Keraflo to supply Aylesbury Float Valves for major MoD refurbishment project

January 2016

Keraflo to supply Aylesbury Float Valves for major MoD refurbishment project

(Junior Ranks Living Accommodation at Tidworth Garrison – 2nd Royal Tank Regiment Sergeant Major in Foreground)

Aylesbury ‘K’ type float valves, manufactured in the UK by Keraflo Ltd., have been specified by Aspire Defence Ltd. for use across the entire Allenby/Connaught Project, the largest PFI accommodation and services project ever undertaken by the MoD. These will provide a reliable and efficient method of controlling the level of water stored in tanks at the various sites to be upgraded. An initial order has already been fulfilled and, over the course of the 10 year build and refurbishment programme, the total number to be supplied is expected to be in the region of 600 valves.

The Keraflo Aylesbury valves, along with the GRP water storage tanks manufactured by POW Processes of Water, the specified suppliers for the Allenby/Connaught project, were supplied via leading heating and pipeline distributor BSS. The tanks are WRAS approved and include both one-piece and sectional pre-insulated cisterns. These are for two applications, one being normal cold water storage with standard air gaps and the other being rainwater harvesting make-up systems which utilize two inlet valves, one for rainwater and the other for mains water top-up with type 'AB' airgap. All the tanks are fitted with encapsulated insulation and use high quality resin and gel coats in their construction.

The Keraflo Aylesbury 1¼” ‘K’ type delayed action float valves selected for this project comprise a key shaped, weighted float mounted on a brass arm. This float can be accurately set in a number of positions on the arm, actuating the valve at a predetermined difference in water level, driving it fully open or fully closed without water hammer. This positive action avoids dribble, reduces noise and allows full flow until the selected closed level is reached.

The Keraflo valves were selected in preference to conventional ball valves due to their high quality construction and maintenance free, reliable operation which is backed by a five year guarantee. Other benefits include improved water turnover, reduced risk of legionella and energy savings due to positive pump control. In accommodation for services personnel it is particularly important that valves controlling stored water can be relied upon to avoid waste due to leakage, as the facilities may be unoccupied for extended periods of time when the occupants are deployed overseas.

The contract to deliver Project Allenby/Connaught was awarded to Aspire Defence Ltd. on 31 March 2006. This project will provide modern living and working accommodation for some 18,500 military personnel in garrisons across Salisbury Plain and Aldershot. As such it will play a significant part in fulfilling the Government’s commitment to improving the quality of living accommodation for service personnel. The project will provide approximately 11,500 bed spaces to the latest ‘Z’ standard (single rooms with en-suite facilities) to ensure that service personnel are housed in a manner befitting the 21st century. In addition, the 35 year contract includes mess management and catering services, transport management, building and grounds maintenance, stores and utilities.

Construction works are well underway at Tidworth, Perham Down, Bulford and Aldershot, to be followed by Warminster and Larkhill. The project will include both new build and refurbishment and, of the new build, 60% will be living accommodation, 20% technical buildings, 15% new dining facilities and 5% other uses. In all, there will be over 200 individual construction sites, on which more than 350 new buildings will be erected and a further 140 refurbished. All new and refurbished buildings will be BREEAM compliant, the new build to ‘Excellent’ rating and refurbishments to ‘Very Good’.

Aspire Defence Ltd, which controls the supply chain, has been established specifically for the Project and brings together Carillion PLC and Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) in a consortium committed to Allenby/Connaught over the 35 year life of the construction, refurbishment, maintenance and services contract, expected to be worth in the region of £8bn in total.

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