With hygiene a top priority in the healthcare environment, the design team at Rotterdam’s Maasstad Hospital worked with Wavin to minimise the risk of water-borne bacteria during the specification of a high performance hot and cold water system.
Tigris K1, a multilayer press-fit system designed for potable water, sanitary and heating applications, was up for the challenge.
One of the most advanced in the Netherlands, the 620 bed Maasstad Hospital covers 100,000 m2 in what has been described as a small self-contained town with wards, operating theatres, administrative offices along with shops, cafes and walkways.
Having set demanding targets for sustainability, ease of installation and cost efficiency and in a drive to minimise the risk from waterborne Legionella bacteria, consulting engineers Royal HaskoningDHV worked with Wavin on the design and implementation of the hot and cold water systems at the early stages of the planning and design process. With hygiene a key priority, the Wavin Tigris K1 system met all their requirements in full.
“Tigris gave us both the 70°C temperature resistance of the original copper pipe specification and the speed, convenience and reliability of push-fit fittings,” commented a spokesperson from Royal HaskoningDHV. “Wavin Tigris also made it possible to pre-configure many system components off-site, and this was particularly appreciated in making installation faster, easier and more cost-effective.”
Ideal for health and hygiene applications such as operating theatres or food preparation facilities due to its corrosion and scale-resistant plastic press-fittings, Wavin Tigris K1 has also been proven in continuously operated recirculating systems where material selection is key. Used in applications such as hospitals, apartment buildings, care homes and hotels, these water-replenished systems will deliver a constant supply of hot water efficiently and reliably as well as helping prevent the spread of infection.
With a system guarantee of 10 years, the Tigris K1 System is available in a range of dimensions from 16 to 63mm and has specific adaptors for other systems such as Hep2O and copper. The system comprises multilayer composite pipe with high performance plastic polyphenylsulphone (PPSU) fittings. This offers resistance to high temperatures, corrosion and stress cracking ensuring each connection is extremely robust and strong.
The aluminium layer in the pipes reduces thermal expansion, making them comparable to copper. The flexibility of the multilayer composite pipes results in the need for fewer connectors, simplifying installation and significantly reducing cost. The patented hexagonal shape of the fitting design also significantly reduces the required push-in forces which aids installation while the ‘Defined Leak Function’ brings extra safety where it identifies unpressed fittings during the pressure test.
As well as the specification of Tigris K1, Royal HaskoningDHV also thought carefully about water management for a number of extensive green roof areas. The hospital now uses the Wavin QuickStream siphonic roof drainage system, which not only ensures the controlled dispersal of rainwater in even the heaviest downpour, but also helps to minimise the width and number of downpipes required.
With these proven high performance plumbing and drainage systems fully operational, Wavin has once again demonstrated an ability to provide innovative solutions which are tried and tested and will stand the test of time.