ACO TECHNOLOGIES PLC - BUILDING DRAINAGE
ACO BUSINESS CENTRE
CAXTON ROAD
BEDFORD
BEDFORDSHIRE MK41 0LF
Tel: 01462 810400
Fax: 01462 851490
Suppliers of: Internal and external drainage solutions, stainless steel floor drains, stainless steel gullies and channels, rainwater outlets, shower floor drains, bathroom and wet room floor drains, internal linear drainage channels, access covers, grease separators
ACO Building Drainage specialises in the development of corrosion resistant drainage systems and building products for applications across the internal and external built environments. Conceived to eliminate design risk, to optimise installation and to minimise lifetime ownership cost, every product in the range delivers exceptional levels of performance, finish and durability.
The technical expertise, global resources and fabrication capacity within the ACO Building Drainage division make it possible for architects, engineers and contractors to realise the highest quality and value when selecting from our standard products, or, when using our bespoke design service.
Indeed, whether you’re involved in designing or building a new project or upgrading an existing building, every aspect of the system must be carefully planned to meet the correct drainage requirements simply, quickly and within budget. Just call us for advice and help on the right system for your next project!
ACO BIM Files: This link will take you to the ACO BIM Library on the ACO website
Useful Resources:
- Social Media: View ACO Building Drainage on Twitter / LinkedIn
- Video: Access ACO Product Videos on YouTube
ACO Building Drainage’s extensive portfolio includes:
Wetroom & Shower Drainage Solutions
An extensive range of Wetroom products and shower drainage solutions.
Choice of ranges for different applications: Fixed Height and Telescopic gully systems, EG150 Eurogully range, Rodding Eyes, Micro Floor Gullies and Bespoke gullies.
Standard Stainless Steel and Galvanised Steel Channels
Includes the Modular 125 stainless steel channel system and the Deckline 125 galvanized steel shallow invert drainage system.
ACO Pipe® Stainless Steel Pipework Systems
ACO PIPE® presents a wide range of socketed waste pipework systems in thin-wall stainless steel for above and below ground drainage applications.
ACO HygieneFirst drainage systems fulfil the stringent hygienic requirements to minimise harmful bacteria and pathogen contamination of food arising from drainage elements by applying relevant hygiene design principles reserved for food contract surfaces
Products include FreeDeck - Level Access Flat Roofs and Terraces Drainage Systems & Watertight Rainwater Outlets.
Our engineers and designers can advise you on the right system to suit your project.
The range includes mobile grease separators, gravity grease separators, grease recovery units and grease traps. Visit our website to use our grease selector to find the right unit for your needs.
Products include the Uniface or UniTop range of aluminium or steel access covers.
Our ACO RoofBloxx rainwater attenuation system is designed specifically as a green roof drainage layer for use on blue, green and blue/green roof construction applications. Please contact us to discuss project requirements and for support with hydraulic calculations.
Anti-flood backflow valve systems, designed to prevent flooding resulting from sewer backflows. With models suitable for grey or black water applications, all systems are designed for reliable operation and long life.
Further technical information is available in the BPi download library or on the ACO Building Drainage website.
Securing Safety: ACO’s Bespoke Escape Hatch is a Runway Success
When an outdoor emergency escape hatch needed replacing at Heathrow airport, it was vital the solution could be installed quickly to minimise disruptions to air traffic as much as possible. With no escaping the difficulties inherent to projects carried out at the world’s fourth busiest airport, the contractors reached out to ACO to help them hatch a plan.
Time for an upgrade
The escape hatch in question served a plant room below the south runway and, as the one previously in place was reaching the end of its useable life, it needed updating. Intended for emergency use should there be a serious problem in the plant room, the existing hatch featured a grill near ground level which left the inside of the plant room vulnerable to frequent rainwater ingress. Due in large part to the age and outdoor location of the site, the previous hatch had become difficult to open so something more useable was required.
Safety needed to be front of mind – the new hatch needed to be openable with one hand and allow someone on the inside to override the outside locking system so that in emergency situations workers could escape quickly. These operational requirements had to be tempered with the fact that airports are high-security environments so any risk of unauthorised entry via the hatch had to be reduced to practically zero.
The escape hatch installation was contracted to Design Build International (DBI) and headed up by Construction Manager Kelvin Sumner. DBI had just four nights to break out the existing escape hatch, install reinforcements, pour concrete, and install the new hatch.
Flight path pressure
Working at an airport meant there were several constraints specific to the site with security and safety requirements meaning that transport to and from the site took multiple layers of approvals and permits. This restriction meant planning was vital because a forgotten tool or unexpected change would mean having to wait until a member of security was available before making the round-trip to pick up any additional items.
Most of the installation work had to happen at night to avoid interrupting airplane landings and take-offs. This also meant that DBI had to be very strict about leaving the site by 4:30am each day.
Along with the airport-specific restrictions, the fact that the project impacted an escape route meant that scaffolding had to be assembled to provide an adequate escape route during the day. At night, when DBI undertook the project, work couldn’t begin until the scaffolding had been disassembled. Available time was similarly reduced at the end of their shifts as they had to have each phase of the job completed early enough in the morning so that scaffolding could then be reassembled for the temporary escape route.
