polypipe

Senior appointment drives focus on sustainable drainage & supply solutions

Senior appointment drives focus on sustainable drainage & supply solutions

Polypipe Building Services has appointed Sean Norris as Advantage Services Manager to drive the company’s focus on offsite prefabrication. Sean’s move across from his role as Product Manager within the Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation business follows a series of other senior appointments within Polypipe Building Services, as it increases

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Polypipe Building Services supports smarter project design with BIM assets

Polypipe Building Services supports smarter project design with BIM assets

Polypipe Building Services has released Revit families for its Terrain PVC Soil and Waste and Terrain FUZE Stax drainage systems. The content has received BSI Kitemark accreditation to BIM Level 2, underscoring the company’s commitment to construction best practice. Terrain PVC, now manufactured with up to 65% recycled materials, combines

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BAM signs solus supply deal with Polypipe

BAM Nuttall and BAM Construct UK have signed a solus agreement with Polypipe Group plc’s market-leading divisions Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation and Polypipe Building Products to supply drainage products to all BAM’s infrastructure and building projects in the UK. The move signals a closer relationship in procurement between BAM

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London maps path to merge green and urban realms

The weeks of lockdown have accelerated the creation of liveable streets and green spaces, according to speakers at the latest e-Roadshow on Realising Resilience presented by Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation. “It was interesting to see the changes that have already taken place in London and to learn about how

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Birmingham’s journey from grey to green

The Covid-19 crisis offers the opportunity to rethink the way we design our cities, said speakers at Planning and Development to Enhance Health and Wellbeing, the third of Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation’s e-Roadshow events on Realising Resilience. Focused on Birmingham, the first UK city to join the global Biophilic Cities network, the

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Cardiff calls for early engagement on SuDS

The second of Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation’s e-Roadshow events on Realising Resilience put the spotlight on Wales, where it is now a statutory requirement to have SuDS in place to manage on-site surface water. All three guest speakers, from the worlds of local authorities, architecture and planning, expressed the

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Manchester’s message of collaboration

Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation’s inaugural Realising Resilience e-Roadshow event on Wednesday 17th June, which attracted over 80 delegates, shone a light on Greater Manchester and the great strides it is taking towards embedding green infrastructure throughout the region. “One of the strong messages to emerge from the diverse line-up

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Polypipe celebrates £25m Blackpool project

One of England’s most iconic venues is undergoing a huge £25m rebuild with help from Polypipe Building Services. The Grade II Listed Blackpool Winter Gardens is set to open a new conference centre this year in what is the first major development at the site since the construction of the

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Latest Issue

BDC 321 : Oct 2024

polypipe

Senior appointment drives focus on sustainable drainage & supply solutions

Senior appointment drives focus on sustainable drainage & supply solutions

Polypipe Building Services has appointed Sean Norris as Advantage Services Manager to drive the company’s focus on offsite prefabrication. Sean’s move across from his role as Product Manager within the Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation business follows a series of other senior appointments within Polypipe Building Services, as it increases its focus on providing sustainable solutions for customers. Having joined Polypipe in 2010 as a Business Development Representative, Sean brings with him extensive knowledge of the building services sector and strategic projects. In his new role he will oversee an ambitious growth plan for the company’s Advantage Service, which provides a bespoke fully fabricated drainage and supply systems solution for specifiers and contractors. Sean said: “Everyone is talking about the importance of offsite and modular construction which is our biggest challenge and the largest opportunity for us.  “As a business we want to work more closely with developers and contractors to consider the challenges they face and how we can support – for example by implementing product development such as pre-insulating pipework to make installation easier.  “Because we can offer bespoke fabrication in-house at Polypipe Building Services the opportunities are endless, with offsite fabrication frequently being chosen as a preferred construction method by hotel chains and pub groups. The challenge for us is to understand how we need to evolve our products and processes to meet their needs.  “We’re aiming to expand the Advantage Service into next year and beyond, growing our 30-strong technical and fabrication teams. Additionally, I’ll be looking to simplify our processes to align with our customer’s needs.” Ian Crickmore, Technical Director of Polypipe Building Services, commented: “Sean is a very welcome addition to the Advantage team and will play a key role in shaping the direction of our prefabricated service. “Offsite construction will play a vital part within the construction sector as specifiers are being challenged to do more with less, while still delivering on quality and sustainability standards. “It’s also a more environmentally friendly option because it minimises waste, which ties into our commitment as part of the Genuit Group to become a sustainable, low-carbon business, and to deliver sustainable solutions.” For more information about all the latest products at Polypipe Building Services go to www.polypipe.com/commercial-building-services Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Polypipe Building Services supports product transparency with Environmental Product Declarations

