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Years of corrosion made renewal a priority – both as a means of saving water and of restoring water quality.  But the city’s traffic conditions made very special demands on the project team.

The mapping and documentation of existing pipe systems was old and uncertain. The team would only discover the real conditions below ground once the job had started.

Even more challenging was the need to avoid disruption to day-to-day city life.  The tramways and busy city traffic ran above the water pipelines, and could not be disrupted.

Primary contractor Excel Engineering chose Wavin Compact Pipe for this challenging job.  Pulling through the existing pipelines was possible for the full 120 meter length, avoiding the need for trenching.

Initial inspection showed that the straight pipe alignment marked on the plans did not correspond to reality.  The team would need to deal with multiple bends along the pipe length.

Herman Lo of Excel Engineering was an instant fan of Wavin Compact Pipe, “We needed to deal with severely limited diameters in the old pipe system. With Wavin Compact Pipe we pulled through with the pipe folded for minimum space and then inflated for full capacity using steam under pressure.”

A final camera inspection showed Hong Kong’s new water mains ready to operate at full capacity, delivering water quality without obstruction – and without disturbing the busy life of the city.

Watch the video about Compact Pipe installation in Hong Kong here!

Warmafloor combined geothermal ground-source heat pumps, recently endorsed by the Environment Agency, with its underfloor heating and cooling systems. Heat pumps provide water at the 45°C required for under-floor heating rather than the 70–80°C needed for radiators. During warm weather, cooling is provided by the same under-floor circuit manifolds.

Intelligent control makes it easy to adjust the temperature for maximum comfort. This is especially important in a school: children can’t concentrate in overheated classrooms.

Underfloor heating also eliminates the need for radiators – allowing maximum use of the floor space and removing sharp edges too. The solution is also healthier: by reducing convection currents there are fewer disturbances of dust mites, fibres and other microbiological contaminants. This provides purer air quality for students and teachers.

Derrick Pope, Director of Pope Consulting, who specified Warmafloor on this project, explains the choice, “We wanted as many cutting edge sustainable initiatives as possible.  We aimed for a BREEAM excellent rating and the Warmafloor heating and cooling systems on the ground, first and second floors helped us achieve this goal.”

Mike Lamb, Managing Director of Warmafloor said, “For us, sustainable development means a reduction in CO2 emissions, more efficient use of resources and increased consideration for people’s wellbeing:  for Meadway School we delivered exactly that.”

The potable water pipeline was installed on behalf of WMD. Wavin has a framework agreement with WMD and is currently the main supplier of the potable water pipelines. The quality and competitive price were once again the reasons why WMD chose Wavin. According to Petra Holzhaus, Distribution Manager at WMD, this project enabled WMD to kill two birds with one stone. "The drinking water produced in Beilen can now be mixed with softened drinking water from Assen, which means that softer water will flow from the taps in Beilen and the surrounding area. Not only is this good for residents - it also benefits other users, such as industry. Softer water requires less maintenance to appliances such as washing machines. In addition to improving the water quality, safeguarding the supply also is a main priority for WMD. The new pipeline links the production stations in Assen and Beilen, allowing supply to central Drenthe to be guaranteed, even in an emergency."

WMD was conscious in its decision to choose Wavin Apollo PVC-O potable water pipelines. "The quality of these pipes is even better than our conventional pipeline. The difference lies in the production process, as Apollo pipes are biaxially orientated PVC. This means that the pipes have a higher impact resistance, more resistant to crack growth and can withstand higher pressures and lower temperatures. Apollo pipes also weigh less." The 400-mm diameter was also a carefully considered decision. "We discussed 315 mm but ultimately chose a 400 mm pipe. In the long term, this will mean that reduced investments will be necessary at the production station in Beilen. The savings in energy costs, thanks to the lower friction in the large pipe diameter, is a bonus."

WMD purchased the pipes to allow for growth - capacity will not be fully utilized just yet, but may be in the future. Since the pipes last for at least fifty years, this is a sustainable choice.

With no fewer than 19 kilometres of drinking water transport pipes, this is a pretty large project. Wavin manufactures the pipes in 24-metre lengths and delivers these to the construction site. This is an exceptional load, and Wavin holds a special license for this type of delivery. The contractor uses lifting equipment with suction cups to place the pipes in the trenches. Wavin PE pipes (450 mm) provide a solution for locations where controlled drill holes need to be made, such as under motorways, nature reserves or buildings. According to Petra Holzhaus, everything has run very smoothly so far. "We can order our materials on demand from Wavin and it is neatly supplied in sections. An advantage of the long pipes is that we can make quick progress. However, it is sometimes a challenge to get them to the right place, for example in fields. We might take a slightly different approach next time. No matter what, we are very impressed with the quality of the Wavin Apollo PVC-O pipes."

