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Water is probably the most precious commodity we have on this planet and there’s plenty of it. Sadly, less than 2% of what we have is fresh water. We need it for the basic necessities of everyday life – we drink it, we need it to maintain good hygiene, its required for the manufacture of most of our food and for pretty much every key product in our everyday lives. There is no alternative.

Here in the UK, as a result of global warming, we are seeing changes to rainfall patterns. We’re getting our rainfall in longer heavier bursts than before and as a result we have seen huge quantities of rainfall causing flooding as the rainwater infrastructure has been unable to cope with it, before those vast quantities of valuable water eventually disappears as run off, into rivers and out to sea.

Polypipe Building Products has launched a range of new solutions into the burgeoning rainwater harvesting marketplace, targeted specifically at the domestic and residential market, in response to the growing acceptance that the time has come to stop using high quality drinking water to flush down the toilet, wash our cars and water the garden.

It simply makes no sense to use drinking quality water at a time when water is becoming a scarcer commodity, with growing demand for potable water – particularly in London and the south east as the population grows, but ironically, whilst we’re seeing heavier rainfall in parts if the UK, equally on the East Coast of the UK, rainfall has in places and at times during the year dropped to an alarming level – in particular across East Anglia. With forecasts suggesting that the south coast could be experiencing a Mediterranean climate by 2050 – some suggesting this could arrive much earlier – water could become a very expensive commodity and any help available from naturally occurring sources of water will be met with open arms. The UK’s position as an island, with prevailing winds for much of the time heading at us from the south west across the Atlantic Ocean – and a warm current into the bargain – does give us a number of benefits and Polypipe is one company that believes that preparing now, by conserving precious rainwater supplies, would not be a moment too soon to take rainwater harvesting seriously.

So it is. Polypipe, the UK’s leading building products company, has launched Rainstream – a new range of rainwater harvesting options designed for everyone – with three straightforward options. Ideal for new build, for retrofit and already seeing major interest from the self build marketplace, Rainstream is a very simple straightforward rainwater harvesting ‘package’. You can even see it on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS0RnXF_5pM .

The Rainstream system is available as a gravity fed or a pressurised system. Within a gravity fed system, water is pumped from the Rainstream Tank to a header tank in the loft. The water is then fed to each appliance by gravity. Pressurised systems uses a pump to feed water directly to the appliance or appliances on demand. The units come pre-assembled ready for installation – you can select from a wide range of tank sizes to meet your specific needs – and the rainwater harvested by the system goes through a three stage filtration process, down to 130 microns. Installation of a Rainstream system from Polypipe will reduce your mains water usage by around 50% and that’s not to be sniffed at – especially if you’re on a metered water supply. The control panel is small and neat and the only evidence you’ll see in the house of having a rainwater harvesting system on the property.

The options for Rainstream run from Rainstream Garden which is a basic unit that has a 1500 litre tank capacity and offers a leaf filter, a calmed inlet, skimmed overflow, silt trap, storage tank, pump and timed delay activation switch. Typically this system will supply rainwater to a garden tap, greenhouse sprinkle system or a garden irrigation system.

Next step up is the Polypipe Rainstream Home, which offers a one piece rotomoulded tank with a single turret, housing the leaf filter, overflow and calmed inlet. Storage capacities for this system range from 2000 to 5000 litres and come with a wall mounted pump pack to complete the system. This system doesn’t need a header tank. Instead, an electronic control system monitors the demand for water and pumps it directly from the main storage tank to the appropriate outlet. The control system also measures the water level in the main storage tank and imports fresh water if required to prevent the system from running dry. Where the optional ground water inlet valves with filters are selected and fitted, there is no requirement for a concrete bed or surround. These valves allow ground water from a rising water table to enter the storage area of the tank, equalising the hydrostatic pressures on internal and external surfaces, preventing tank collapse or flotation. This is not found on any other system and is a unique feature of Polypipe’s Rainstream Home system.