Polypipe Building Services supports product transparency with Environmental Product Declarations

Polypipe Building Services has now released environmental product declarations (EPDs) for its suite of MecFlow, Terrain Q Terrain FUZE and Terrain PVC pipes and fittings sold in the UK. Customers within the construction sector are increasingly asking for EPDs as sustainability has become a key factor, with increased pressure being placed on specifiers to help minimise the environmental impact of a building and the materials required for its construction. Based on third party-verified life cycle assessments (LCAs), EPDs provide details of the environmental impact of a product across its entire life, and enable building designers, planners, contractors, and developers to select the best products for their projects that also have the lowest carbon footprints. Although currently manufacturers are not obliged to provide EPDs, Polypipe Building Services has taken the step to supply them as standard for all their products as part of their commitment to construction best practice. Alex Ashton, environmental and sustainability manager at Polypipe Building Services said: “Providing detailed environmental information for our products marks an important milestone in supporting the UK construction industry to make more sustainable choices. “The release of these EPDs follows our being awarded the BSI Kitemark for our BIM Level 2 Revit files. They also form part of our push towards providing complete product transparency, and the carbon data our customers need to achieve the government pledge to net zero. “EPDs also play an essential part in producing accurate plans as part of a project’s ‘golden thread’ of information. Monitoring, measuring, and reporting in this way supports our drive to continuously improve our products and lower greenhouse gas emissions.” The cornerstone of creating a circular economy at Polypipe Building Services has been the launch of their Terrain PVC pipes manufactured with up to 65% recycled materials and combining exceptional performance with enhanced sustainability standards.  This significant investment in product development supports the commitment by their parent company, the Genuit Group, towards emission reduction targets through the Science Based Targets initiative, which was validated in April this year, and is the first to be made by a building products manufacturer within the UK as part of their ambition to be the low carbon supplier of choice into the industry.  For more information about the EPDs available from Polypipe Building Services follow the product links and click on EPD at www.polypipe.com/commercial-building-services/technical-hub Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals 

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Polypipe Building Services supports smarter project design with BIM assets

Polypipe Building Services supports smarter project design with BIM assets

Polypipe Building Services has released Revit families for its Terrain PVC Soil and Waste and Terrain FUZE Stax drainage systems. The content has received BSI Kitemark accreditation to BIM Level 2, underscoring the company’s commitment to construction best practice. Terrain PVC, now manufactured with up to 65% recycled materials, combines exceptional performance with enhanced sustainability standards, while the Terrain FUZE Stax HDPE drainage system offers two-part fabricated stack configurations designed to make high-rise installations simpler and quicker saving time spent on sizing, cutting and welding loose components. The award of the BSI Kitemark means that data-rich Revit files are now available to designers – making it easier to produce accurate plans as part of a project’s golden thread and to ensure these are followed right through to quotation and ordering. Providing data to BIM Level 2 standards means that Polypipe Building Services offers product performance and specification information that has been validated to meet strict requirements, and that it is presented using standardised templates. This means it’s simple to use, store and share – ultimately making it easier to create accurate project designs.  Carl Brunger- Building Services BIM Manager at Polypipe Building Services commented: “Ensuring the availability of accurate, transparent data for our products is extremely important to us, and we see BIM as a key route in achieving this. We have been accredited to BIM Level 2 for two years and in that time we have been working hard to increase the volume of content we have available to drainage system designers.  “The Revit assets for Terrain PVC Soil and Waste and Terrain FUZE Stax systems will open up access to a wealth of product information to support best practice within the design of drainage systems. It will help with faster building design, greater traceability and accuracy right through to ordering. “With this high level of BIM data available across a key product range, project specifiers and designers can be confident that working with Polypipe Building Services allows for maximum flexibility and product choice at their fingertips, within the convenience of the Revit platform.” For more information about Revit files available from Polypipe Building Services go to: https://www.polypipe.com/bim-revit-files Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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BAM signs solus supply deal with Polypipe

