REHAU was awarded with the Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI) Building & Construction Division’s Project of the Year earlier this month at the organization’s annual meeting. The award recognizes the company’s role in the École Secondaire Jeunes sans Frontiers (Secondary School for Youth Without Frontiers) project in Brampton, Ontario. The school, which has earned the Read more
REHAU
JSF High School features a REHAU radiant slab heating and cooling system installed throughout the building. Photo © Patrick Kennedy.
REHAU was awarded with the Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI) Building & Construction Division’s Project of the Year earlier this month at the organization’s annual meeting. The award recognizes the company’s role in the École Secondaire Jeunes sans Frontiers (Secondary School for Youth Without Frontiers) project in Brampton, Ontario. The school, which has earned the Canadian Green Building Council’s LEED® Silver certification, is the first secondary school building in Ontario to have achieved this status.
Designed by Robertson Simmons Architects, the French language high school, which encompasses approximately 91,000 sq. ft., is dedicated to fostering an enriched, student-focused learning experience by providing a healthy and sustainably designed environment. To achieve this, the design includes indoor spaces integrated with outdoor landscapes, a green roof, expansive daylighting, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, lighting with occupancy sensors and displacement ventilation.
The system consists of 104,700 ft (32,000 m) of RAUPEX® 5/8-in. O2 Barrier pipe and 42 PRO-BALANCE® manifolds. Photo courtesy Klimatrol.
To achieve maximum HVAC efficiency, the design includes a REHAU radiant slab heating and cooling system, which circulates a heated or chilled water-glycol solution through a network of PEX piping installed in the floors throughout the entire facility. The radiant system enables the school to meet indoor environmental criteria related to air quality, noise reduction and occupant comfort while also maximizing space efficiency by eliminating bulky convectors and ductwork.
“To help the school recognize the benefits of a combined radiant heating and cooling system, we supplied a finite element analysis to model the floor heating and cooling output,” explained Mark Euteneier, president of Klimatrol Environmental Systems, the project’s designer and supplier. “The results predicted a significant energy savings due to reduced heating and cooling loads and increased efficiencies of the heated and chilled water sources,” he said. “Coupled with the comfortable, even method of heating and cooling, this analysis made the REHAU radiant system a must-have for the project.”
The system consists of 104,700 ft (32,000 m) of RAUPEX® 5/8-in. O2 Barrier pipe and 42 PRO-BALANCE® manifolds pre-piped with 3-way valves into recessed manifold distribution cabinets. The PEX pipe was installed at the ground level in a concrete slab-on-grade design using a counter-flow spiral pattern to promote even surface temperatures.
To accommodate precast concrete floors on the second level, the pipe was affixed using plastic rails of recycled PVC and covered with a 2 to 3 in (5 to 8 cm) concrete layer.
REHAU has been previously recognized with PPI Building & Construction Division Project of the Year awards for the Denver Zoo Asian Tropics Complex as well as for the Vail, Colorado town center project, Solaris.
Plastics Pipe Institute Inc. (PPI) is a non-profit trade association dedicated to the advocacy and advancement of use of plastics in pipe infrastructure systems because they are smart, economical and sustainable solutions. The association is comprised of approximately 300 members and associates. The mission of PPI is to promote plastics as the material of choice for piping applications.
For additional information, visit www.na.rehau.com/mp
LEESBURG, Va. —REHAU announces the launch of its new web application, REHAU Radiant Calculator, designed to provide contractors and wholesalers with a quick material estimate for different types of radiant heating installation methods. Intended for use by hydronics experts already familiar with sizing pumps, boilers, controls and manifolds, the calculator estimates the requirements for Read more
LEESBURG, Va. —REHAU announces the launch of its new web application, REHAU Radiant Calculator, designed to provide contractors and wholesalers with a quick material estimate for different types of radiant heating installation methods.
Intended for use by hydronics experts already familiar with sizing pumps, boilers, controls and manifolds, the calculator estimates the requirements for REHAU radiant floor heating pipe and installation materials based on simple heated area inputs. Features include an intuitive, easy-to-use interface, English (IP) and metric (SI) units, instant calculations and both print and email outputs. In addition, the calculator automatically scales for use on both mobile and desktop devices.