Bespoke solution
Given the restrictions around the time available for this project, it was vital that the installation of the new hatch went smoothly. Knowing that the escape hatch would need to be fully bespoke and made to very strict standards, Kelvin brought ACO on board. Having worked with ACO on a previous project, Kelvin knew the manufacturer’s ability to offer unique solutions as well as their speed at delivering them.
ACO supplied the fully bespoke escape hatch which suited the project as it was designed with ease of installation in mind. All aspects of the operational specification were met allowing the cover, once installed, to be opened from above and below ground level. Not only this but, thanks to its gas springs and one-handed quick release mechanism, it is easier – and therefore safer – to use in an emergency. When used from inside the hatch, the mechanism can override the lock outside, ensuring security while enabling quick escapes.
While there is no expectation for vehicles or aeroplanes to go over the hatch, to account for that unlikely (but still possible) event, the hatch has been specified to BS EN 124 load class F 900 meaning it will be able to safely withstand the force of even the heaviest vehicles. The load class and external locks combined with the water-tight seal means the escape hatch will not allow unwanted ingress of any kind.
Advantages of ACO
To support DBI with the constraints of working at an airport, ACO provided a detailed installation guide. The escape hatch was itself designed to be swift and uncomplicated to install and this meant that, when the night came to carry out the installation, the process was completed smoothly and in good time. The entire project, from removal of the existing escape hatch to installing ACO’s bespoke replacement, was completed within the four-night timeframe.
Kelvin Sumner, Construction Manager at DBI said: “Working with such tight timescales every night made for a pretty tense job but thankfully, when it came to installing the new escape hatch, we could essentially just place it in the right spot and fix it down. The guide ACO gave us was thorough enough that we knew exactly what was needed for a quick install and the escape hatch is very easy to use. Between the design elements, the fast turnaround with the supply, and the installation guide, I don’t think there’s anything else ACO could have done to make this part of the job go better.”
Liam Watkins, Sales Consultant at ACO said: “We’re really glad the hatch is now safely in place and that the installation went without a hitch. We do our best to understand the pressures that contractors face and mitigate that at every stage, from the initial ideas for solutions we come up with, to design, to additional after-sales support. DBI has been a great partner to work with and it’s great to know that we were able to make the job a little easier.”
For more about ACO Building Drainage’s access cover solutions, please visit ACO.co.uk.
ACO - What Roofers Need to Know About the New SuDS Rules
What Roofers Need to Know About the New SuDS Rules
With the implementation of Schedule 3 from the Flood and Water Management Act anticipated this year, roofing contractors will increasingly be required to install sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). Here, Kevin Bohea, Managing Director at ACO Building Drainage, discusses the new rules and what roofing professionals need to know.
Many parts of the construction sector are likely to be significantly impacted by the implementation of Schedule 3, so it is vital that professionals involved in property development understand how their day-to-day work is likely to change. Schedule 3 itself is a set of requirements concerning sustainable drainage from the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. It will make it mandatory to incorporate SuDS into new construction projects and is expected to impact both new developments and renovation work on multiple dwelling units or properties over 100 square metres. It is worth noting that this incoming change is only applicable to England, as Schedule 3 is already live in Wales.
As a result of Schedule 3, there will no longer be an automatic right to connect to public sewers. Before permission is granted, appropriate sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) must be put in place and signed off by the SuDS Approval Body (SAB). This body ensures that a drainage proposal meets the standards created by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
How this affects roofing contractors
With Schedule 3 so near, it is expected that there will be a greater call for blue and green roofs. They provide attenuation and help slow the flow of rainwater for many dense urban drainage projects so many roofing contractors may well be familiar with them already.
For roofers working in urban areas, the impact of Schedule 3 is already clear. We know that in any redevelopment in highly urbanised areas, the developer will be asked to show how the scheme will be implementing SuDS. One of the major challenges for contractors will be projects where there isn’t room for a surface-level or underground SuDS solution. This is likely where blue and green roofs will be most in demand.
Familiarity with how blue roofs can be applied to urban environments will help roofing professionals incorporate these solutions into their own offerings.
An example of application: the first blue green roof in Dublin
As part of a redevelopment project in Dublin, a property was to have a blue green roof installed to comply with local planning policies. The contractors on the project consulted with ACO and we were able to provide hydraulic calculations and design a bespoke solution for the project, ensuring compliance with regulations.
The design considered the potential for extreme weather events and used ACO RoofBloxx to provide a storage capacity for 3.77m³ of stormwater while allowing for the safe and controlled discharge of water to the perimeter of the building.
By installing a blue green roof, the contractors provided not only a sustainable drainage solution, but also enhanced the building’s cooling capability and contributed to biodiversity and a reduction in CO2.
As SuDS solutions like blue and blue green roofs increase in demand, contractors who are well-versed in their applications will be well-placed to capitalise on the business and environmental opportunity they represent.
Next steps
It can be daunting when regulations change, though it doesn’t have to be. Contractors can take steps now to prepare for Schedule 3. As the new requirements will have a significant impact on many roofers’ day-to-day activities, it’s important they get ready now, so the changes don’t disrupt their ability to provide high quality work that meets all relevant building regulations.
Ensuring familiarity with blue and green roof solutions, such as those offered by ACO, will also stand contractors in good stead. It will allow them to take advantage of the growing number of blue and green roof projects that will be available once Schedule 3 becomes a higher priority for many developments and renovations.