BAM Nuttall and BAM Construct UK have signed a solus agreement with Polypipe Group plc’s market-leading divisions Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation and Polypipe Building Products to supply drainage products to all BAM’s infrastructure and building projects in the UK. The move signals a closer relationship in procurement between BAM UK businesses, anticipated to be the first of several such arrangements. BAM believes carefully targeted deals will offer a competitive advantage for its clients, and benefits in quality and performance. “We are focused on meeting clients’ demands,” says Daniel Billinge, recently appointed as BAM Construct UK’s head of procurement. “This includes securing their key drivers like sustainability, faster programme delivery, and with modern methods of construction that demand more off-site manufacturing and standardisation. This step enhances all of those criteria.” The BAM solus agreement with Polypipe supports earlier and closer collaboration throughout the project life cycle. Economies of scale and a raft of benefits will reduce capital costs for Clients and add sustainable value. Using just one drainage supplier on a project means BAM can plug products into the design from day one. This component-led approach removes the need to alter drawings – or digital designs – further down the line. Reducing redesigns saves time and resolves clashes and interfaces before a project gets onto site. As all components are compatible, the system’s quality and performance are assured. “Ultimately this arrangement will not only take a lot of inefficiency out of the design, tender and construction stages, it will allow us to focus on what adds value for the customer on that particular project,” says James Lees, head of supply chain at BAM Nuttall. “Polypipe’s technical teams will be feeding into the design process which will help us look at a wider range of possible solutions, and take early decisions based on value not just capital cost”. For both Polypipe and BAM, working together collaboratively will establish a platform for innovation and continuous improvement particularly in areas such as carbon reduction and the wider use of recycled materials and SMART technologies.  It will also allow the development of bespoke net-gain solutions based on the unique Green Urbanisation approach which allows the integration of optimised green assets within urban and infrastructure schemes. Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation became an approved supplier to BAM Nuttall around nine months ago, and the two organisations have already been working closely on projects for Highways England. BAM Nuttall is part of the LinkConnex consortium with partners Aecom and Mace which will work on Regional Delivery Framework projects on the M54/ M6 and the A38 in the Midlands and on the A27 in the South East. BAM Nuttall is also working on the M27 upgrade, part of the Smart Motorway programme, in joint venture with Morgan Sindall. BAM Nuttall and Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation have been collaborating to create a library of BIM models for highway drainage. As well as streamlining the design and construction phases, this approach aims to bring efficiencies to the operation and maintenance of the roads. “This deal is exciting because we are moving from a transactional relationship to a collaborative one,” says James Haddon, account manager for Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation, who has worked closely with James Lees and Daniel Billinge to set up the solus supply deal. “We are really happy about the way that our relationship has progressed and that we have been able to include other parts of our two groups in our journey”.

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London maps path to merge green and urban realms

