HTA combats metal thefts in Colchester

A major new £35m student accommodation development, which has adopted an innovative pod design to reduce build times, has utilised our HTA pipework for the domestic hot and cold water services. King Edward’s Quay, a new contemporary student accommodation complex in Colchester, is a state-of-the art living experience for University of Essex students. Comprising 779 high-quality rooms, the eight storey development offers seven different types of student accommodation, ranging from one bed flats to en-suite cluster rooms, in addition to a shop, restaurant and spacious communal areas. Constructed in two phases, the scheme is being delivered as a turn-key solution, with modular construction specialists Elements Europe responsible for manufacturing and installing the 779 room pods, along with a further 255 room pods for shared kitchen facilities and plant rooms. Utilising a modular construction technique significantly reduced build time and so developers needed to ensure all mechanical and electrical services to be installed on-site offered similar time-saving benefits. As a result, Durapipe HTA was specified for the hot water, return and boosted cold water pipework requirements. Each pod needed to be connected to the water mains on site and therefore HTA in sizes up to 110mm was installed for the main service riser, which transfers water from the main storage tank in the basement plant room and feeds smaller risers to distribute the hot and cold water to each floor. While a pipework system that would offer time benefits during the installation process was required, security was also a major issue. With the site being open, the risk of metal thefts was a concern and so HTA eliminated that risk, while offering a cost effective solution. Durapipe HTA is a C-PVC pipework system specially designed for domestic hot and cold water services. The product’s lightweight nature, combined with its quick and easy solvent weld jointing technique, offers significant installed cost savings, compared with copper alternatives. HTA’s limescale and corrosion resistant properties also ensure it maintains its performance over the lifetime of the system with minimal maintenance requirements.

For more information on HTA combats metal thefts in Colchester talk to Durapipe (UK)