As a third option, Polypipe offers the Rainstream Home XL. The structured wall design of Rainstream Home XL has created a system that is unique in its ability to withstand a high water table. The key benefit of Rainstream Home XL is that it will never need a concrete surround in non-loaded applications, even in cases of a high water table. All that is needed is a concrete base which the tanks are strapped to. It provides a simple solution to the complex problem of rising water tables and changing weather patterns. As most systems are installed during the summer months, when water tables are at their lowest, the resulting winter rising water table is often not taken into account. Some systems are not designed to be installed within the water table and are unable to withstand the hydrostatic pressures, resulting in their collapse. Rainstream Home XL has been designed by Civil Engineers to withstand these hydrostatic pressures. Further testing has taken place proving the tank's capability to withstand water pressure at a burial depth of up to 6 metres or 0.6 bar, far beyond the pressures the tank is likely to face. The range of tank sizes offered by Polypipe has been researched and designed to meet the exact requirements of the UK market, based on research into the national average household water use and the most up-to-date MET office data. The Rainstream Home XL tanks allow the homeowner to meet their exact requirements and provide the most cost-effective and efficient solution in the market, without the need to over-specify and incur disproportionate purchasing and installation costs. If increased capacity is needed, Rainstream Home XL offers a wide range of tank sizes to ensure rainwater collection is maximised effectively.

For more information click on to www.polypipe.com or call 01709 770 000 and request a copy of the new Rainwater Harvesting products leaflet and price list.

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When the Heinz Wolff Building at Brunel University needed its steel windows replacing, Crittall Windows provided the perfect solution. The building, which is home to the Bioscience teaching laboratories, is part of the original buildings on the Uxbridge campus site, established in 1966.

£8m has been allocated to update the block, with window replacement high up on the priority list for the refurbishment. Architects, Kendall Kingscott were in charge of the project, with Crispin & Borst as main contractors.

What was required for the £420,000 scheme was a complete like for like replacement., with the new units replicating the existing profiles in order to maintain the architectural integrity of the building and complementing the rest of the structures on the campus. Crittall Windows supplied its Corporate W20 profiles as the ideal solution. Not only do they fit in aesthetically but the narrow sightlines afforded by the strength of the steel profile enable larger amounts of glass to be used.

Because the block is home to sensitive physics and chemistry work, it proved a delicate operation to remove the existing windows and replace them with contemporary, double glazed options without disturbing the daily operations and continuous research within the labs. Architect in charge of the project Gavin Cowling explains: “Access was difficult to the windows and the university laboratories were in constant use throughout the entire length of the project. We used the Crittall W20 profiles as they provided the strength and resilience that was needed as well as the overall attractive appearance.”

The project took nine months to complete, and now the Heinz Wolff building boasts modern, up-to-date fenestration that meets all the requirements of thermal and sound insulation, allowing the students to carry on their research within.

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Housebuilders, designers, stockists and contractors now have a highly contemporary, high quality, yet affordable built-in oven to offer potential homebuyers.

Beko, one of the UK’s leading appliance manufacturers, has launched its new built-in multi-function Pyro oven, designed to appeal to housebuilders and consumers alike. This latest addition to the company’s rapidly expanding Beko Built-in range combines the the quality, reliability and affordability demanded by today’s housebuilders with the state-of-the-art style and features expected by discerning homebuyers.

The Pyro programmable cleaning feature compliments a massive 65 litre oven capacity – a 20% increase in usable oven space. For additional convenience, the oven features a large display programmable electronic timer, telescopic shelf system, push-in/push-out control knobs, a cool door* with four glass layers, maximum oven visibility with a large viewing window and interior light – and fingerprint-free stainless steel – a strong selling point for housebuilders appealing to the family market. In addition, maximum energy efficiency is ensured through the Pyro’s A energy rating. Beko have also considered the impact on the environment; this oven with all its features, delivers a strong story with a rating 20% better than the industry’s ‘A’ standard.

Building on its strong brand position in the free-standing sector on the high street, Beko expanded into the built-in market in April 2009, selling through the kitchen builder and contractor sector, as well as leading retail multiples and independents. In that relatively short period of time, the company has made major inroads into the built-in market: GfK results for the six months from January to June 2010 compared with 2009 show Beko’s share of the built-in sector more than doubled – an impressive improvement given the difficult trading conditions resulting from the recession and subsequent economic downturn.

