The Victoria Square Project
JG Speedfit PB-1 layflat pipe and push-fit fittings deliver hot and cold water and heat to 429 high-rise apartments.
Above the flagship town centre, two multi-storey apartment blocks offer the ultimate urban living experience. The tallest of the two towers stands at 118m and has 34 storeys, while the adjacent block has 32 storeys and is 108m tall.
With a relatively small footprint but large floor area, one of the main challenges for the high-rise buildings was to create a compact, intelligent and energy-efficient plumbing and heating system that regulates water supply and maximises space without compromising comfort.
Each apartment benefits from an individual trench heating and cooling system, creating an energy efficient and space saving solution for maintaining ambient temperature. The trench heating system provides convection heating, similar to radiators, but without the need to hang radiators on the walls, thus providing much more living space.
PBPSA member RWC/John Guest’s project involvement
To reliably control the trench heating and cooling system, each apartment is fitted with a JG Underfloor heating manifold. Fast and simple to install, without the need for tools, JG Speedfit push-fit fittings and pipes made from Polybutene-1 are concealed behind the walls to connect the hot and cold water service, and to deliver water to each dwelling.
The supply of water to all 429 apartments is controlled by Reliance Valves’ Tenant Valve. Combining a number of functions into one compact unit, its unique design includes a ball isolating valve, pressure reducing valve, double check valve, dual reading pressure gauge/test point and connection point for water meters. With space at a premium, these all-in-one valves replaced the need for numerous bulky valves, making it quicker and easier to install, especially in confined areas.
Working with the building design team, RWC/John Guests’s technical engineers were on hand to assist with product selection and to provide best practice installation advice for the most efficient installation and optimal system performance.
Project at a Glance
Development:
Victoria Square Apartments, Woking, UK
Client:
Briggs & Forrester Living
Requirement:
Time-saving, energy efficient plumbing and heating solution
Specified solution:
JG Speedfit PB-1 Layflat and PEX pipe, PB-1 push-fit fittings, JG Underfloor Manifold, Reliance Valves Tenant Valve.
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Polybutene-1 is often referred to as Polybutene, Polybutylene, PB-1 or PB.
Polybutene-1 is not sold by PBPSA members for use in pipe applications intended for use in North America, and those parties require their customers or distributors not to sell products made from PB-1 into pipe applications for North America.