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WE ARE BACK!!!
BIGGER, BETTER & BOLDER

Action packed, lots to see and do

HYDRAQUIP are pleased to announce that they will be exhibiting at the Building show of the year,INTERBUILD 2007 at the NEC Birmingham

Register now and save the £20 entrance fee

www.interbuild.com/hydraquip

Visitors will be the first to see HYDRAQUIP launching a number of new innovative products & services, carefully designed to meet future needs whilst continuing to offer the highest level of quality. These exciting new developments will benefit and create interest for many of their customers, both new and old.

Free Prize Draws, must WIN prizes!

HYDRAQUIP are holding 2 free prize draws for all visitors to their stand.

WIN a H2&O Wet & Dry Pressure Test Kit

A must have for all plumbers and worth £150

Any visitors can enter this DRAW on our stand during the show by leaving their business card.

WIN 2 Tickets for the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport at Brands Hatch (2-4 May 2008)

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Space Airconditioning plc, the Guildford based Daikin Distributor, recently supplied the air cooled liquid chiller pictured, for a prestigious office building in St. Mary’s Axe, in the City of London.

The largest of 3 new Daikin chillers totalling 2.5 megawatts in cooling capacity, this 1,100kW, stepless single screw compressor machine, weighing in at 9,310kgs and some 10 metres in length, is the first megawatt plus chiller in the recently extended Daikin range, to be installed in the UK.

Two 725kW chillers were delivered and lifted into position some time earlier, but this model required a more substantial crane. Seen here being lifted against the backdrop of one of the most iconic buildings in the city, the Daikin chiller, manufactured in Rome, was successfully positioned at the first attempt, despite wind conditions being close to working limits in the confined space.

Daikin’s substantially extended range, manufactured in Belgium and Italy, means that Space Air can now offer air cooled chiller models ranging from 5 to 1,920kW and water cooled models ranging from 13 to 1893kW nom. cooling capacity.

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Daily flushing of internal drainage is unavoidable but silence is golden, especially in flats and apartments. With the move towards high-rise flats and tall soil stacks, Wavin Plastics understands that noise can transmit to adjacent room space and is launching a new system that provides for a quieter life.

OSMA SiTech – the new low noise push-fit soil system – now available from Wavin Plastics providing a cost-effective and time-saving solution for professional plumbers.

As well as being an easy-fix push-fit system, SiTech is made from a mineral-filled polypropylene, which has the effect of increasing pipe density. This means that it only needs to be encased in 25mm mineral wool wrap where contact between the pipe and the building structure cannot be avoided. Therefore it cuts down on installation time, wrapping and tooling costs and can be installed by professional plumbers rather than specialist fitters that are often required for cast iron and HDPE systems.

OSMA SiTech has been independently tested for sound reducing performance and helps to achieve the higher acoustic performance standards in buildings as required by the Building Regulations Part E 2003.

Wavin Plastics’ market manager, Steven Skeldon, explains why the SiTech system will be welcomed by end users: “The increase in housing density and demand for multi-storey apartment living has created a greater demand for low-noise pipe at a fast pace. This new piping innovation will make fitting and installation an easier and less time-consuming job, but it will still give you the high quality and noise reduction that is required by the market.”

The OSMA SiTech system that is available with acoustic fittings and pipe in the standard 110mm size.

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Keraflo Ltd. has supplied stored water control valves to mechanical contractor MJN Colston for Emirates Stadium, the spectacular new home of Arsenal Football Club. These delayed action float valves ensure high water flow rates, ensuring that the 130,000 litre capacity water tank installed prior to the booster set is filled as quickly as possible.

Arsenal FC’s stadium, named for its sponsors Emirates Airlines, was opened in July 2006 and was fully operational in time for the start of the 2006/2007 football season. Located close to the old Highbury stadium, the new facility is a huge elliptical structure built on a triangular site in Islington and comprises five main levels of accommodation with four seating tiers.