With its ongoing programme of market research, brand building and new product development, Beko anticipates considerable growth, targetting the recovering housebuilding sector as the economy improves and the housing market stabilises.

From flats of all sizes to large executive family homes, Beko offers housebuilders, kitchen stockists and contractors a one-stop shop for all of their major appliance requirements. Cooking, refrigeration, laundry, dishwashers, and now built-in – Beko offers an extensive choice of products and designs, all developed with affordability, reliability and energy efficiency in mind to help housebuilders cut their costs and maximise their profits, at the same time offering potential homebuyers the best quality appliances available.

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A major new independent research study in the USA has concluded that water softeners are amongst the ‘very best’ household energy savers. The research was undertaken over 9 months at a cost of $700,000, and commissioned by the Water Quality Research Foundation – a not-for-profit association that provides public information about water treatment issues. The research findings back the energy saving claims made by the UK’s leading water softener manufacturer – Tapworks – over many years.

The study, undertaken by the renowned independent testing and research facility dedicated to applied science and technology development – the Battelle Institute – reported a number of key findings including that softeners help preserve the efficiency of water heaters and major appliances and keep showers and taps unclogged. The full report can be found at http://www.wqa.org/BattelleReport.

The research found that gas storage tank household water heaters operated on softened water maintained the original factory efficiency rating over a 15 year lifetime. This, whilst those operated on hard water saw as much as a 48% loss of efficiency.

The research also reported that up to 30 pounds of calcium carbonate rock-like scale can accumulate in electric water heaters over time. The scale build up shortens the life of the heating element significantly because of the increased operating temperature of that heating element as it has to heat the scale before it can heat the water.

The study found that instantaneous gas water heaters – similar to combi boilers here in the UK – operated on softened water maintained the original factory efficiency rating over a 15 year lifetime. But the study found that tankless water heaters completely failed to function because of scale ‘plugging’ in the downstream plumbing after only 1.6 years of equivalent hot water use on 26 gpg (440 ppm) hard water. Softened water, the report says, saves 34% of costs compared to operating on 20gpg (340 ppm) and saves 47% compared to operation on 30 gpg (530 ppm) hard water. Considering that many places in the UK have mains water at 500 ppm and higher, this puts the scale of the problem into context – Tutbury in Staffordshire has water measured at 715 ppm, Kingston, near Miltyon Keynes has water at 600 ppm and Middlesbrough and Leamington Spa share the distinction of mains water at 543 ppm.

Showerheads on soft water maintained a brilliant luster and full flow. Faucets and taps on softened water performed ell throughout the study – nearly as well as they did the day they were installed. Faucets and taps on hard water could not maintain the specified 1.25 gallons per minute flow rate because of scale collection of the strainers. The strainers on the faucets using unsoftened water were almost completely plugged after 19 equivalent days of testing.

The evidence with appliances was even more revealing. In the study, dishwashers and washing machines were operated for 30 days and 240 completed wash cycles on softened and hard water sources. The units using softened water were almost completely free of any water scale build up. The appearance of the inside of the units using hard water showed the need for ‘de-liming and cleaning’ due to the significant build up of scale and deposits.

As a consequence of the study, the WQA is now promoting water softeners in the USA as ‘the best energy saving device you can buy’.

Tapworks MD in the UK is Mike Pickavance: “Despite the economic climate in the UK in the last couple of years, we’ve been delighted that sales of our water softeners have been very good and defied the downturn many other manufacturers in our sector have experienced.

“This research report is very encouraging and highlights what we have been saying for many years here in the UK. Although the research has been undertaken in the US there is a direct read across to the UK marketplace.

“It’s a simple fact that 60% of the UK – including most of London and the south east and pretty much all of East Anglia – suffers from hard water and many areas of the UK suffer from exceptionally hard water – which has a number of fairly immediate problems from the rapid scaling up of appliances and heating systems in places that you can’t see, leading to early failures and a need for often extensive maintenance or replacement of parts, far earlier than you would normally expect to have them replaced. And a build up of limescale that people very definitely can see and experience in their washing, on shower screens, showerheads, not to mention the green grey stains in baths, washbasins and sinks and the scale build up in kettles. It’s a very obvious and often unpleasant problem to deal with, but one that can be simply dealt with by investing in a water softener. This latest research suggest that the pay back time typically for the purchase of a water softener is about 1 year. There are no other appliances you can buy that pay for themselves at all – making a water softener a unique investment for people living in hard water areas of the country.”

