Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation [Polypipe CGU] has provided products to aid the multi-million-pound transformation of one of London’s most prestigious art galleries.

Over 350 metres of Polypipe CGU’s Ridgistorm-XL large diameter pipe was specified in 750mm and 900mm diameters for use as an air ventilation system under a new building being added at the south of the existing gallery. In this usage, the system will deliver air to distribution plenums at set locations within the new building.

The project called for the Ridgistorm-XL pipe to be manufactured in varying lengths, from 1.5 metres to 6 metres long. Polypipe CGU’s specialist team also pre-fabricated more than 60 bespoke bends and fittings, which ranged from 5 degree to 90 degree bends, and from ‘T’ junctions to specialist ‘S’-shaped bends in varying angles.

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The installation of the air distribution ventilation system at the gallery presented several obstacles which Polypipe CGU was able to overcome. In particular, the ventilation system needed to be designed to connect to xed points within the new building, whilst avoiding the structure of the building itself.

Polypipe CGU’s technical team also carried out structural calculations in order to value-engineer the pipe to the exact stiffness classification of 1.0kN/m2, ensuring that pipe was neither over, nor under specified.

Polypipe CGU’s unique electro-fusion jointing of the Ridgistorm-XL system was also an integral factor in the specification of the ventilation system. This ensures that the ventilation system is not only regulatory compliant due to its greater air tightness and insulation, but it also eliminates the need for internal welding of the pipeline, negating any potential health and safety risks.