Offsite production means quicker, less disruptive renovation of East London tower block   

Polypipe Building Services has provided a complex drainage solution for the refurbishment of an ageing tower block with minimal disruption by manufacturing bespoke drainage stacks offsite.

Collaborating with contractors Mulalley and consultants John Rowan & Partners, the Kent-based drainage system company provided prefabricated products adapted to meet the challenges of this 50-year-old building which had been subject to several adaptations over the years.

The combination of expert planning and offsite manufacturing which allows drainage systems to be replaced quickly and efficiently floor by floor, meant the installation team could progress at a rate of two floors faster per day than estimated and allowed residents to remain in their homes.

Polypipe Building Services Project Development Manager Graham Hicks said: “Our site visit revealed there were different layouts across the 91 flats, with some having a different bathroom configuration to others within the building which meant creating separate sets of drawings.

“This meant adaptation work was needed which included designing soil stacks with very tight waste connections, providing additional piping connections on the lower floors and a vent pipe for pressure compensation which was needed on the lower floors.”

Polypipe’s Terrain FUZE drainage system was chosen because it has been used in more than 300 high-rise buildings for Live stack replacement due to the benefits to residents and contractors working to tight project timelines.

Ciaran O’Donnell, contracts manager at Mulalley said: “We have worked with Polypipe Building Services for some time, and value both their expertise in finding the right solution and the efficiency savings of using their Advantage service to produce prefabricated stacks that are easier to fit on site.

“In the case of Henniker Point, Polypipe’s team was a great help in making sure we could

plan for the unique layout of the building.

“The ease of installation meant our team could progress faster because they were not assembling loose materials onsite which means less disruption for residents and a more efficient project schedule for the client.”

For more information about Live Stack replacement and the Advantage Service from Polypipe Building Services go to www.polypipe.com/polypipeadvantage