Another claim made by Tapworks is that investment in a water softener will see significant savings in soaps and detergents usage and the Battelle Study will report on this later in the year along with the effects hard water has on fabrics and laundry.

Tapworks was the first appliance manufacturer in the UK, back in 2008, to be accredited as an officially carbon neutral business. In Tapworks case, an accredited EU Emissions Trading Scheme Verifier measured and evaluated every aspect of the Tapworks UK operation. He confirmed the finding that “it is likely that the annual emissions created in the US manufacture of the UK sold units are covered by the annual emissions saving created by the softener use. It is therefore safe to state categorically that the UK operation of Tapworks has a beneficial impact on the environment.”

This report highlights that by installing a Tapworks water softener, if you live in a hard water area of the you will not only be installing a carbon neutral appliance, you will also be “conservatively saving up to 20% a year on your energy bills because of the reduced demand on electrical energy supply from a power station or gas combusted in the water heating equipment.”

Further details of the full range of Tapworks water softeners can be obtained by calling Tapworks on 01494 480 621 or visiting www.tapworks.co.uk.

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The garden roof in the centre of the Museum of London is one of the oldest installed in London and has been in situ since 1976 when the building was first created on historic London Wall, a few minutes walk north of St Paul’s Cathedral. Its refurbishment was part of a £20.5 million redevelopment of the museum’s lower Galleries of Modern London which retell the story of London and Londoners from 1666 to the present day.

The garden court roof, situated alongside the museum’s Sackler Hall, has now been refurbished and brought into the 21st century with a versatile waterproofing solution that allows the museum to change the emphasis of the landscape design to fit in with any feature display that is taking place in the surrounding galleries if required.

In order for the roof to take shape and refurbishment work to begin, 360 tonnes of soil had to be dug out by hand and removed by wheelbarrow through the museum. Craning of equipment or construction materials was vetoed because of the museum’s location, degree of adjacent offices and its neighbouring community of domestic residents.

The original asphalt roof covering was also removed to expose the concrete deck construction. A major issue for the new waterproofing was the perimeter detailing where the waterproofing had to meet the abutted glazing. This was overcome with using a cold liquid applied waterproofing which is compatible with the new root resistant elastomeric bitumen membrane system installed to the main deck area.

Many of the original garden features were retained for use at other locations around the museum or used again in the creation of the current contemporary design. Large granite and terracotta planters were re-potted with plants to support the new fully inhabited and functional beehive, which has been installed as part of the City of London Festival. All of which can be used as an educational resource for visiting school groups who can learn about how both green roofs and bees benefit the environment.

All works to the roof had to take place with the museum remaining open throughout so a co-ordinated approach between the museum, their project manager Gavin McCourt MRICS, the roofing contractor, Russell Trew Ltd and the waterproofing manufacturer, Bauder Ltd was essential to the success of the installation.

The spectacular Galleries of Modern London are now open to the public and are a real testament to how interactive and advanced a museum can be. Additionally, the museum, as part of its sustainability plan, is looking to refurbish the remaining roofs on the main building, so that there will be a large proportion of differing green roofs, including biodiversity and native species plug planted.

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Space is at a premium at this year's Oil & Renewable Heating Show, with less than 15 stands now remaining. The inaugural event, which takes place on 28 and 29 October at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, will bring together the cream of the oil and renewable sectors.

Names signed up include Harlequin, Rayburn, Parts Center and Plumb Center. Grant UK will also be there, exhibiting a whole 'green' home heating solution, Mitsubishi Electric will be on hand to explain to benefits of air source heat pumps and visitors to the Worcester Bosch stand will be in with the chance to win a set of Bosch power tools. The Danfoss stand will exhibit an updated version of its BFP oil pumps due for launch in the near future.

Harlequin's John Switzer says, “The Oil & Renewable Heating Show promises to provide installers and technicians with a 'one stop' look at the future of domestic heating in rural locations remote from the gas network. With a wide range of exhibitors present from across the oil heating and renewable industry, there is certainly going to be something of interest for everyone with an interest n domestic heating.

