TPI January 2009

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January 2009 Tube Products International 39
Gas productsWater and
Cast iron drainage system used in
student accommodation development
The versatility of the Ensign cast iron drainage system from Saint-Gobain
Pipelines has resulted in its specification for a major new student accommodation
development in Manchester, UK.
The Plymouth Grove development, built
by Browns Construction in the city’s
Longsight area, is home for up to 465
students in en suite rooms, in 10 blocks
of up to 12 storeys each.
Mechanical and electrical consultant
firm Foreman Roberts was keen to
ensure a robust drainage system that
could not easily be damaged.
A further consideration was the ‘pod’
style en suite bathrooms with the
shower at the lowest point, which
ideally needed a drainage system that
could easily link to the outlet pipes from
both the shower and the toilet.
Foreman Roberts specified the Saint-Gobain Pipelines Ensign product – the
only cast iron drainage system accredited to the BS EN 877 standard.
The range includes tail branches long enough to be passed through floor slabs
without the need for connections, and with up to four boss connections to
which both the shower and toilet outlet pipes could be fitted, making them
suitable for the bathroom pods at Plymouth Grove.
The installation, by Liverpool-based The Strong Group Ltd, took place over a
period of nearly a year as the site developed. Ryan Spencer, associate director
at The Strong Group, commented, “The Ensign range was perfect for this
installation due to its robustness, durability, fire resistance and its flexibility to
cope with the requirements of the bathroom pods, and the long tail branches
with their choice of boss connections negated the need for joints in the floor
slab. This project is an indication of how the sector sees cast iron as a high-
quality, premium product offering performance and cost benefits over the
competition.”
Saint-Gobain Pipelines – UK
•
Shanghai Shangshang Stainless
Steel Pipe Co Ltd is a civil joint-stock
enterprise, jointly invested and founded
by Zhejiang Yongshang Stainless Steel
Industrial Co Ltd, along with other
partners.
Themanufacturer specialises in stainless
steel seamless pipes and tubes, and
special pipes for petroleum, natural gas
and other industrial purposes. Founded
in 2001, the company owns factory
buildings covering an area of more than
80,000m 2, with total floor area as large
as 50,000m2.
Shanghai Shangshang Stainless
Steel Pipe Co Ltd – China
Seamless stainless steel pipes
from Shanghai Shangshang
feeding into a single manifold. Simple
DOL or star-delta starting was out of
the question, as a 20 second start-up
period was necessary to enable the
connecting pipe work to be monitored
for minor leakages during start-up
and to facilitate a rapid and controlled
shut-down if necessary. To enable the
necessary degree of control, SABSCO
selected two Softstart 58-400-0-S soft-
start units, which were used to control
the two high pressure pumps.
The pump system needed to be built as
a portable rig due to the nature of the
work undertaken. The soft-start units
were supplied built into a control panel,
also supplied by Softstart UK Ltd, which
contained additional motor control
equipment. According to Mr Smith,
“I have used products from Softstart UK
on many occasions over the past few
years and knew they could deliver. The
equipment has proved to be reliable and
rugged, which is exactly what we need
in the environments in which we work.
Quality of service from enquiry to after-
sales is very high on our list of priorities,
and we continue to experience this from
Softstart. This new and now proven
technique has given us and our client
clear schedule benefits.”
Softstart UK Ltd – UK
SABSCO Ltd – UK
Two 30kW high pressure pumps, plus S S
control panel
Saint-Gobain’s Ensign drainage S S
system features tail branches long
enough to pass through floor slabs
without connections