Red Queen Student Accommodation

Red Queen Student Accommodation in Coventry is a development of high quality, purpose-built accommodation serving students at the University of Warwick and being built by main contractor Torsion Group. Located on the A45, the development will consist of 210 bedrooms upon its completion in August 2020.

Mechanical contractor, Torsion Engineering Services Ltd, specified Geberit Mepla's multi-layered piping system for the building's supply of hot and cold water.

In the first instance, Torsion Engineering Services Ltd was looking for a product that was reliable with proven durability. Also important was that it worked with a manufacturer that was able to provide strong support both throughout the project and after completion.

Another consideration for the Torsion Engineering team was the selection of material for the system. Situated on a busy main road, the risk of copper theft from the building was a very real risk and so the contractor was keen to look to alternative solutions when specifying the piping system - yet one that still offered the same stability as copper.

Opting for Geberit Mepla’s multi-layered system meant that Torsion Engineering had a solution that brought together the strength of copper with the flexibility and corrosion resistance of plastic.

Bendable yet durable, multi-layer piping systems like Geberit Mepla consist of three layers: an outer plastic layer made of polyethylene (PE-RT of the second generation) which protects against corrosion and mechanical damage, a central aluminium layer which makes the pipe stable yet flexible, plus an inner layer, which is also made of PE-RT, for internal corrosion resistance.

The one advantage that multi-layer systems have over other systems is improved stability compared to purely plastic piping – but, importantly, without compromising on transportability or weight as is often the case with metals.

Meanwhile, the Torsion Engineering Services site team also had a dedicated member of the Geberit team to advise them during the installation process – something it was looking for from the outset as it had a requirement for expansion on the pipework and wanted to ensure that it had expert technical advice on hand throughout.