The weeks of lockdown have accelerated the creation of liveable streets and green spaces, according to speakers at the latest e-Roadshow on Realising Resilience presented by Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation. “It was interesting to see the changes that have already taken place in London and to learn about how upcoming policy changes – as well as the pandemic – will push things even further,” said Sean Robinson, Specification Director, who hosted the event, Shaping City Policy to Support Biodiversity and Green Urbanisation. The first phase of the Ladderswood Estate regeneration in Enfield provided a practical example of green urbanisation in action, as described by Nicholas Wright, National Specification Manager – City & Landscapes. This complex scheme, which took just nine months from design to delivery, required check dams and flow controls to accommodate multiple areas, with the end result providing play spaces, grass, pathways and planting for the 517 households. Ecologist Dr Julia Baker, of Balfour Beatty, shone a spotlight on the future policy of biodiversity net gain. Changes to the National Planning Policy Framework and the Environment Bill, expected in late 2020, are likely to demand a 10% improvement in biodiversity but Julia urged developers to aim higher. “Better is different from best,” she said. “We must ask ourselves, at a project level and at a policy level, whether we have achieved the best outcome?” Careful design could, Julia argued, not only enhance biodiversity but be targeted to add social value such as improving areas of social deprivation. “Green Bounceback” is how Luke Hilson, Design Director at Barton Wilmore, described a post-Covid future where the urban streetscape has been reclaimed from traffic. Homeworking, active travel, and outdoor dining have already affected change, he said, with the creation of ‘parklets’ in our city streets: “One of the most visible things we have seen in the last few weeks and months, across London and the UK, is that we are taking space that was previously highway space and reclaiming it for people.” “The pandemic is leading us to accelerate what we had already planned to do,” said Peter Massini, Principal Policy Officer for Greater London Authority. Climate change had already made urban greening a priority, he noted, a thread which runs through  the new London Plan, The Mayor’s Transport Strategy and the London Environment Strategy. “We need to blur the space between parks, green spaces and developments,” he said, pointing to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park development in East London as a practical example. This high-density housing development incorporates green roofs and SuDS that ends in a reed bed system before draining into the River Lea, providing both greater biodiversity and amenity. Peter also spoke of the need to rethink the role of parks in London’s transport system, for instance using sections around their perimeters for rental bike storage, as long as they were well designed. “We must make green space a functional part of the infrastructure of our cities,” he said.  “Some people think of it as the urban realm intruding into parks, but I like to think of it as the parks intruding into the urban realm.” The next event of the series is on August 11th and concentrates on Ireland and covers Changing Legislation and Growing Ambition – Planning for Green Infrastructure and SuDS in Northern Ireland. The series concludes on August 18th, with a rescheduled Scotland event which considers the challenge of Delivering for the Climate Emergency in Scotland’s Green Network. All of the guest speaker presentations for the London e-Roadshow event can be viewed at https://www.polypipe.com/news For information on the full programme and details of how to register visit: – https://www.polypipe.com/roadshow-2020 Pic caption: Adapting streetscapes and parks to promote active travel will be at the heart of the post-Covid ‘Green Bounceback’.

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Birmingham’s journey from grey to green

The Covid-19 crisis offers the opportunity to rethink the way we design our cities, said speakers at Planning and Development to Enhance Health and Wellbeing, the third of Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation’s e-Roadshow events on Realising Resilience. Focused on Birmingham, the first UK city to join the global Biophilic Cities network, the event showcased how England’s largest unitary authority has set itself challenging targets linked to increasing green assets, reducing carbon emissions, and improving the health and wellbeing of its residents. In her introduction, Vikki Woodhouse ­– National Specification Sales Manager at Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation – outlined the importance of multi-functional green assets and the need for a circular approach that reuses rainwater, rather than a linear one. “We need a combined approach, with early engagement from the project management and design teams,” she said. “Covid 19 has brought to the fore the inequality of access to green spaces,” said Simon Needle, Principal Ecologist and Arbologist at Birmingham City Council, showing the city’s Multi Challenge Map which reveals how deprived communities have fewer green assets nearby. He also explained some of the city’s targets including net zero carbon by 2030 and a 25% canopy cover for every ward in the city. Jane Findlay, Director of Fira Landscape and president-elect of the Landscape Institute, talked about the importance of evidence-based design, an approach pioneered in the health sector, where views of nature have been shown to increase healing and boost mental health. She highlighted research by Natural England and Nottingham University which shows that living within 300m of a green space promotes physical activity, improves mental health and increases life expectancy. Lastly, Peter Wharton, former tree protection officer and Director of Wharton Natural Infrastructure Consultants, asked the question: “ Is it easier to sell houses in a well-planned and delivered environment, where buildings, green infrastructure and people coexist to deliver sustained benefits?” Of course the answer is ‘yes’ but that doesn’t mean it is happening, he revealed. Lack of early collaboration, especially with the right people i.e. arborculturalists or ecologists, meant developers were missing out on the ‘value’ of green assets. He cited one development where 86% of the new trees planted had died within five years. He recommended measures such as Capital Asset Valuation of Amenity Trees (CAVAT), a method for managing trees as public assets rather than liabilities, be adhered to. London is the virtual venue for the next Polypipe e-roadshow on 7th July and will explore the theme of Shaping City Policy to Support Biodiversity and Green Urbanisation. The final event of the series concentrates on Scotland and the challenge of Delivering Active Travel through Integrated Green Infrastructure. All of the guest speaker presentations for the Birmingham e-Roadshow event can be viewed at https://www.polypipe.com/news For information on the full programme and details of how to register visit: – https://www.polypipe.com/roadshow-2020 Pic caption: Research shows that living within 300m of a green space promotes physical activity, improves mental health and increases life expectancy. Image shows Five Ways, Central Birmingham. 

