Prefabricated construction and pluggable installation
Text: Liliane Verwoolde | Visuals: Isolectra
The Egg of Columbus
Pluggable installation is gaining ground. Easy-to-fit systems have become indispensable specifically in non-residential construction, but also recently in prefabricated residential construction. Hotels, supermarkets and hospitals are being fitted using pluggable installation – from the distributor to the final plug socket. The benefits at a glance.
Back in the 1980s, the German company Wieland launched the first system for pluggable installation. Wieland transferred the technology to its Dutch importer Isolectra, which means it is now known as the supplier with the most experience in pluggable installations in the Netherlands.
Easier and faster
Initially, pluggable installations were mainly used in non-residential construction. The systems were genuine Egg of Columbus solutions, especially against the backdrop of developments at the time. “Well-trained installers became more and more scarce”, clarifies Richard Vrolijk, Business Development Manager at Isolectra. “But to connect a pluggable system, you need only be trained, not highly skilled. What’s more, the pace of construction was picking up. More and more buildings were erected using as much prefabrication as possible and completed on site in the shortest possible time. Here too, pluggable installations scored highly.”
For residential construction, too
The developments did not go unnoticed in the housing sector, where large numbers of houses have to be built in a very short time. What could Isolectra do for this industry? Vrolijk: “Many houses were already prefabricated to a large extent by then, but our materials were not yet suitable for all construction methods, including precast concrete construction. We have worked on this with our producer Wieland.”
Time savings
The new developments improved the quality of the systems. Prefabrication in conditioned rooms guaranteed the highest quality. Although this required the precast concrete manufacturer and installer to carefully exchange designs and recess locations, that time-cost is more than compensated on site.”
Certified
Isolectra’s system has now grown into a mature system. Cables are pre-connected with connectors at the factory, with splitter blocks being fitted with input and output connectors. This provides the user with ready-made components that only need to be clicked together on site to form a system. The high quality of the system has now been certified.
Safe and sustainable
When it comes to sustainability, pluggable installations are also an improvement. The reduced number of traffic movements lowers CO2 emissions and the smaller number of people on site increases safety.
The future
Isolectra’s Streda concept represents another major step forward, combining power and data (for internet) in a single pluggable cable. This simplifies the infrastructure and makes it easier to handle. The cables can be incorporated directly into precast concrete elements. Streda is available with flush-mounted boxes, cassettes, socket outlets and switches. The cassettes can be quickly and easily inserted and swapped with other variants if required. The benefits: time savings, fewer errors and greater flexibility.
“Streda represents an important step forward”, says VBI’s Bert Jongsma. “The electrical installation of ground-level access homes is no longer based on a 1950s design. With power and data cleverly combined and the use of smart connection points, the installation is ready for the user needs of the coming decades.”
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