The new 60,000 seat stadium regularly attracts capacity crowds on match days and the requirement for water on the site is therefore enormous. The anticipated demand has been met by the installation of a 132m3 sectional GRP storage tank by mechanical contractor, MJN Colston. The tank is of drinking water quality, manufactured by Balmoral Tanks. This serves all domestic cold water outlets on the site, including the extensive catering and toilet facilities, via a booster pumpset. The 11m x 3m x 4m deep tank is divided along its length by a partition which enables each half of the tank to be isolated for maintenance purposes.

Each side of the tank is fitted with a Keraflo Aylesbury KP Type valve kit, selected by consulting engineers Buro Happold. Their senior building services engineer, Peter Naylor commented: ‘We selected these valves, in consultation with Balmoral Tanks and Keraflo Ltd., both for their ability to fill each side of the tank quickly and to accurately match water storage levels to occupancy.’

The KP Type valve kits installed comprise KB Type float valves located in a valve chamber above each half of the tank, with two larger in-line valves mounted at high level on the supply pipework. The Aylesbury KB Type valve offers a fully variable differential between opening and closing water level settings. Changes in water levels and settings can be made quickly by the installer or maintenance engineer without the use of tools, making it particularly suitable for use in buildings with seasonal occupancy. Water discharge is via an ‘up and over’ pipe to facilitate air gap compliance and provide back siphonage protection in accordance with BS1212 Part 2.

The 8” incoming water main was split into two 4” supply pipes, each fitted with an Aylesbury KP Type 4” (100mm) in-line valve. These valves are opened and closed by the Aylesbury KB Type pilot valves due to pressure fluctuations in the pilot lines. These smaller valves are operated by transfer of weight in an actuator tube which causes the valve to open or close in a single delayed action, rather than giving the gradual opening and closing achieved with a conventional ball valve. Attached to the actuator is a 2m long chain with a float and buoy assembly which offers a fully variable differential between opening and closing water level settings by simple adjustment of the length of chain between the actuator and the floats.

Keraflo delayed action float valves avoid water hammer, valve bounce and pump hunting leading to improved pump performance and maximum energy efficiency. In addition, they reduce the risk of stagnation and water borne diseases which can occur when stored water is not used for long periods of time, particularly at high ambient temperatures in the summer months.

The water services, float valves and incoming mains, as well as the remainder of the mechanical services and public health works were installed by MJN Colston Ltd. The main contractor was Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd.

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Despite constant media coverage highlighting the ongoing battle against the effects of climate change, sustainability is not as high up the agenda as it should be. This is the main conclusion of research published today by Wavin Plastics, the UK’s leading provider of water management solutions.

Almost nine out of ten (85 per cent) construction professionals believe that urban flooding will become a major problem if sustainable drainage is not prioritised. Three quarters of respondents have worked on developments in the last year that did not feature any special water management measures to deal with the effects of increased rain fall or flooding.

The research, commissioned by Wavin Plastics as part of its ongoing commitment to understanding more about attitudes towards sustainable development, highlights the growing need for sustainable drainage to be pushed up the construction agenda.

It further highlights the need for the industry to take a more collaborative approach to sharing best practice concerning water management. An overwhelming eight out of ten respondents believe not enough is being done across the industry to push water sustainability.

Wavin Plastics has built a significant reputation for helping to deliver safe, responsible and reliable water management solutions. It sees this research as a critical step in understanding how it can play a role in shifting behaviour and attitudes towards the implementation of sustainable water management applications.

Michelle Fleming, Wavin Plastics’ head of marketing: “This research does not make for happy reading. Awareness of sustainable water management is high but when it comes to taking action and making a difference at site level, it seems sustainability becomes a luxury not a necessity.

“The emphasis of the industry needs to change. The whole life cost of a building needs to be balanced against the initial build cost. We should be implementing solutions that not only address the commercial requirements but also deliver solutions that will ensure that in 50 years time, today’s developments are still seen as sustainable.”

