A major new £20m student accommodation scheme in Durham has utilised Durapipe HTA pipework for the domestic hot and cold water services.
Developed by Alumno Developments, Sheraton Park is the result of a complete transformation of a former derelict college site, which has seen the existing Sheraton House, a neo-Georgian building, demolished and Neville House, a red brick building from the 1900’s, converted to create two new contemporary five-storey blocks. Accommodating a total of 418 individual student bedrooms across the two new buildings, the project also delivered a reception, communal rooms, management facilities and laundry services.
Off-site construction has been integral to this scheme, with each of the 418 room pods, along with shared kitchen and toilet areas, all manufactured off-site, offering significant time savings. With such a time critical project, mechanical services contractor, H Malone, was tasked with installing products on-site that offered similar time-saving benefits. As a result, Durapipe HTA pipe was specified for the domestic hot and cold water services.
Each pod needed to be connected to the water mains on site and therefore Durapipe HTA in sizes up to 110mm was installed for the main service riser, which transfers water from the main storage tank in the basement plant room to the corridor runs on each floor before dropping down to feed each individual room.
Due to the confined space in the corridors, thermal expansion of the pipe system was a major consideration for H Malone and so the installers worked closely with Durapipe’s technical team to design a network configuration that allowed for the expected movement. Durapipe HTA also offered added security as it eliminates the risk of metal thefts from site.
Commenting on the project, Graham Wade from H Malone, said: “This project had a strict time frame so it was important for us to be working with a pipework system that offered us a quick and simple install process and HTA provided the ideal solution. We did need to factor in thermal expansion with the system but Durapipe’s technical team was very helpful in assisting us with the designs to ensure this was catered for accurately.”
Durapipe HTA is a C-PVC pipework system specially designed for domestic hot and cold water services. The product’s lightweight nature, combined with its quick and easy solvent weld jointing technique, offers significant installed cost savings, compared with copper alternatives. HTA’s limescale and corrosion resistant properties also ensure it maintains its performance over the lifetime of the system with minimal maintenance requirements.
For further information on Durapipe HTA or any other products within the Durapipe UK building services portfolio please call 01543 279909 or log onto www.durapipe.co.uk.