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Cardiff calls for early engagement on SuDS

The second of Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation’s e-Roadshow events on Realising Resilience put the spotlight on Wales, where it is now a statutory requirement to have SuDS in place to manage on-site surface water. All three guest speakers, from the worlds of local authorities, architecture and planning, expressed the view that you must plan for SuDS, and now green urbanisation, from the outset to achieve the best outcomes. “The principal advice from every speaker was that you must consider SuDS at the design stage if you want to achieve the desired aesthetic, resilience and biodiversity outcomes,” explained Sean Robinson, Polypipe Civils’s Specification Director, who hosted the event. “You can’t simply plan a development and then tack on a SuDS element as an afterthought.” Matt Bradley, National Specification Manager, Civils & Landscape, opened proceedings with an explanation of how Polypipe’s green urbanisation approach can ‘hardwire green assets into the SuDS solution’. He also emphasised the importance of collaboration throughout the design process. “The benefits of green urbanisation can’t be realised by one body on its own,” he said. “You need early engagement between stakeholders and manufacturers because cooperation is the key to success.” The notion that approvals from the SuDS Approval Body (SAB) added time and cost to development got short shrift from Ian Titherington, SAB Officer for Cardiff City Council. “It’s an urban myth,” he declared. “If you get the SAB officers engaged early in the design then it will be cheaper and faster to design, get approved and get built.” Both Ian and the next speaker, Kathryn Williams of Kew Planning, pointed out that this legislation covers virtually all construction – even down to a residential extension or patio. Kathryn argued that not only was this far too wide-ranging but also the whole process needed amending to be fair and workable in order to promote more SuDS schemes. For his part the third speaker, architect Noel Isherwood, saw the new requirement as encouraging a rethink in housing development design, with SuDS helping to mitigate the dominance that highways has always had. “Incorporating green urbanisation into a housing scheme means that densities can be higher but without sacrificing amenity. Interstitial areas can be transformed as places where people can meet and spend time. No longer are amenity areas just bits of land that are left over at the end of the design,” he said. “The beauty of SuDS is that highways is no longer the major driver for developments, so we can explore better ways of designing the built environment. It becomes all about placemaking, rather than the car.” Polypipe’s next Realising Resilience e-Roadshow on 30 June examines Green Urbanisation in the context of Birmingham and is entitled Planning and Development to Enhance Health and Wellbeing. Realising Resilience events centred on London and Scotland follow on 7 July and 14 July respectively. All of the guest speaker presentations for the Wales e- Realising Resilience e-Roadshow event can be viewed at https://www.polypipe.com/news For information on the full programme and details of how to register visit: – https://www.polypipe.com/roadshow-2020 Pic caption: Trees deliver the greatest multi-functional benefits across the spectrum of green urbanisation applications at roof podium and pavement level.

