Metal pipe boxing from the Pendock Profiles range has been installed in the communal areas of a seven storey tower block in Walsall to conceal electrical and heating utilities and help improve fire safety.
Newhall House is owned and maintained Walsall Housing Group (WHG) which operates around 22,000 affordable homes in Walsall and the Midlands. As part of its ongoing repair, maintenance and improvement programme, the electrical systems have been upgraded and concealed using pre-finished metal pipe boxing from Pendock.
The durable metal boxing, which was also installed by Pendock, is used throughout the building’s communal areas, such as lift lobbies and stairwells, to not only cover electrical services, but also to conceal and protect the existing distributed heating system pipework. Also, as maintenance and inspection are key considerations, the Pendock boxing incorporates removable inspection panels at key locations throughout the project.
While most of the boxing is located at ceiling level or fixed to walls, some was specially manufactured to be secured at an angle beneath the stairs on selected floors to maintain the same level of protection throughout the building.
Manufactured from 2mm thick aluminium with a white PPC finish, the metal casings are non-combustible, so they also aid compliance with fire safety standards and form part of the range of measures in place for residents within the 32 flats at Newhall House.
All the metal pipe boxing was bespoke manufactured by Pendock to the precise dimensions required for the project, as it needed to follow the different electrical and heating system paths on each level, which varied depending on the position of the flats, stairwell orientation and riser locations.
