REHAU’s bespoke sections of curved trunking has helped the company to win the cable management contract at the new build Darwen Vale High School in Blackburn, Lancashire.
The school, which is being completely rebuilt to a contemporary layout behind its original 1930s façade, features a number of curved internal walls which posed a challenge for the M&E installation.
However, when contractors Balfour Beatty Engineering Services (BBESL) approached cable management firm REHAU, they were able to provide a bespoke curved solution.
In total, REHAU has supplied more than 2,000m of trunking for the school in its 180x65mm PROFILA data and 140x50mm COMPACT data systems for Cat 6 data, power and AV cabling. In all of the classroom areas with curved and S-shaped walls, the trunking has been supplied in easy to install sections pre-formed into the required shapes.
This curved trunking is produced by heating conventional three metre lengths of straight trunking in a specialised oven and then placing into a forming jig to achieve the specified bend radius. REHAU’s expertise in polymer processing means that it can guarantee that the dimensional integrity of the trunking is maintained throughout the curve and that performance is not compromised by the process.
REHAU provides a service for contractors which means it will assess the curvature requirements for any application from design data and then will follow-up with an on-site visit if required, to measure the actual build condition radii to ensure accurate matching of the formed profile.
At Darwen Vale, all of the REHAU trunking has been supplied with grey lids to meet the visual impairment requirements of Part M. The school, for 11-18 year olds, is scheduled to open fully in September 2012.