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Manchester’s message of collaboration

Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation’s inaugural Realising Resilience e-Roadshow event on Wednesday 17th June, which attracted over 80 delegates, shone a light on Greater Manchester and the great strides it is taking towards embedding green infrastructure throughout the region. “One of the strong messages to emerge from the diverse line-up of speakers was the importance of collaboration between a wide range of stakeholders in delivering green urbanisation. One simply can’t just look to ecologists, landscape architects and designers; utility companies, private investors and data analysts are all part of a successful mix,” explained Sean Robinson, Specification Director, who hosted the event. Nicholas Wright, Specification Manager, City & Landscape Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation, opened the event with a look back at Manchester’s Angel Gardens. Completed in 2019, this project boasts a large Permavoid, shallow invert attenuation tank situated on the podium which limited the impact to the surrounding drainage infrastructure. He also explained how if this project was designed today the addition of more green assets and smart systems – like the ones installed on Polypipe’s own award-winning, blue/green roof in Aylesford – could have boosted this development’s resilience further. Sophie Tucker, United Utilities’ Sustainable Drainage System Manager, spoke of her organisation’s role in encouraging the installation of blue/green roofs in the North West, with retrofit a particular focus. United Utilities is incentivising this with significant reductions in sewage charges to non-household customers who deploy SuDS such as blue/green roofs. John Roberts, Principal Civil Engineer at specialist consultancy Environmental Protection Group provided an insight into the design of cascade blue roof systems. Such set-ups add even more resilience by reducing discharge into sewers and reducing the need for potable water by allowing the movement of water between roof areas and attenuation zones, and making this water available for passive irrigation to support green assets. Samuel Evans, Head of Environment Policy, at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, outlined how the authority is working to encourage private investment in natural capital. Exciting plans are already afoot to form a portfolio of retrofit projects, where the savings in sewer charges offered by United Utilities could provide a return on investment for would-be funders. The final speaker, Francis Hesketh, director at the Environmental Partnership, explained the value of ecosystem services. Both he and Evans referenced Greater Manchester’s impressive mappinggm.org.uk resource which now contains an overlay providing a colour-coded Ecosystem Services score which will help inform planning and biodiversity net gain goals. Polypipe’s next e-roadshow, which will tell the story of Wales’ SuDS journey, is on 23 June and features speakers from Cardiff City Council, Kew Planning and Noel Isherwood Architects. Realising Resilience events centred on Birmingham and London follow on 30 June and 7 July respectively. For information on the full programme and details of how to register visit: – https://www.polypipe.com/roadshow-2020 Pic caption: The move to a shallow invert Permavoid attenuation solution on Angel Gardens, Manchester, allowed the creation of a two storey, 146 space basement car park.

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Polypipe celebrates £25m Blackpool project

One of England’s most iconic venues is undergoing a huge £25m rebuild with help from Polypipe Building Services. The Grade II Listed Blackpool Winter Gardens is set to open a new conference centre this year in what is the first major development at the site since the construction of the Opera House in 1939. This was a challenging project – with both a refurbishment of the existing building and a new-build as part of the complex – so Polypipe Building Services, the commercial building specialists, was called in to offer expertise on a drainage solution. Contractors McLaughlin and Harvey, and CMB Fylde Engineering needed an adaptable solution that would not reduce the available space in the two-storey, 3,890 square metre conference centre. Polypipe Building Services provided on-site support and their high performance Terrain Fuze drainage system. The HDPE system was used in the large commercial spaces such as the halls and theatre space due to the homogenous weld giving it maximum joint integrity. Johnathan Greenwood, Strategic Project Manager at Polypipe Building Services, said: “As well as being a very prestigious project this was also a complex one. Refurbishing a Grade II Listed building has a lot of complications to overcome. “One of the key benefits to using Fuze at the Winter Gardens was the malleable nature of the product and the fact that it can be cut and welded into delicate positions and angles to create a bespoke system. “The malleability allows for extra security against loss of useable space. “Fuze gives specifiers and installers maximum flexibility in the design process with this system and, as it is light in weight, it can be installed quickly and efficiently.” Funded by the Blackpool Regeneration project, the conference centre will have an exhibition space on first floor and a conference space with a seating capacity of 2,000 on the second floor. It will also be possible to use the space in conjunction with the other venues throughout the Winter Gardens giving a capacity of 7,000. The venue will feature state of the art amenities necessary for hosting modern conferences and exhibitions, including the latest audio and visual technology. Pictures courtesy of Blackpool Council

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