May 29 2007
Durapipe SuperFLO is being installed into London’s Natural History Museum, as part of the £3.7 million refurbishment of the museum’s Energy Centre.
Over 1100 metres of SuperFLO was specified by contractors Vital Energi, for the building’s chilled water distribution system, which runs from the Energy Centre to seven chiller plant rooms throughout the Museum.
The plastic pipework system, which boasts a fully integrated service of pipes, fittings and valves, offers superior performance advantages to specifiers and contractors, including toughness, high impact strength, resistance to limescale build up, zero toxicity and a broad operational temperature range.
Vital Energi’s Project Manager Connie Aargen comments: “We decided to install Durapipe SuperFLO on this project as it was more cost effective than metal alternatives, such as aluminium and steel, and also provided significant advantages during the installation stage. Its lightweight characteristics meant that it was easy for the project team to handle on site, and its simple solvent welding jointing technique resulted in considerable savings on labour time and cost throughout the installation process.”
Durapipe SuperFLO is specifically designed for the building services market to cater for the requirements of chilled water and boosted cold water applications. It is an extremely robust material and remains ductile down to minus 40°C, maintaining excellent impact resistance.
The Natural History Museum’s Energy Centre is being refurbished to provide a reliable and highly energy efficient source of heating and cooling, along with the ability to generate 1.8MW of electricity. As a result, the museum’s costs will be reduced by approximately £500,000 per annum and carbon emissions will be reduced by an exceptional 2000 tonnes each year.