Durapipe UK’s Vulcathene, ABS and Friatherm plastic pipework systems are being installed in University College London’s (UCL) Darwin Building as part of a major refurbishment project to modernise the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Mechanical Engineer, Michael Melluish, from building services consultants, MG Partnership was responsible for specifying the pipework for the refurbishment. He comments: “The plastic pipework products from Durapipe UK were attractive because of their cost benefits and ease of installation on site, while the variety and choice of systems available ensured that all the requirements that this project demanded were met.
“The Vulcathene system was specified to replace existing cast iron pipework that was used for laboratory waste drainage. We needed to ensure the product that we installed could cope with the mix of waste and chemicals that it would be exposed to on a daily basis, so the corrosion resistant Vulcathene system was an excellent option.”
In addition to the Vulcathene system, MG Partnership specified Durapipe ABS to replace an existing chilled water riser and increase its capacity in order to cater for the newly refurbished part of the building.
Friatherm was also installed in the project for all domestic services within the Darwin Building following the request of UCL, which has this product installed in other buildings within its campus.
LJJ Contractors was responsible for the installation of all three Durapipe UK products and commenting on the process, on site Contract Manager, Matthew Hunter said: “We are installing in the region of 1000 pipes and fittings into this project, so the fact that all three systems are plastic is a great help for the on-site team who can easily manoeuvre the lightweight products.
The Darwin Building is home to UCL’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, which aims to provide a stimulating research and training facility of international recognition.
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