Southampton HGV Truck Stop

Unmanned 24/7 truck stops require sophisticated pipework to efficiently and correctly deliver and monitor the supply of fuel.

Using different materials which may need a variety of fitting methods can add significant time to the installation job, which is why Geberit’s Mapress press fit pipes and fittings proved to be the perfect solution for above and below ground fuel pipes at Certas Energy’s 24 hour HGV refuelling truck stop in Southampton.

As experts in the fuelling business, Certas Energy’s Southampton facility allows up to eight HGVs to fill up simultaneously, using high-speed pumps that fill 120 litres of fuel per minute. Multiple above and below ground pipes offer a selection of fuels, including diesel, gas oil, AdBlue and Shell GTL.

Contractor OTS Group Ltd, a leader in delivering advanced fuel storage systems, was awarded the contract to provide full M&E works covering the supply and installation of all above and below ground fuel pipelines. This amounted to approximately 1km of pipework, along with the supply and installation of tank monitoring and PLC operational/environmental controls.

The fuel dispensing system featured submersible pumps serving Gilbarco MPD dispensers, located on remote fuel islands, supplied and installed by OTS Group.

OTS Group designed the fuel delivery system based on tried and tested technology provided by Geberit Mapress stainless steel products. This was borne out by OTS Group’s decision that all above ground pipelines installed by OTS Group would feature Mapress stainless steel, a decision made three years ago to great success.

Building on an existing relationship with the contractor, Geberit was able to supply a single solution for all uses which combined speed of installation with operational benefits for the client.

The Mapress press fit technology is quicker and cheaper to install than traditional jointing methods because it requires no hot works, no soldering and no threading. Installers simply need to cut the pipe to size, debur the inside and outside, mark the socket insertion depth on the pipe, push the pipe into the socket of the fitting, then press the joint and connecting pipe using the pressing tool. Coloured pressing indicators are fitted in the seal rings, which offer easy identification of both the material and any unpressed joints during the installation process.