Dubai's New Grand Hotel is one of several establishments that have chosen Sinclair Foundry Products' Ensign system made of cast iron for drainage applications.
The hotel used Ensign for drainage above and below ground. The project included the construction of 432 rooms, 156 furnished apartments and 10 luxury villas as well as four reinforced concrete semi-circular towers built over a three-level ground floor with parking facilities available underneath.
"One of the reasons cast iron was chosen was because it requires no safety measures such as fire collars or expensive cladding, and in the event of fire will not emit any toxic fumes," says a spokesman for the UK-based firm. ''Cast iron provides the complete solution for all above- and below-ground drainage applications, transporting soil and rainwater waste from buildings and retaining all the traditional values of strength, rigidity and long life.''
The company has promoted Ensign as a versatile system that is lightweight, cleaner, easier to handle and quick and simple to install. It says its versatility enables it to meet the demands of modern drainage and makes cast iron more competitive when compared with other materials.
On the issue of expenses, the company points out that cast iron has no hidden additional costs or expected maintenance requirements unlike other materials such as plastics and vitreous clay. It will last from anything between 50 and 70 years, the estimated lifetime of most buildings.
Elaborating on why Ensign cast iron would be ideal for today's projects, the spokesman says: ''Modern cast iron products are far lighter and thinner compared to those of the past. Externally, pipes are given a protective coating and internally given an epoxy lining for extra protection. Ensign coatings provide greater resistance and perform well under extreme usage and conditions. The Ensign above-ground system consists of cast iron socketless pipes and fittings in 50mm to 300 mm diameters with 100 mm to 300 mm diameters for below-ground application.''
''Ensign's use of cast iron ensures there will be no noise problem, and tests have shown that in all materials used in drainage, iron had the best sound-deadening qualities, making it the perfect choice for a large complex such as the Dubai hotel. Unlike weaker materials, it requires no insulation to suppress noise. It is resistant to the effects of sunlight and that while many of the alternative plastic materials are subject to UV degradation, cast iron does not lose its strength after time.''
Another quality Sinclair highlights is its resistance to impact and accidental damage and acts of vandalism, thanks to the metal's strength and robustness. ''That makes it the perfect choice for the below-ground car-park of the New Grand Hotel,'' the spokesman says.
The Ensign system can withstand harsh weather conditions, notes the company. "Thanks to its low coefficient expansion, there is no need to add expansion joints or sleeves through walls and it is able to resist extreme temperatures unlike UPVC (unplasticised polyvinylchloride) or PE (polyethylene) that could distort when handling hot wastes resulting in substantial damage to the drainage system," the spokesman says.
Ensign soil products have also been supplied to the redevelopers of the former headquarters of the Greater London Council County Hall for one of London's largest drainage projects. H Page Engineering is converting the site which is listed by English Heritage and will house a four-star, 200-room Marriott Hotel, a 300-room Travel Inn Hotel, three restaurants, leisure facilities and the new London Aquarium.
The County Hall building stretches from Westminster Bridge to Waterloo Bridge and the project involves the installation of 3,654m of Ensign pipework and six sewer connections. Observes the spokesman: "In such business environments or public buildings, access to such systems for repair and maintenance would inevitably lead to serious disruption to the use of the building, often with serious commercial consequences. However, cast iron was chosen as it was the least likely to fall under such extreme conditions."
He continues: "In areas where ground disturbance or extra loading is likely, other drainage materials need additional protection such as a covering concrete slab or concrete surround. Cast iron needs no additional protection, in most cases saving time, labour and materials in construction.
"Risks to underground drainage include settlement, sheer pressure and rodding damage caused by over-zealous maintenance practices. In large domestic buildings, failure of the system and the need for repair will result in disturbance, noise, and problems of hygiene, generally affecting a large amount of people with a costly outcome.
"Only the use of cast iron requires minimum bedding and support. It can bridge minor voids caused by settlement offering more resistance to ground movement and it is sufficiently robust to withstand even the most vigorous rodding."
Sinclair has also recently launched a new multi-waste manifold. This integrates at one internal point, so up to three waste pipes from various sources such as the bath, bidet and shower can be connected, making it the perfect choice for large hotels and leisure complexes, the spokesman says.
One hotel that appears to be benefiting from the multi-waste manifold is the famous London Hilton, Park Lane. More than £100,000 ($155,000) worth of Ensign soil drainage products have been installed as a £750,000 drainage placement scheme.
''Mechanical and electrical (M&E) contractor Stevens Engineering used the cast iron drainage system specified by building services consultant Cudd Bentley to provide soil drainage for 466 rooms with waste connections branching to each room. Each bathroom features a WC, bath, basin and bidet. Speed of installation was also a vital factor, with rooms being released for re-occupancy as each floor was completed,'' he says.
"The speed of installation was aided by a one-bolt mechanical stainless steel coupling option. This unique coupling mechanism enables simple installation of a full range of pipe fittings including access fittings such as the new push-fit joint. In fact storage, handling and site preparation requirements are often less than for other materials. A mechanical joint can be completed in under 40 seconds and installation is not a highly skilled task,'' he points out.
Ensign cast iron drainage has been independently assessed by the British Board of Agreement (BBA) and awarded the BBA Certificate No 95/3125 for above- and below-ground drainage, he adds.
Ensign has been developed to meet European standards BS EN877 and complies with DIN 19522 and ISO6594 international standards. Sinclair's extensive distribution network includes Bahrain, UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
