Industry News Grinnell provides cost-effective piping solution for Birmingham’s iconic Cube
Inspired by the contrast between Birmingham’s history of heavy indus- trial metal working and jewellery craftsmanship, the £100 million Cube at the heart of the city centre has added another architectural feature to an already varied skyline. This iconic new building from architect Ken Shuttleworth at Make, offers residen- tial apartments as well as commercial, retail and leisure facilities, including a boutique hotel and a distinctive skyline bar. The Grinnell grooved piping system was installed extensively in its construction to meet the HVAC needs of the project, chosen specifical- ly for its proven performance, flame free jointing technology, and ease of installation. With a number of challenges to
overcome – including the need to keep to the fast track build programme, accommodation of thermal movement and minimising transmission of noise
through the steel piping system –a range of Grinnell products was used to meet the cooling and heating require- ments of the new building. Heated and chilled water is produced in the Building B structure, separate from the main building in order to maxi- mise inhabitable space in the Cube itself, and to reduce any negative aes- thetic impact on the façade. The Grinnell mechanical services
team analysed cost comparison data to show the benefits of a grooved system, provided specification support, and a material take off service for the installer. The installation was made utilising a combination of Grinnell flexible and rigid type couplings to control thermal movement without the need for additional costly devices. The grooved couplings and fittings provided a clear advantage over tradi- tional welded or flanged installations as no hot works were required on site,
there were no special health and safety requirements, and no need to isolate work areas because of fire risk, electric arc or fume generation. A fast track installation was neces-
sary for the completion of the 23- storey building, and with the help of Grinnell grooved piping, the installa- tion was completed in record time.
Government unveils a ‘Get Britain Building’ housing strategy
The government has seized on the slogan of the Get Britain Building Campaign for a central part of its strat- egy to tackle the housing crisis. The government has detailed a raft
of measures designed to get more homes built in England. These include plans for a revamped
council right-to-buy scheme, offering homes at 50 per cent of their value, and a government-backed mortgage indemnity scheme for first time buyers. Another central part of the ‘Laying
the Foundations’ new housing strategy is a £400 million Get Britain Building fund. This will be targeted to help smaller housebuilders bridge funding gaps on ready-to-go construction sites. It is estimated it could trigger con- struction of 16,000 homes including 3,200 affordable properties. The cash will be released in the hope of getting sites started by next July, and is expect- ed to support up to 32,000 new jobs. The government claims that its new housing strategy will deliver up to 450,000 homes by 2015. Mike Leonard, spokesman for the
Get Britain Building Campaign, said: “We have been calling for the govern- ment to stand behind a mortgage guar- antee scheme and to provide much- needed funds to facilitate the building
of more homes. “[The] housing strategy and the
launch of two new schemes is of course very welcome. “It is clear from our discussions with
government that the coalition recog- nises the positive effect on jobs and economic growth that will result from a strong new build housing market.” But he warned that the government
was failing to harness the housing industry’s full potential to kick-start wider economic growth and create new jobs for the country: “We will continue to campaign for a much bigger programme of house building, particularly in the social sector, where we believe the government needs to commit to an additional 25,000 homes being built in 2012. “Only with this sort of impetus will
we see the economy get going again and jobs return. It will take this sort of building rate to begin to deal with the deepening housing crisis.” Both the Prime Minister and
Deputy Prime Minister have put their names to the housing strategy report. In the foreward they say: “One of the most important things each generation can do for the next is to build high quality homes. “But for decades in Britain we have
6
www.buildingconstructiondesign.eu
under-built. By the time we came to office, house-building rates had reached lows not seen in peace time since the 1920s. “The economic and social conse-
quences of this failure have affected millions: costing jobs; forcing growing families to live in cramped conditions; leaving young people without much hope that they will ever own a home of their own. “These problems – entrenched over
decades – have deepened over the past few years. The housing market is one of the biggest victims of the credit crunch: lenders won’t lend, so builders can’t build and buyers can’t buy. That lack of confidence is visible in derelict building sites and endless for sale signs. “It is doing huge damage to our
economy and our society, so it is right for government to step in and take bold action to unblock the market.” Cash from the revamped right-to-
buy scheme will be fed into building new housing, creating a funding pot for a second wave of affordable housing programme deals. The government has pledged to
replace every sold council home and build 100,000 new affordable homes at 80 per cent of market rates.
Housebuilders have been calling
for a mortgage indemnity scheme for several months to give lenders more confidence in supporting first- time buyers. Under the new plan, the govern-
ment is expected to cover the risk for the lender, which should enable first-time buyers to take out larger mortgages relative to the value of the home. Homeowners would first lose their
deposits before the government suf- fered losses, which would be shared with the initial bank lender. Housebuilders will be able to bid for
land on a build now, pay later basis. The new government housing strategy is expected to touch on proposals to allow borrowers to use some money in their pension pots to boost deposits. The extent of the housing crisis was
brought home with official figures for the third quarter of the year. Housing starts in the 12 months to
September now stand at half the level under construction when the sector peaked at the end of 2005. Actual completions are now
running at the lowest level seen for sev- eral decades and have spurred govern- ment into pledging to lead a housing revolution.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66