TPi May 2014

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May 2014 Tube Products International 53
Water, drainage and civi ls
HDPE pipes for shipyard
air duct system
Asset International Ltd, a manufacturer
of Weholite HDPE plastic sustainable
drainage and water management
products, has moved into the
ventilation sector, with the provision
of a network of HDPE pipes to service
a new extension at the Pendennis
Shipyard in Falmouth, Cornwall, UK.
Pendennis is a superyacht builder with
a heritage spanning 25 years, during
which time it has completed over 200
refit projects and created 30 custom new
build yachts. In early 2013, Pendennis
commenced the major development
of its Falmouth location, in order to
respond to an increased number of refit
enquiries as well as to provide facilities
for larger 60m+ vessels. The extension
will see the creation of three new marine
facing sheds and workshops, as well as
expanded office, workshop and crew
facilities. The project is partially funded
by the European Regional Development
Fund (ERDF).
In order to facilitate the extension
Pendennis appointed Midas as the
main contractor to undertake the
required works. Asset International was
appointed by SCB Groundworks, a sub-
contractor on the project. Asset was
specifically involved in providing a large
network of underground pipes in order
to service an airtight duct, designed
to carry air from the plant room
to vast blowers within the
workshop. These giant blowers
help to dry the fresh paint on the
hulls of the superyachts built or
refitted at the shipyard.
Asset supplied 750mof 1,350mm
diameter Weholite, along with
prefabricated access shafts.
Weholite exploits an advanced
technology polyethylene
material and is used primarily
in water infrastructure projects
across the UK. It is lightweight,
durable, easy to install, abrasion
resistant, and tolerant of ground
movements.
Paul O’Regan, technical sales
engineer at Asset International,
said, “Weholite lends itself to
underground air duct systems
such as the one installed at
Pendennis Shipyard, due to
its versatility and ability to be
fabricated easily into complex
arrangements.
“This is essential when the air
duct needs to navigate around
a multitude of other services
that need to be installed.
“We were thrilled to be
involved with the Pendennis
Shipyard expansion. The
work they do in refitting and
building luxury superyachts is
not only impressive but also
extremely interesting and the
level of engineering on-site is
something to behold.”
Andy Mansell, quantity
surveyor for SCB Groundworks,
commented, “After looking
at several different options, Weholite
proved to be the most suitable solution
and offered both programming and
economical advantages.”
Asset International has exclusive UK
and Ireland rights to manufacture the
Weholite range of structured wall pipe.
Originally developed in Finland,
Weholite is manufactured in internal
diameters from 400 to 3,500mm.
The low-pressure pipe offers the
construction and water industries a
solution across a range of applications,
including surface drainage, foul sewers,
inter-process pipe work, culverts,
attenuation tanks, ducting and outfalls.
Asset International – UK
Pendennis Shipyard in Cornwall
Asset supplied 750m of Weholite pipe for the network
of underground pipes