She concludes: “As a major supplier to the construction industry Wavin will increase its efforts to educate the market about cost efficient solutions that meet the many and varied needs of the water management cycle. We want to help establish a significant shift in attitudes towards sustainable water management but we can only do this if profitable and carefully balanced solutions are made accessible to meet the broadest demographic and climatic conditions.”

Key findings

• Nearly 1 in 10 architects do not think sustainable water management is an important issue – leaving 10 per cent of new developments exposed to the risks of climate change.
• 60 per cent of respondents do not feel that sustainable water management has been prioritised as an issue in the construction industry.
• Over half of those questioned do not think that house builders and developers understand the impact of climate change and flooding.
• 85 per cent of respondents agree that urban flooding will become a major problem in the next ten years if sustainable urban drainage is not prioritised.
• Eight out of ten architects think that as industry they are not doing enough to push water sustainability.
• 76 per cent of architects have worked on developments in the last 12 months where the effects of increased rain fall were not considered.
• Almost nine out of ten respondents think that cost is still the number one deal maker, at the expense of optimum sustainability.

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Tensar Technology is playing its part in the award winning transformation of a Brownfield site in County Durham.

250 new Yuill homes will soon stand on the former Elddis Caravan manufacturing and colliery site outside of Consett.

Tensar’s rapid, cost-effective and environmentally sound technology has facilitated progress of the ongoing £3 million project. As an essential partner in the early stages of the development, its ground stabilising slope, retaining wall and geogrid solutions helped establish a sound foundation for the development and secure Sunderland-based contractor, The Hellens Group, The CECA’s (Civil Engineering Contractors’ Association) North East Project of the Year 2006.

To provide enough space for the planned new builds, the developer needed to raise the ground level by 4 – 5 metres. Although timber cribs had originally been proposed, the client wished to retain a natural look in the countryside, so adopted a Tensar Steel Mesh Panel (SMP) steep slope system.

This enabled a fully vegetated 70° face to be created with huge cost savings, thanks to the use of site won soils instead of imported fill. An attractive Tensartech retaining wall to hide drainage inspection chambers at the end of the slope completed the project, and house building started early due to the speed of installation.

The natural beauty and outstanding views over the Derwent valley had persuaded Yuill Homes of Hartlepool to take advantage of Tensar Technology to create a green solution for the slope. The Tensar design and supply solution, with a 120 year design life, used galvanised SMP facings secured to uni-axial geogrids and enabled the contractors to build a 70° slope without difficulty. Site-won granular material was processed for backfill to layer with the geogrid, and thus made considerable cost, transport and environmental savings over imported material.

“As a group we pride ourselves on `improving the environment' in everything we do,” says Mark Short, Managing Director of Hellens Contracts and manager of the contract at Delves Lane. “As well as the obvious time and cost savings from a commercial point of view, the environmental benefits were an important factor in the specification of Tensar Technology solutions and our ‘green’ stance was one of the key criteria which helped secure the prestigious CECA award win.”

To prevent the fill escaping through the panel apertures, the contractor installed a Tensar geosynthetic face liner. Its open porous structure allows effective hydro seeding, yet retains the topsoil veneer and allows vegetation to grow through.

At the South West end of the green slope, the design had to accommodate two drainage inspection chambers which extended beyond the slope line. Tensartech TW1, an attractive modular block wall system, was used to surround these chambers, with lateral thrust relief stability provided by vertical SMP structures placed locally behind the chambers and wall face.

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Ability Projects Ltd, Wimborne, Dorset, is supplying of over 750 fan coil units to the landmark Colmore Plaza office complex, Birmingham, developed by Abstract Land on behalf of the Carlyle Group at a cost of £155 million and due for completion early next year.

