Cast-iron reliability for regeneration project

Saint-Gobain Pipelines secure contract in Liverpool to supply soil and drain systems plus access covers and frames for largest regeneration project currently underway in the UK.

Ensign soil and drain systems together with steel/ductile access covers and frames are being used throughout Liverpool's Paradise Street Development.

Scheduled for completion in 2008 to coincide with Liverpool's designation as European Capital of Culture, the 42 acre Paradise Street Development represents a GBP920 million investment value.

It encompasses 40 individually designed buildings, 1.6 million ft of retail and leisure space and over 600 residential units.

Falling within developer Grosvenor's specification for cast iron systems, the 100mm Ensign systems were selected on the basis of performance and quality.

A key factor influencing the choice was the need for a product with an extended life expectancy with below ground conditions dictating a system with performance capabilities outside the scope of other materials.

As an inner-city regeneration site close to the Mersey and Liverpool Docks, soil conditions posed an issue with some areas of unstable ground.

Another consideration was the need to take into account internal pressures on the pipework on ground that sits at a lower level than the river and is therefore prone to flooding.

The Ensign soil and drain range is the only cast iron system Kitemarked to the BS EN 877 standard and is designed to offer a complete below and above ground drainage solution.

The system is internally lined with a two-part epoxy coating giving it greater performance capabilities against exposure to aggressive substances or high temperatures and is externally coated with a zinc-rich base coat with a further protective coating.

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