Durapipe UK pipework solutions are being used in the construction of a £430m super hospital in Bristol.
Southmead Hospital is undergoing extensive redevelopment to offer an 800-bed state-of-the-art acute hospital that will open in spring 2014.
As part of the project, M&M Medical was tasked with sourcing a pipework system that would work with the vacuum system being installed in the operating theatres.
Copper is the traditional material for vacuum systems, but M&M Medical was looking for a more cost-effective alternative and will use Durapipe’s PVC-U 160mm pipework for the vacuum system ring main, linking the vacuum plant to the eight 2,000litre vacuum receivers. There should be no waste travelling through the pipelines as this should all be captured at source, but there is a possibility that unknown substances can enter the pipelines. These would then be collected by the bio filters fitted to the vacuum plant. As a result, a chemical-resistant pipework solution was required to ensure that it could safely convey any material that unexpectedly flows through the pipework.
Durapipe PVC-U allows the safe conveyance of many acids, alkalis and chemical. Henry Hicks, project manager at M&M Medical, said: “Although metal alternatives have been used traditionally, we knew that plastic would be quicker and easier to install, saving us time and money and offering a more cost-effective solution over the lifetime of the system.”
The lightweight nature of Durapipe PVC-U also makes it quicker and easier to install compared with alternative products, offering significant time and cost savings during the installation stage. Fully WRAS approved, the system is limescale and corrosion resistant.