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EASTON, PA. — Victaulic recently announced that four buildings at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 are using its piping systems for key building services. The Expo Center, the Expo Culture Center, the Expo Axis and the China Pavilion all rely on Victaulic piping systems for their HVAC, fire services and water supply needs.
The Victaulic grooved piping system was selected for its ease of installation with its grooved-end method of joining pipe being three to four times faster than similar welded or flanged pipes. Victaulic products are made from natural and recycled resources — an important consideration given the sustainable development messages of the exhibition. Grooved piping systems do not emit CO2 and other harmful gases during installation and maintenance and also do not need electricity during installation. Safety is also improved since no open flames are required as is the case for welded pipes.
“We are delighted to have been chosen to provide systems for these prestigious structures and for playing our part in this international exchange and communications event,” said Ying Cao, sales manager, East China Region, for Victaulic. “Each building will receive millions of visitors so it’s important that all building functions work smoothly and without fault. Being a six-month show, the core HVAC will face both the heat of summer and the cold of autumn, but we remain confident that our piping systems will perform reliably.”
The main Expo Center will be used to receive foreign leaders and hold ceremonial activities such as the event opening. The center is a green and low-carbon building constructed in accordance with China's 3-Star Green Building and the American LEED Gold Building standards. A host of advanced technologies are incorporated, including solar panels and a river water-source heat pump.
The Expo Culture Center is located by the riverside in the Huangpu District. During the Expo, it will be a cultural focal area for performing arts, exhibitions and entertainment. The irregular shape of the building is comparable to that of the “Bird’s Nest” building in Beijing. This provides unique visual enjoyment, but also posed some difficulty when installing the piping system. The internal pipelines of the Expo Culture Center are very complicated.
The design and installation company made a 3D model beforehand and chose the Victaulic grooved piping system to accurately meet various design requirements of the building. The Victaulic system consists of coupling housings, two bolts and nuts and a gasket. Customizable, the solution provides both rigid and flexible couplings, so the pipes can be installed at any angle and can meet the various bends and corners found in a building.
The China Pavilion, designed with the concept of the "Oriental Crown," embodies much of the best of Chinese culture and is one of the most striking at the Expo.
“Normally it takes around three years to construct a similar building,” said Cao. “However it was assembled in just two years to meet the tight timelines. Grooved piping was ideal for the task given its speed of assembly.”
The Expo Axis is the main access and transport hub for the Expo and incorporates the world’s largest membrane roof. It is estimated that the Expo Axis would receive an average of 92,000 visitors per day when the show begins. Since it could become very crowded, fire safety is of paramount importance.
Victaulic’s fire protection products used in the buildings include FireLock V36 Series Dry Sprinklers, Series 705 Butterfly Valves, and the Series 769 FireLock NXT Deluge Valves. The FireLock V36 Series Dry Sprinklers passed the stringent inspection of the Tianjin Fire Research Institute of Ministry of Public Security. The working pressure of the Series 705 Butterfly Valve is up to PN21. The Series 769 FireLock NXT Deluge Valve is easy to install and maintain, occupies a smaller footprint in the space than other valves and also is lighter in weight.