Apartment living is on the rise, posing challenges for construction professionals when it comes to delivering residential units on time in compact footprints; Richard Bateman from RWC discusses solutions that can help architects
Due to the rapid economic, demographic and social changes ongoing in urban environments across the UK, city centres have become residential hubs for working professionals and families. ‘Megacities’ and high-rise buildings are transforming the cities and urban areas across the globe; 55 per cent of the world’s population lives in urban areas – the UN predicts this will increase to 68 per cent by 2050.
Urban consolidation may offer a potential answer to the UK’s current housing crisis, as apartment living offers multi-occupancy and reduces urban sprawl onto green belt land. However, it also poses a number of challenges for professionals in the construction industry.
Time and space – the most valuable assets
As the trend for more apartments in smaller footprints continues, architects and specifiers developing these buildings should embrace new technology that can help navigate these increasingly compact spaces. It’s in the developer’s best interest to complete the construction in quicker time frames, so they can start realising the return on their investment sooner. Not only this, but disruption is minimised to the local environment, especially when these buildings are likely to be constructed in busy city centres.
Specifiers must also consider how installations in smaller spaces can impact project build times. With more components needing to be fitted in tighter, more confined spaces that don’t offer much room for manoeuvre, installation time naturally goes up, and thus maintaining efficiency and quality can be difficult. Specifiers must do what they can to alleviate these challenges however.
One way to make all of this possible is by simplifying the specification, logistics, products and installation processes.
A chain of issues for plumbers
One clear example of where smaller spaces is impacting installers, and construction overall, is in residential buildings’ riser cupboards. This space is where chains of valves are stored and installed to control the flow of water through a multi-unit block.
Every individual apartment in a block of flats needs its own chain of valves, consisting of a pressure reducing valve (PRV), isolating valve, water metre, a double check and a stop valve. Assembling a single chain can take experienced plumbers up to 10 minutes per piece. Once they have been assembled, each chain needs to be fixed on the pipes, flushed through and tested – in blocks consisting of tens if not hundreds of apartments, this can take hours. Alongside this, the installation process may take longer if there’s a leak point or issue with assembly, consequently pushing the construction timeline back.
A time-consuming specification process
Specifiers and architects have their own set of challenges when it comes to designing and building blocks of flats in tight urban locations. Consultants need to specify a chain of valves for the units and then source good quality, compatible pipes, valves and fittings.
Finding quality, compatible valves, fittings and fixtures takes time and has its own set of risks. To get the most cost-effective parts, it’s common for contractors to order different parts from different manufacturers. However, this may jeopardise timescales and cause further delays if there’s an issue with delivery or stock levels.
Future servicing and maintenance are other challenges associated with specifying a chain of valves, as installers need to deal with a range of products if there is an issue or leak.
Tenant valves – overcoming space and time challenges
One way to overcome these space and time issues is by opting for an all-in-one valve that’s been developed specifically for multi-unit buildings. These valves serve multiple functions within one self-contained unit while controlling and monitoring the building’s water supply.
The Tenant Valve Plus by Reliance Valves is one such solution, a single 311 mm unit cartridge design developed to ensure a simple, quick and easy installation for plumbers. It is designed to take up much less space in comparison to available alternatives.
A pre-insulated all-in-one valve solution also means that consultants don’t need to spend time sourcing multiple parts from manufacturers, including features such as a ball-type isolating valve, an approved stop valve, a pressure reducing valve, and a double check valve, as well as a dual reading pressure gauge/test point plus a connection point for an optional water meter.
All-in-one valves are also available that are designed to be easily serviceable. If one of the apartments has a leak, there’s no need to shut off water and drain the pipework in the whole building (which can take hours). The plumber just needs access to the valve, which is easily serviceable from the front.
Richard Bateman is UK technical training manager at RWC