“We developed the REHAU Radiant Calculator to provide our customers with a faster, more convenient way of obtaining a radiant materials estimate,” said Steve Rohrbaugh, applications engineer, building solutions. “Instead of looking up the material factors and manually calculating material requirements, contractors and wholesalers can now have their answer in less than a minute using a smart phone,” he said.
To use the app, simply select the installation method and enter data for a quick material estimate. REHAU Radiant Calculator is available at http://radiantcalculator.rehau.com. Customers who require a project quote are encouraged to use REHAU LoopCAD® software or to request a radiant design from REHAU or one of the company’s channel partners.
For additional information on REHAU’s complete line of radiant heating solutions, contact: REHAU, 1501 Edwards Ferry Rd., N.E., Leesburg, Va., 20176. E-mail: rehau.mailbox@rehau.com. Web site: http://na.rehau.com/heating.
LEESBURG, Va. — REHAU announces the launch of an advanced new weather-sensing control module developed for use with REHAU hydronic snow and ice melting (SIM) systems. The REHAU Smart Controls SIM Module also features an automated option that allows the system to operate with optimum efficiency. REHAU’s innovative hydronic SIM system is designed to Read more
LEESBURG, Va. — REHAU announces the launch of an advanced new weather-sensing control module developed for use with REHAU hydronic snow and ice melting (SIM) systems. The REHAU Smart Controls SIM Module also features an automated option that allows the system to operate with optimum efficiency.
REHAU SIM system at Salt Lake City condominium community
REHAU’s innovative hydronic SIM system is designed to quickly and efficiently remove snow and ice from vehicle or pedestrian pathways. SIM systems minimize snow removal and accompanying costs, as well as the need to apply salt or other melting agents that can be corrosive to outdoor surfaces and detrimental to the environment. Installed underneath or embedded within an outdoor surface such as concrete, asphalt or paving stones, the system includes RAUPEX® pipe, the EVERLOC® compression-sleeve fitting system and PRO-BALANCE® manifolds.
REHAU Smart Controls SIM Module
The SIM controls module employs the unique ability to “listen” to the weather forecast via web-enabled access to the National Weather Service (NOAA) and Environment Canada. Using the weather data and temperature sensors installed within the melting area, the control chooses an automatic idle temperature setting to warm the slab so that melting begins at the first sign of snow or ice. To save energy, the control turns the system off once the surface is dry.
REHAU SIM system being installed at Union Station in Toronto
“The REHAU hydronic SIM system combined with our Smart Controls SIM module provides a sensible alternative to the annual expense and complication of manual snow and ice removal,” said Ollie Carman, applications engineer at REHAU. “In comparison, operating costs are usually much lower while the ability to effortlessly maintain safer outdoor surfaces during winter provides unparalleled convenience.”
The SIM control module’s web-enabled feature also allows the system to be controlled remotely from any internet-accessible device. In addition, the module is flexible, scalable and programmed to meet a range of requirements including unlimited snow melting zones and priority scheduling to clear crucial areas such as walkways and entrances first. The SIM module can be used independently or integrated with a REHAU Smart Controls indoor comfort control system.
Located in Bethesda, Md., the Seymour Krieger House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and was designed in the 1950s by internationally renowned modernist architect Marcel Breuer. The house currently is owned by an architect, and he wanted to restore the mechanical system while keeping the architectural integrity of the structure intact Read more
Located in Bethesda, Md., the Seymour Krieger House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and was designed in the 1950s by internationally renowned modernist architect Marcel Breuer.
A very tight mechanical room displaying a Triangle Tube Prestige boiler, Grundfos ALPHA pump, Caleffi hydro-separator and REHAU radiant tubing and manifold.
The house currently is owned by an architect, and he wanted to restore the mechanical system while keeping the architectural integrity of the structure intact. Originally heated by a radiant floor heating system, the original boiler was still in place and operational, but the wrought iron radiant piping has corroded and was leaking in multiple locations.
