PA LAL, FIJI

The PA LAL Holdings Warehouse in Fiji, along with nine buses, was destroyed by fire. A fire-resistant compressed air system was provided by Infinity Pipe Systems as part of the rebuild

A family-owned business, P.A. Lal Coachwork has been in operation for the past 75 years. The company has a total of 145 staff and is the largest bus bodybuilder in Fiji. P. A. Lal Coachwork offers buses and coaches that are designed with “Roll-Over” standards providing safety for the travelling public which avoids the bus body collapsing should the bus have an accident and rollover.

Project

P. A. Lal Holdings Limited is believed to have incurred millions of dollars in losses in a fire at its warehouse in Suva, Fiji, in 2019. The fire destroyed the factory, along with nine buses under manufacture. A new 11kW compressor was to the internal back wall. 32mm Infinity pipe to the top of the cold room roof space and along the back wall of the workshop.

P. A. Lal contacted Pneumatics Direct (PD) to help rebuild the workshop by providing a fire-resistant compressed air system to improve energy performance.

Pneumatics Direct’s detailed understanding of the job requirements and the advantage of PD’s Infinity Pipe Systems range having an A2-s1,d0 fire rating was a crucial factor for P. A. Lal in their selection of PD.

Pneumatics Direct faced two challenges with the rebuild:
1. Our Brisbane team managed the installation in Fiji; and
2. The installation commenced during the COVID lockdown period.

Following consultation with P. A. Lal, it was determined that it was imperative that the design drawings and the material list be accurate. As the rebuild needed to be completed during a lockdown, any shortage of materials would have led to extensive wait times to deliver additional fittings and pipes.

Scope

The agreed scope included:

• An allowance to service the P.A. Lal workshop with a 50mm ring main system. The ring main was to run around the perimeter of the building and be placed at the highest practical point to clear the tallest opening.
• 32mm sub mains extending from the ring main to serve as general connections throughout the workshop
• Air compressor enclosure to consist of a 50mm main feed
• 8 x 25mm droppers with double Nitto outlets
• 8 x 7” grinder outlets with Minsup couplings
• 27 x hose reels mounted on the main roof supports above bus workstations

The successful installation for P.A. Lal was completed both on time and within budget.

Infinity Pipe Systems has the experience & capabilities to design, install and commission aluminium pipe systems for any industry.