Billed as ‘the best office building outside London’, the 13 storey Colmore Plaza is designed internally to City of London Grade ‘A’ standards and will add almost 310,000ft2 of much needed office accommodation in the most sought after heart of Birmingham. Each storey will have the capacity to be split between 4 separate tenants and a typical layout could provide cellular offices for 63 personnel plus open plan space for a further 52 – alternatively, cellular office space for 8 plus open plan layout for 204 personnel.

Ability’s fan coil units, installed by Derry Building Services, Newark, Notts, are 4 pipe Trojan 270 chassis types with capacities of 4.7kW (cooling) and 1.7kW (heating), are located in false ceilings and ducted to ceiling level linear strip diffusers, which deliver conditioned air to the office areas.

The Trojan 270 fan coil unit utilise the latest electrically commutated infinitely speed variable, high efficiency EC motor technology and offer significant advantages to the customer in terms of both efficiency and controllability. Increases in UK electricity cost and the unit’s ability to provide substantial reductions in energy consumption and running costs make it particularly attractive for use in commercial heating and air conditioning projects. At a typical fan coil duty point, an Ability EC/DC controlled unit will reduce electrical input by between 50 and 60% and will draw about 50W as against the 110W of a comparable AC type.

The unit is also fitted with a purpose designed condensate high level alarm incorporating a new type of sensor, which uses light refraction to determine if standing water is present in the condensate tray. Since the system is devoid of floats or probes, it is far less prone to lime scale or contaminant build up that can result in eventual failure. The Colmore Plaza fan coil units also feature Trend IQL-II controls plus special isolating switches and flying electrical leads. Noise levels are set at NR38.

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Diners and revellers at Regent Inns’ much loved Old Orleans ‘floating’ restaurant can now enjoy the colourful heritage, spicy Cajun/Creole food and highly charged atmosphere of America’s ‘deep south’ in air conditioned comfort provided by Daikin VRV heat pump systems.

Moored alongside the 'Boardwalk' at the Lakeside retail complex in Thurrock, Essex, the restaurant reopened recently after an in depth refit aimed at broadening the appeal of southern American cuisine in surroundings that faithfully reproduce the environment of a Louisiana riverboat.

The restaurant, resplendent in fancy wrought iron work and bold colours and offering a mouth watering selection of authentic New Orleans dishes and cocktails, is the flagship of the attractive Old Orleans brand and the first to be refitted in a £4 million makeover of the entire chain.

An important component of the project’s new mechanical and electrical services, designed and specified by consultants, The Jones Partnership, Swansea, is the top of the range Daikin VRV heat pump air conditioning, installed by Summit Design Ltd, Wooburn, Bucks.

Conditioned air for both the lower deck bar and middle deck restaurant areas is provided by 16 Daikin FXLQ floor standing indoor fan coil units (8 per deck) with nominal capacities of 4.8kW(cooling) and 5.9kW (heating), located around the perimeter walls of each area. A comfortable year round internal temperature is maintained at 220C at 50% RH with airflows between 0.20 and 0.27m3/sec and sound levels between 35 and 40dBA. Energy efficient supply and extract ventilation for the lower and middle deck toilets is provided by Daikin VAM heat recovery ventilation units located within the false ceilings on each deck.

Two RXYQ16 VRV heat pump outdoor condensing units with nominal capacities of 45.0kW (cooling) and 50.0kW (heating) and EERs and COPs of 2.81 and 3.79 respectively, are located in the ‘wheel house’. Overall VRV system control is maintained via a Daikin BACnet Gateway interface with the restaurant building management system with local temperature control via room temperature sensors.

According to the consultants, “Daikin VRV equipment was chosen for this attractive project primarily for its quality, reliability and trouble free installation characteristics. The choice of floor mounted FXLQ indoor units reflects the relatively low ceiling height of each deck, whilst the combination of heat pump and heat recovery units helps to offset the energy used by the decorative lighting sources and reduce the overall carbon footprint of the venue.”