“We discussed multiple alternatives,” says Dan Foley, Foley Mechanical, Inc. “But in the end, the owner decided to go back with radiant floor heat.
The bluestone floor tiles were painstakingly numbered and removed. The concrete overpour, along with the original wrought iron radiant tubing, was removed.
New REHAU PEX radiant tubing system was installed, and a new concrete slab was poured. The flagstones were carefully placed back in exactly their original positions.
REHAU PEX tubing
The entire mechanical system was updated by installing a new Triangle Tube Prestige boiler, HTP DHW tank, Viessmann solar heat and DHW system, Grundfos ALPHA pump, Caleffi hydro-separator, REHAU radiant tubing and manifold, and new Carrier high-efficiency AC system.
Four Viessmann flat panel solar collectors were mounted on the flat roof along with a Carrier 17 SEER AC unit.
To allow for multiple zones, Foley and his team re-piped and re-controlled the radiant system. The Viessmann solar system will contribute to space heat when the DHW load is satisfied.
The old radiant pipe was removed to make way for the new tubing.
“The clients were a joy to work for and appreciated the hard work done by my crew on this difficult and challenging project,” says Foley.
The flagstones were carefully labeled so they could be returned to their original positions.
On a late winter afternoon in early 2012, a crowd of 3,000 people gathered at the base of the ski area in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where a “Promenade” had been completed the previous fall. As the sun dropped low and lifts began shutting down, people popped off skis and boards and wandered over to listen Read more
On a late winter afternoon in early 2012, a crowd of 3,000 people gathered at the base of the ski area in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where a “Promenade” had been completed the previous fall. As the sun dropped low and lifts began shutting down, people popped off skis and boards and wandered over to listen to live music pouring from a stage, while others gathered around the fire pits and enjoyed after-ski refreshments. Few visitors were aware that beneath the pavers and concrete underfoot, a sophisticated array of pipes and manifolds melted snow and ice in real time, making the evening’s activities possible.
In 2011, just on time for the fall ski season, workers finished laying 112,000 ft (34,138 m) of 5/8 in. RAUPEX® crosslinked polyethylene (PEXa) pipe under more than 70,000 ft2 (6,503 m2) of walkway area. An additional 3,345 ft (1,020 m) of 1 in. through 4 in. REHAU INSULPEX® energy transfer pipe was installed to deliver heat to the complete system from 43 1 1/4 in. PRO-BALANCE® manifolds. The piping was connected to two separate boiler plants, each with a 12 million Btu capacity.
David Young, president of R&H Mechanical, was keen on incorporating the REHAU system from previous experience with it, and estimated that using RAUPEX and INSULPEX saved him hundreds of hours of labor costs as the mechanical contractor on the Promenade project.
“Anytime you use pre-insulated PEX it’s 100 times easier than using pre-insulated steel,” Young said. Also according to Young, it was the ease of installing REHAU’s fittings that provided the majority of time savings in installation. “We might save 40 minutes to an hour on every fitting,” Young said. “On a project this size, that’s big savings.”
The REHAU snow and ice melting system provides additional energy efficiency and environmental benefits in Steamboat as harsher melting agents and heavy equipment are no longer necessary for clearing snow. It has also helped transform an area once characterized by discontinuous sidewalks and dirty snow.
According to Janet Hruby, assistant director of public works for the city of Steamboat Springs, prior to the snow and ice melting system installation guests were required to navigate through significant snow accumulation to get between hotels and restaurants. “Where there were sidewalks, it was a challenge to keep them plowed from morning until late in the evening,” Hruby said.
It was also challenging to figure out where to put all the snow, according to Jim Schneider, vice president of skier services at property owner Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. “We’d have to plow and put snow on snow, and that gets dirty, and we sometimes had to haul the snow off,” Schneider said.
Although Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. is still collecting data on the cost savings of the snow and ice melting system versus manual snow removal, according to Schneider the base area redevelopment project might not have been possible without its installation.
“We added 70,000 ft2. That would have been a lot to maintain, to keep the snow off,” Schneider said. “It might have been a decision point for the development.”