Two sizes of Hauraton RECYFIX® PRO installed at Highfields and Penn Fields Campus.
The Highfields and Penn Fields Campus is part of Wolverhampton City Council’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.
The new Campus has two schools on site. Highfields, a 1500 place secondary school and Penn Fields a 160 place special needs school. The schools are accommodated in a double and triple storey building arranged in three wings. These wings frame accessible outdoor classrooms and afford superb views over the existing landscapes across the site. Block paving is used extensively for the main paths, concourse and play areas
The £42 million contract for the development of the Campus was awarded to Carillion in June 2012. The site was fully operational by September 2013. The Project Architect was Peter Bloxham for Capital Property & Construction Consultants Limited.
With the site being quite flat and the buildings’ surrounded by block surfaces, it was essential rainwater is drained effectively. Two heights, 150mm and 200mm, of Hauraton RECYFIX® PRO 100 channel fitted with FIBRETEC Class C250 HEELSAFE gratings were specified to drain surface water.
Since its launched in February 2010, the RECYFIX PRO surface water drainage channel, featuring the innovative FIBRETEC® grating, has been specified and successfully installed in numerous United Kingdom drainage projects.
The material PA-GF, used to make the FIBRETEC® grating, was especially developed by Hauraton; the tough, UV resistant, fibre reinforced moulding offers high stability and huge strength for its weight. Complying with loading category Class C250 (BSEN 1433) the grating can easily take the weight of commercial delivery vehicles. The design is a real innovation as its non-corrosive material provides a visually appealing surface finish that retains its black colour.
The FIBRETEC® C250 HEELSAFE grating was specifically designed by Hauraton R & D engineers to enhance the flow of water into the channel. The slots are super smooth, elliptical openings with the moulded bars having slightly raised triangular bosses along their outside edges. As well as providing an elegant appearance, the feature ensures surface water is directed into the slots. This configuration also helps eliminate any cross-flow over the grating.
Peter Dicken, Hauraton‘s Project Engineer comments; “Tan, light and dark grey paving blocks were used extensively to achieve a pleasing aesthetic appearance to the hard landscaping immediately surrounding the Campus buildings. Being particularly suitable for school yards and play grounds, our RECYFIX® PRO channels’ with their black FIBRETEC® gratings’ were chosen for this project as the grating’s smooth appearance blended in well with the desired design effect”.