41 km Purmo heating pipes in conversion of old steel factory site into residential care centre

New residential area

All generations come together in the new residential neighbourhood in Hemiksem. Both young families and seniors are finding a comfortable home just 20 minutes from Antwerp. The new residential care centre that opened in October includes 82 rooms and 19 assistive housing units for anyone who needs them. The rooms offer a view on the eight-acre landscape park from the front, and overlook the lively Scheldt River at the rear.

On the same site, Residence Bo’Rive offers 42 luxury assisted living apartments of different sizes as well as space for an eatery and neighbourhood supermarket on the ground floor. The nearly zero-energy building meets all modern standards and is, just like the residential care centre, designed to provide as much comfort as possible for all residents.

Efficient and sustainable heating solutions

Altogether, the two projects include 143 residential units as well as communal areas and practical facilities such as a private physiotherapy practice and barber shop. To heat the various types of rooms both efficiently and sustainably, several of our heating and cooling solutions are combined. Our Clickjet W underfloor heating system creates a comfortable and constant warmth for a total of 6000 m² living space, while around 100 Integra Flex 8C panel radiators offer efficient heat in rooms such as the communal dining areas and facility rooms, which, unlike the residential units, are not constantly occupied.

In order to ensure all heating solutions were installed in time, we put our best foot forward together with the building company (JURI) and the installer (UTEL). Thanks to a streamlined cooperation with our calculation service on the one hand and good coordination with the appointed mounting team on the other hand, we were able to respect the strict timeline of these two projects.

41 km underfloor heating pipes

Both ‘Aan de Schelde’ and Residence Bo-Rive equipped their residential units with the Clickjet W underfloor heating system. This system uses steel wire mesh that doesn’t need to be fixed, allowing it to be easily installed on various types of insulation without damaging or puncturing the insulation cover. This was definitely a must in these buildings given the use of acoustic matting to soundproof the floors. Additionally, the mesh provides a solid connection between the heating pipes and the cover layer, ensuring an even heat distribution over the entire surface.

The underfloor heating pipes are fixed to the steel wires using galvanised binding wire by means of an automatic braiding machine. The machine is adjusted so that the tube maintains room for movement and braids the tube and steel wire 2 to 3 times.

To cover all the units, a total of 41 km of PE-RT Penta underfloor heating pipe was used. This is a high density polyethylene heating pipe made of 5 layers, including a central EVOH anti-oxygen diffusion screen, which in turn is protected by a full PE-RT layer. All layers are interconnected with a bonding layer made of modified PE.

Our Object Line stainless steel manifold is installed to control the various underfloor heating circuits in each room or apartment.

Classic meets modern

In addition to the underfloor heating system, our Integra Flex 8 C panel radiators were selected to meet the varying heat demand in non-residential rooms. Although this is a classic panel radiator, it fits perfectly in these modern buildings thanks to its neutral white design and universal connection.

Additionally, the 8C technology of this type of radiator offers maximum flexibility thanks 8 connection points and a thermostatic head that can be installed either on the right or left side. The preset valve insert, in turn, facilitates the hydronic balancing while the MCW-7 anti-slip clips ensure safe mounting.

Are you also looking for the perfect heating and cooling solutions to create sustainable indoor climate comfort in your project(s)? Don’t hesitate to browse our complete product range or to get in touch. We will gladly offer tailored advice.

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