Located in the Royal Docks in East London, Royal Wharf is a regeneration project developing a 40-acre site on the banks of the River Thames. The mixed use scheme is a joint development by Oxley International Holdings and Ballymore, incorporating luxury appartments, town houses, retail and business space, restaurants and bars. The new neighbourhood is one of the last sites for a new town to be developed within London.

AF/ArmaFlex Class O

For phase 1 of the Royal Wharf development, AF/ArmaFlex Class O nitrile rubber insulation was chosen by building sevices contractor Parker Bromley to provide long-term condensation control on cold water pipework and prevent energy losses on heating and hot water services.

ArmaFlex has been installed on all the hot and cold water pipework services in 811 apartments that are due for completion this autumn. Pipework has been predominantly insulated using 19 and 25mm thick insulation for hot water systems to minimise heat losses in line with Domestic Building Services Compliance Guide recommendations. By installing thicker insulation to pipework, up to 87% of heat losses are saved. The closed-cell AF/ArmaFlex Class O product also provides a market leading water vapour transmission resistance (10,000 mu) for condensation control on cold water pipes.

The flexibility of ArmaFlex is ideal for apartments when insulating around pipework fittings in narrow enclosures, helping the building services engineers to maximise living space. Being able to easily insulate around pipe elbows, tees and valve sets also helps to further prevent energy losses and increase the efficiency of the boiler. Elastomeric foams are also dust and fibre free, meaning no PPE masks are required during the install.  

In total around 150,000m of AF/ArmaFlex Class O Self Seal tubes have been applied. The self seal tubes are simply fitted around pipework before the self-adhesive backing paper is removed and the seams are sealed in place, helping to reduce install times significantly.

With a construction value of £720M, the overall scheme comprises 3,600 residential units, constructed over three phases and due for completion by 2019. The project is designed to seamlessly blend together apartments, large three and four storey townhouses. Over 45% of the land is designated for open spaces and play areas and also features a riverside park linking the Royal Wharf Pier, Royal Wharf Amphitheatre and Riverside Walk.