Aberystwyth University, Ceredigion
With the prestigious Aberystwyth University, SANHA UK has completed one of their largest UK projects. This major scheme - including a substantial building services contract - is located on Penglais Farm, on land immediately behind the existing award-winning Pentre Jane Morgan student village and within walking distance to the "Aber's" Penglais campus. The total value of the project was in excess of £45 m
The development provides en-suite accommodation for nearly 1,000 students and 100 studio flats.
Inspired by the landscape and architecture of rural Wales, the new development features a series of two- and three-storey buildings, with flats for up to eight students living in self-catered accommodation.
The build, which took around four years to complete, also includes enhanced learning areas, communal zones for social focus points and extra areas for shared facilities.
The functional design has placed the accommodation units around the central hub providing a range of areas dedicated to social, learning and living functions. These facilities include launderettes, bike stores, break-out areas and space for social clubs, computing facilities and shops. Adjacent to the Central Hub and the accommodation there will also be a brand new grass sports facility with its own integral state-of-the-art, modern facilities.
The total value of the project was in excess of £45 m. The construction was carried out by Balfour Beatty, while the mechanical installation of the distribution pipework and plant room areas was being completed by T Clarke of Cardiff.
T Clarke decided to install the SANHA®-Press copper press fittings for HWS and CWS and the SANHA®-Therm carbon press piping system for the heating services, with press fitting sizes ranging from 15 to 108 mm on both copper and carbon materials.
In addition, the project also benefits from the use of SANHA's lead-free fittings made of Silicon Bronze (CuSi). This sopper alloy has taken SANHA five years to develop, yet the efforts are paying off for installers and consumers alike: Installers can trust that the piping will not give off any lead into the drinking water and the strict limits on lead of the drinking water legislation (DWD 98/83/EC) are kept.
The requirement, effective since December 2013, is to lower the amount of permissible lead in the water services form 25 µg/l down to 10 µg/l, a reduction of 60 %. SANHA's material has been developed by SANHA for use in press and threaded fittings to offer installers an alternative to traditional brass fittings in drinking water installations and help them steer clear of potential damage liabilities, and also to provide a better resistance to corrosion than a typical DZR fitting.
In line with the SANHA specification requirements, T Clarke’s installation team were trained to SANHA’s comprehensive training programme, ’30 Points to a Perfect Press’. This certification is valid for a period of two years from the date of issue, and all certifications were issued by SANHA prior to the project commencement.
