VIEGA PROVIDES A HEAVYWEIGHT SOLUTION FOR GROUNDBREAKING HOSPITAL
Following a number of successful projects with Interserve, Viega’s Megapress press connection system for thick walled steel tube has once again been selected for the heating and chilled water systems at the new development at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
The new Whittall Street building at Birmingham Children's Hospital (BCH) has established new specialist facilities for patients and their families. The new development, designed to increase capacity and improve the care for young people with a range of conditions, includes the UK's first Rare Diseases Centre for children and a combined inpatient and outpatient cancer centre as well as an additional three operating theatres.
The four-storey building, which opened in early 2018, also includes features to make patients’ stay more comfortable such as single en-suite rooms, play areas, a common room for teenage cancer patients and a courtyard to provide valuable outdoor space.
Viega’s unique Megapress system was chosen for the heating system due to the requirement for thick walled steel tube from the team at the Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. The increased durability of the heavyweight tube was a key requirement to ensure the longevity of the system and prevent future downtime. The nature of the hospital environment where the buildings are continually in use means it is crucial to avoid unexpected heating shutdowns. Corrosion of the tube occurs if the chemical water treatment levels are not correct. The thick-walled steel allows more time for any issues to be corrected before corrosion affects the integrity of the tube. The heavyweight steel is also much more resistant to any accidental damage to the exterior of the tube.
Megapress has been designed specifically for use on thick walled steel tube and provides up to a 60% time saving compared with alternatives such as welding or threading tube. Furthermore, as a press connection system there is no fire risk from hot works and no need to clean the area around the joint as with both welding and threading.
Kelvin Wyke, Director at Interserve commented: “This development has created a world leading facility that can make a real difference to patients and their families. Every aspect of the building, including the piped services, has been designed to the highest possible standards.
“Press connecting pipe has been our preferred approach for a number of years due to the speed and simplicity it offers. However, traditionally this has not been possible for the heavyweight steel tube. We have used Viega’s Megapress system on a number of large scale projects so it was the obvious choice to meet the NHS Trust’s requirement to use thick-walled steel.”
