The magnificent seven of school trunking specifications

School’s out for summer and that means it’s the perfect time to re-build, refurb and re-fit educational facilities. So what are specifier and contractors’ favourite Marshall-Tufflex cable management systems for learning environments? 

• All-curved Odyssey profile, the shining star of Marshall-Tufflex’s product portfolio, has been installed in countless projects thanks to its clutter-proof and easy-to-clean lines. The unique 180mm x 57mm triple compartment system is Cat 7 compliant and has tamper-resistant covers. It proved perfect for halls of residence at the University of Warwick, where lengths were cut to size for 150 student rooms. Odyssey was supplied in white with flush fitting charcoal accessory boxes to comply with Part M of the Building Regulations – and delivered to a tight deadline. Electrical Design Engineer Gary Price, from the University of Warwick Estates Office, said the system enhanced the look of the rooms and provided the most cost-effective and timely solution: “I have used Odyssey many times. It looks aesthetically pleasing and is a very good product. We only had 10 weeks on site and I wanted to limit any waste in terms of time and materials. Having the product cut to size in the factory and delivered as a complete package for each study bedroom meant that it could be easily fitted into place with no waste. This has delivered a very good result.”

• Sterling Curve is one of the newest additions to the Marshall-Tufflex range, combining all the customer-pleasing features of the Sterling range with a partially curved profile available in PVC-U or aluminum for installations requiring a more robust material.  Around 800m of Cat 7a compliant Sterling Curve Profile 1 was fitted at dado level throughout the new £13 million Regional Centre of Excellence for STEM at City College Plymouth in Devon, supplying data to all teaching areas. Contractor Dan Rendell, of Totus Engineering, Exeter, said: “It is a great product. This new curved version looks sleeker and more modern than older style trunking systems and it was really straightforward to install.”

Bench trunking, in either PVC-U or aluminum, is a popular choice for labs and kitchen areas thanks to its neat profile that tucks into work surfaces. For contractors refurbishing the Davy Laboratory at the University of Plymouth it provided an easy-to-fit and quality solution delivering power and data sources for computers and lab equipment. 

• Sterling Profile 1 is ever-popular thanks to its versatility. The trunking, in white with a charcoal main compartment cover, was used extensively in the £11m expansion of Gascoigne Primary School, Barking, Essex, supplying power and data to this large and complex building, hitting the mark for quality and cost-effectiveness. The electrical contractor said: “One of the key factors in our decision was Sterling’s versatility – it can be used at a 90° bend, allowing installers to easily fit it without too much doctoring. Supply chain was also important – we used hundreds of metres at Gascoigne, with the three compartment trunking in every single room apart from the kitchen and main hall. Sterling has more than stood up to the challenge…on quality and price.”

• Fast-Coupling Wire Basket System, ideal for time-pressured contracts (with tool-less connection of just four seconds) was selected for new-build St George’s C of E Primary School in Thanet, Kent. A spokesman for contractor M&S Electrical (UK) said: “It was amazing how quickly it fitted together. Our crew had never used it before but got the hang of it straight away – the stuff flew in and was perfect for this job, the time on-site it saved was significant.”

• Double compartment Twin165 is popular thanks to its larger capacity than similar-sized trunking systems and split compartment for power/data, 50mm bend radius and adjustable internal/external bends. It hit the spot for specifiers working on the £30m re-build of Dormer Wells High School, Ealing, where it was installed into 300 classrooms as a perimeter trunking with DDA compliant accessory boxes in charcoal. A project spokesman said: “Twin165 was chosen for its aesthetics combined with its size, which provides greater capacity without the need for larger trunking.”

• Twin Plus – for size, performance, cost and aesthetics this system ticks the boxes. It was used to great effect within the award-winning £8m refurbishment of Newcastle University Student Union’s Grade II listed building. Mechanical and electrical engineers required a large capacity cable containment with a good sized bend radius to contain extensive power and data cabling. Enter Twin Plus, a robust CAT 7a compliant PVC-U trunking with bend radius up to 50mm and a comprehensive suite of flush accessories and boxes.