Marley Alutec’s Aligator aluminium rainwater guttering and Flushfit downpipes have been selected for a new sports pavilion in the village of Hethersett in Norfolk due to their exceptional durability, high quality appearance and large capacity.
Marley Alutec also provided design services and supplied bespoke angled components to accommodate the architectural features of the building.
The new Hethersett pavilion replaces a significantly smaller building that was built decades ago and is no longer fit for purpose. The new single storey building includes fully equipped changing room facilities, equipment storage, public toilets and a kitchen and function room for use by the community. The new pavilion building represents a major investment in the facilities available to the local community and was financed by a combination of parish council and government funds as well as a significant grant from the Football Foundation following support for the project from the Norfolk FA.
Alan Lamb, Director at Alan Lamb Associates, the project manager and principal designer for the pavilion project explained the criteria for selecting the gutters: “We wanted a product that not only looked good and delivered the required rainwater capacity but would also be sufficiently robust to withstand accidental impacts, especially given the proximity to the sports fields.
“We took a long term view and considered the higher initial cost of aluminium versus the cost of the replacement and maintenance of a cheaper product over the lifespan of the building. Plastic guttering was simply not suitable for this type of project.”
Alan evaluated the available options and having worked with Marley Alutec on a previous project, contacted the team. Marley Alutec provided a full design service and carried out all the required calculations based on the project drawings to determine which products were most suitable.
One of the factors that had to be considered was the impact of the poor soil conditions on the site, with limited natural rainwater drainage capacity. This in turn meant that the mandatory distance between downpipes was much larger than usual, and as such allowed only three downpipes to be used. The result of this was a larger capacity gutter system was required.
Based on the recommendations of the Marley Alutec team, and in consultation with Arcadia Architectural who carried out the final technical design, Alan selected the 160 x 100mm Aligator Boxer product and 102mm circular Flushfit downpipe in RAL 9005 jet black. Marley Alutec also manufactured bespoke offset sections for the downpipes to accommodate the plinth base that runs around the building.
Marley Alutec’s Aligator Boxer is a square profile gutter that has a flow rate of up to 6.11 litres per second and an effective roof area of up to 290 m2 per downpipe when fitted with a 102 mm downpipe. Also, the patented Aligator Snap-Fit joint system is proven to reduce installation times by up to 40% compared to traditional bolted systems.
Marley Alutec products are manufactured from high quality marine grade aluminium and finished in an architectural grade polyester powder coat (PPC) paint, which is designed for exterior use and will maintain its colour and gloss level for longer. As such, the systems have a functional life expectancy of 50 years or more with minimal maintenance and only periodic aesthetic cleaning required.
Marcus Jaggard, Director at Jaggard Projects, the contractor that installed the gutters said: “The products are clearly high quality and working with Marley Alutec made the process simple. The design services and take-off sheets ensured we had all the components we needed when it came to the installation. The bespoke components produced also ensured an easy installation as the offsets required are not always easy to create using standard parts.”
Jason Littleboy, Area Sales Manager at Marley Alutec concluded: “We are delighted to have been involved in a project that will be so valuable to the community in the long term. The Hethersett pavilion also provides a clear example of how our services and technical expertise can add value.”