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Rockwool, the leading manufacturer of stone wool insulation, is running CPD seminars for architects to advise them of the potential of misinterpreting Approved Document B when it comes to the issue of HVAC pipe penetrations.

Approved Document B, which concerns itself with fire safety in construction, has only two pages dedicated to the issue of HVAC penetrations and suggests the use of proprietary, tested solutions but then dilutes this message by suggesting that other materials can be used. Some of the materials listed in Approved Document B as being non-combustible and suitable for fire stopping melt after seven minutes in a cellulosic fire typical in normal commercial and residential fires. This seriously compromises fire safety which in turn has implications for the recently introduced Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Vanessa Hatton, Marketing Services Manager at Rockwool, explains; “The RR(FS)O effectively means that developers have even more of a duty to ensure that buildings are fire safe. When owners and occupiers conduct surveys to gain RR(FS)O compliance, they may not be aware of dangers posed by untested or poorly fitted firestopping around HVAC penetrations. They also may not be aware of dangers posed by heat transfer through the compartment wall due to unsuitable insulation materials. What appears to be a satisfactory solution may indeed be a serious risk in the event of a fire and could result in injury or death, thereby putting building owners at risk of liability action. Rockwool urges that only tested solutions are specified and that ad-hoc solutions built-up from a variety of materials are avoided.

“By specifying construction products and systems which have been tested and certified as meeting fire performance regulations, and by passing that information on to owners and occupiers, the construction industry can help to improve fire safety as well as helping to make the task of complying with the RR(FS)O quicker and easier and therefore ensure that businesses remain competitive.”

The RR(FS)O, which came into force on October 1st, is new legislation which replaces more than 100 pieces of fire legislation governing the workplace. Fire Certificates no longer have any legality and instead owners and occupiers of offices, factories and other places of business now have a legal obligation for identifying and minimising potential fire risks. Failing to do so could result in criminal liability action in the case of a fire resulting in death or injury.

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Breaking new ground in energy efficiency, Airedale has launched OptiChill, a new range of large capacity, high efficiency, air-cooled screw chillers. OptiChill has a small footprint and offers a raft of options providing a high degree of flexibility to meet a diversity of applications.

Offering 500kW to 1100kW nominal cooling capacities across dual independent refrigeration circuits, OptiChill has been optimised for use with R134a refrigerant. A choice of 52 model permutations is available through the range. Thirteen model sizes each offer a High Efficiency and a High Efficiency Plus range and two low sound level variants in each range.

The very best components are selected for optimum operating efficiency and combine to give EER values of 3.0 at Eurovent conditions and ESEER values above 3.5.

Each of the two high efficiency, top-of-the-range compressors modulate to accurately meet cooling load and are complemented by economisers, electronic expansion valves and super-efficient heat exchangers to enhance system performance and efficiency.

The shell and tube evaporator is the best ever presented by Airedale and offers extremely high evaporating temperatures for a given supply water temperature. Condenser coils have larger surface areas to provide greater heat exchange. Cleverly-designed, sickle-bladed axial fans present a new blade design which gives increased performance at reduced input power and lower noise levels. Optional electronically-commutated fans reduce condenser fan input power and further increase running efficiencies at full and part load.

An inverter-controlled pump offers variable fluid flow, saving energy on pump input power and providing exact flow requirement. The pump can be controlled by an optional electronic metering system via the onboard AireTronix controller to maintain design flow over time.

An optional Chiller Sequence Manager recently launched by Airedale integrates up to eight chillers into a single operating system to provide best-fit, energy-efficient solutions, ensuring equal usage of compressors and allowing remote set point adjustment and alarm management. Energy Manager for power consumption analysis is also an option.

OptiChill meets all the criteria for inclusion on the Energy Technology List, enabling end-users to claim 100% first-year capital allowance. Applications include close control, process and comfort cooling particularly involving large, diverse cooling loads.

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