The redevelopment of Crayford Town Hall in Bexley has created a mixture of new facilities for the community, including a library, housing and a community centre for the London Borough of Bexley.
Interestingly, the project features an unusually visible application for the HDPE drainage system from Marley Plumbing and Drainage.
The conversion of this very large masonry structure – originally built as part of the Vickers Armaments Factory in 1915 – is being carried out by Higgins Construction with Alan Camp Architects leading the design team. All of the plumbing and drainage work has been undertaken by specialist sub-contractor, Maybrick: including the installation of the Marley Akatherm HDPE system, suspended beneath the soffit of the basement car park which extends across most of the building’s footprint.
The use of the Marley HDPE system encompasses both the sewage and the storm water pipework that is brought down through the building from areas such as a roof terrace; then for the underground drainage around the property.
The site manager for Maybrick, Mr Trevor Mills, commented: “This is a large and complex development, with a basement car park extending beneath all of it except the new library. We used the Marley HDPE system because it offers good value as well as high performance, with much of it being installed using rubber lined clips fixed into the underside of the ground floor slab. The work is mainly complete now, though we are still adding some small sections.”
As an extension of Marley Plumbing and Drainage’s soil and waste portfolio, the HDPE system presents a contemporary alternative to cast iron, with the impact strength and abrasion resistance to withstand the rigorous demands of commercial and other applications such as schools and hospitals.
As a material, HDPE will also cope with temperature extremes from -40 to +100 degrees centigrade; while the flexibility of jointing methods for the system includes electro-fusion, butt welding and push-fit. The range of sizes extends from 40 up to 315 mm, accompanied by a wide selection of fittings. In addition, Marley is the only UK supplier to achieve Kitemark certification to BS EN 1519 for its HDPE Drainage system.
The Crayford Town Hall scheme is being carried out over two phases to transform Crayford Town Centre. The retail heart and the town hall will open up onto a new plaza, which will become the focal point for the area. A new community hall, featuring an outside roof terrace, and a library below will also face onto the plaza, with a glazed double height entrance elevation. The development incorporates sustainable features including PV solar panels, green roofs, and CHP boilers.