Until recently, raw sewage was being discharged straight into the sea. This was in part due to lack of environmental awareness and in part due to the lack of money needed to remedy the situation.  

Not only was this disastrous for the sensitive marine environment. It was also a serious risk to public health, particularly during the regular rainy season, when flooding is the norm in low-lying island areas.

ECVM (the European Council for Vinyl Manufacturers), in partnership with Dutch NGO Agua4All, donated both the PVC pipes and the necessary technical expertise required to build a new waste water system on Pemba.

The project uses international aid and enables local communities to help themselves - improving quality-of-life for local residents; minimizing environmental impact; and boosting the local economy.

Wavin provided over 590 Tegra inspection chambers and all the plastic pipe and fitting needed to complete this extensive 12.1 kilometre infrastructure project.

With a high-profile construction like the Shang Salcedo Place tower, every aspect of the job needs to be managed for maximum efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Specialist plumbing contractors, Enerthrust, made Wavin PE soil and waste products their first choice for the job.  Ease-of-handling was an important factor in choosing high-density polyethylene, but cost was an influence too – the base product costs compared very favourably with more traditional cast-iron products.

Working to a tight schedule, in which multiple contractors needed to perform together, logistics were also a key to successful completion.  Local Wavin agent, Thermovar, made sure that throughout the project, the right products were always on site in the right sequence, in the right quantity and at the right time.

Enerthrust project manager, Peter Canlas, had no hesitation in recommending Wavin HDPE soil and waste products, “They were easy to install, are exceptionally durable and helped us significantly reduce project costs.” Combining the HDPE products for vertical use with lower-specification PVC products for horizontal use met the performance specifications and brought the best result in terms of cost.

With a covered area of over four hectares on a sixteen hectare site, the stadium seats 43,000 fans. Known as “The Lantern’, its exterior is made of glass fibre which allows it to be 'painted' with light to match the event.

Wavin systems are used throughout the stadium, both above and below ground. They include polyethylene systems for all water management, Wavin X-Stream and septic tanks for sewers, SiTech low-noise soil and waste systems, Tigris K1 for hot and cold water supply and QuickStream siphonic roof drainage.

Wavin was actively involved from the start, in discussion and development meetings with architects and investors, and subsequently with contractors and subcontractors.

Jerzy Zwiech, president of Exprim Wroclaw, the installer on this high-profile project, appreciated being able to deal with Wavin as a single supplier. “Choosing Wavin products allowed us to install all the stadium’s sanitary systems efficiently and professionally. With Wavin as our chosen supplier, we worked well together under real time pressures. Wavin is a reliable partner and fully kept to the very tight delivery schedule, ensuring we met all time commitments."

The UN wanted this development to reflect its own values and principles. It was to be a showcase in sustainable development. Obtaining the internationally recognised green building standard LEED was a condition from the start.

The Wavin QuickStream system was an early candidate for roof drainage and water management, and engineering consultants from Wavin worked closely in the design and planning phases to optimise the configuration.

The Wavin roof drainage system ensures that rainfall is managed as a valuable resource across the UN City site. It also simplifies construction, reducing the range and quantity of components required by around 50% compared to traditional systems.

Project manager Jan Harlev of specialist contractor L & H Rørbyg A/S greatly appreciated the continuous cooperation which characterised Wavin’s involvement, “The Wavin team worked with us to prepare detailed and accurate project and implementation plans. They also provided hands-on guidance to our workforce ensuring efficient and error-free installation.”

Wavin surface heating and cooling specialists Warmafloor were commissioned to develop a bespoke heating solution to deliver heat and comfort to the apartments used by 15,000 athletes and officials staying in the village.

The solution was installed in five residential towers, with a total of 1,500 apartments. FSC-certified acoustic timber floors were designed to meet the 90-360mm level floor elevation, omit wet trades and reduce installation time. Warmafloor also custom-designed pump kit manifolds to meet the stringent space allowance in the apartments.

Known as East Village London, these 'lifetime homes' would ensure efficiency and sustainability long after the excitement of the Olympics. The project was awarded an 'Excellent' BREEAM rating and also met the required Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4. It was the first large-scale, high-density, high-rise scheme to be granted this certification.

Innovative construction practices were used to ensure optimum efficiency and local Combined Cooling Heat and Power Plants (CCHP) produced the energy required by the site. This process reduces carbon emissions by 68% compared to similar residential developments. Warmafloor's skilled team created the detailed designs needed to maximise efficient installation and help to deliver the project on time and under budget.