Potable Water Solutions - Propress for Mercedes Benz from Viega

Viega's potable water solutions for the largest - and most luxurious - car dealership in Australia

Mercedes-Benz and Viega are two German powerhouses that are known for their prestige, quality, dependability, and performance. Dating back to 1886 and 1899 respectively, both internationally respected companies have stayed at the top of their game for more than a century with state-of-the-art engineering and superior customer service.

In Queensland, these two iconic brands have come together in the new five-storey flagship Mercedes-Benz Brisbane Autohaus, the largest - and most luxurious - car dealership in Australia. Located at Brisbane's iconic Breakfast Creek Wharf, the landmark mixed-use development houses a full-service workshop, an automotive museum, various shops and cafés, and several function areas.

Designed in collaboration with Cottee Parker Architects - a national firm known for its automotive sector projects - the 33,000m², 30-metre high building has been planned with the purpose of reinvigorating the Breakfast Creek Wharf precinct and reinventing the customer experience for buying vehicles.

Viega's Propress solutions for potable water installations

Concealing services such as plumbing pipework was made more challenging with the Autohaus's large open spaces and tight services zone. Fortunately, Viega's Propress technology ensures complete installations can be finished fast, efficiently and, most importantly, with no fire hazards.

"Working with Viega is quick and easy, and you don't have to worry about the time, effort, hot works, OH&S issues and the like that is required with soldering and oxy sets," explains JRK Group project manager Lorne Janssen. "We installed thousands of Propress fittings throughout the facility, from the basement right up to the rooftop dining area."

Viega's high-quality, reliable tools and fittings not only ensures faster installation times but also provides hydraulic and plumbing contractors with the confidence that comes from a proven system.

"Having a guaranteed leak detection path built into each fitting means an error free instillation, significantly reducing the risk of costly damage to our customer's property and our reputation," says Lorne.

Time-saving and secure press technology

Water leaks pose a significant threat to commercial buildings, in particular, as they use much larger amounts of water than residences - either for their business activities or simply because of the large number of people using the water fixtures in the facility on a daily basis. Therefore, leaks in a commercial building lead to the waste of hundreds of litres of water per day and can substantially increase utility bills. Furthermore, some plumbing leaks can cause severe water damage to the building's structure and necessitate expensive repairs.

"With millions of dollars' worth of cars on display, the last thing Mercedes-Benz needs is pipes bursting and destroying valuable inventory," says Viega planning consultant Gerard Collie. "Leak testing, understandably, is considered an important step in the pressure testing process.

"Viega's unique and patented Smart Connect Feature provides quick and easy identification of unpressed connections during the leak testing process," he adds. "Thanks to this technology, which has been tried and tested millions of times, unpressed fittings are guaranteed to leak during the pressure test."

Once the Propress fittings have been pressed, they produce a permanent join. This makes the press connections virtually impossible to manipulate or interfere with.

Viega was the first to offer press joining systems in Australia, the only manufacturer to offer a proven method to verify secure connections, and the first to offer the same time-saving press technology in multiple materials. Little wonder it's the preferred choice for prestigious developments like Mercedes-Benz Brisbane Autohaus.