construction phase. The logistics, together with all their safety precautions, therefore presented a special challenge. Thus, the pumps had to be delivered just in time in several partial shipments, which required special coordination between the factory, the buffer store and the construction site.

A fully functional package comprising pumps, control and monitoring systems

A building complex of these dimensions must be fully functional around the clock and 365 days a year. This means that system availability is the top priority. Pumps, motors and the associated frequency inverters were therefore designed redundantly and are controlled by the building automation system.

The customer received the complete "all-round feel-good package" from KSB from a single source: in addition to the system components, this also included comprehensive assistance and support – from selection and commissioning to handover of the system, including all technical documents and complete project documentation.

A total of 30 energy-efficient Etanorm, Etaline and Movitec pumps were installed. The pumps and the matching KSB SuPremeE motors were mounted on baseplates and equipped with intelligent pump control and smart pump monitoring equipment. The end result was a fully functional package of high-quality components, completely digitally integrated and controlled by the higher-level external building automation system – reliable, efficient and easy to operate!

Project:

• The Circle with a floor area of 180,000 m²
• Building investments: CHF 1.2 billion
• Commencement of building work: 2015

Commissioned: 2020

Location: Zurich, Switzerland

Customer: Hälg & Co. AG, Zurich

Products installed:

• 25 x Etanorm pumps on baseplates (flow rate 132 m³/h to 400 m³/h, head 13 m to 34 m)
• 4 x Etaline in-line pumps (flow rate 108 m3/h to 143 m³/h, head 6 m to 7.5 m)
• 1 x Movitec VF (flow rate 2 m³/h, head 56 m)
• 30 x IE4 and IE5 KSB SuPremE motors (rated power 11 kW to 45 kW)
• 29 x frequency inverters (motor-mounted, PumpDrive 2)