Jonathan Hibbert of Show Organiers A&D Publishing , said “The Oil & Renewable Heating Show will provide solutions for the challenge of meeting carbon emission reductions. It will offer technicians, specifiers and local authorities the chance to find out more about the future of heating.”

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Improved convenience and versatility are among the key benefits of the latest range of digital earth resistance testers from Megger, which has now been extended to include a new model powered from rechargeable batteries and versions with variable test frequency.

• Extended test range
• Variable test frequency
• Greater kitting options
• Weather and dust proof earth testers

Extended test range

The maximum resistance that can be measured has been increased to 20 kO on the DET4TD and TR and 200 kO the DET4TC and TCR models.

Variable test frequncy

For demanding applications requiring maximum versatility, Megger offers the DET4TC2 tester, which is powered from standard AA batteries, and the DET4TCR2 tester, which uses rechargeable batteries. The DET4TCR2 has an integral charger, and is supplied complete with a mains adaptor.

These instruments support two-, three- and four-pole testing, as well as Attached Rod Technique (ART), stakeless, leakage current and earth noise voltage measurement. They also allow users to select the test frequency from one of four options – 94Hz, 105Hz, 111Hz and 128Hz – making it easy, even in difficult situations, to choose a frequency which minimises the effects of interference.

Competitively priced

Also available are the new DET4TD2 tester and the DET4TR2 tester, the former being designed for use with replaceable batteries, the latter with rechargeable cells. Fully supporting the most popular earth resistance test methods – two-, three- and four-pole testing – these very competitively priced instruments are an ideal choice for use where the exceptional versatility of the DET4TC2 and DET4TC2 models is not needed.

Greater kitting options

Megger’s new earth resistance testers are offered in a wide range of kit options. Basic kits include the instrument, a tough hard carrying case, a stake and wire kit (15m, 10m, 10m and 3m lengths) plus, for rechargeable models, a mains unit. Adaptor kits replace the stake and wire kit with right-angle terminal adaptors to connect bare wires to terminals. Also offered for the DET4TC models are kits for ART and stakeless testing.

All accessories are available separately, which means that users can, if they wish, select the most appropriate combination to suit their own particular needs rather than opting for a pre-configured kit.

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Photos copyright Serge Brison

There may be few contemporary commercial building designs today which provoke widespread public praise, but Umicore VMZINC’s new office building in Greinerstraat at its Hoboken plant, south of Antwerp, is clearly an exception. At what is the largest recycling facility for precious metals in the world, a new design approach was taken to regenerate the local environment and to showcase the design flexibility that zinc cladding can provide. The company has thousands of stunning roofing, cladding and rainscreen projects throughout the world to its credit, but none stands comparison with the shape and form of the Hoboken building.

Architects Conix Architects’ brief was to integrate the plant buildings more effectively into the immediate environment. The snake-like form hints at what has been achieved but hardly does it justice. Conix Arcitects’ Christine Conix commented, “The new building is constructed as if it were a folded ribbon and was completely 'wrapped' with zinc standing seam cladding. This undoubtedly adds emphasis to its form”. Conix Partner Architect Sylvie Bruyninckx added, “It became clear at the concept stage that zinc should be used as its flexibility lends itself perfectly to the creation of curves and folds. It encloses the building just like a skin”. The comment hints at the complexity of detailing, described by the contractor as “conceptual extravagance”.

In the UK, growing interest in zinc roofing, cladding and rainwater systems owes much to the metal’s sustainability. It also reflects the fact that zinc can be used with a wide variety of construction materials in either new build or refurbishment. Use of distinctive colours such as black ANTHRA-ZINC®, grey QUARTZ-ZINC® and subtle shades of PIGMENTO® green, red and blue has enabled zinc to develop a clear identity. A thriving recycling record has long been established throughout Western Europe but without the combination of performance and appearance, such growing success could not have been maintained.

The depth and diversity of zinc projects throughout the UK combining aesthetics, sustainability and long-term performance offers tangible proof that it is now in the construction mainstream for both contemporary and traditional styles. If none quite match up to Hoboken, the visual distinctiveness of zinc is common to all.

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