K Company: AVK UK Limited Name: James Pick Email:
[email protected] Web Address: http://www.avkuk.co.uk/en-gb Address: Colliery Close, Ireland Ind. Est., Staveley, Chester- field, S43 3FH, England Telephone: +44 (0)1246 479100 Engineering & Infrastructure / AVK Reveals Excellence in New Product Range g forward is very gratifying.” The range includes the class- leading AVK Pentobox, a meter boundary box with a composite Grade B Surface box tested to fully withstand an 8 tonne load, whether installed in the driveway, on the crossover or wherever there is the risk of damage. It will also allow Automated Meter Reading (AMR) signals to pass uninterrupted. The AVK Pentopush push-fit connection design has a stronger but smaller construction and so will readily marry with existing and old pipework, reducing the cost of retrofit and expansion of pipe works. The cost-saving advantage begins as soon as the AVK Pentoflow range is delivered to site because they are not susceptible to the damage other less long-lasting products suffer. This means the contractor no longer has to replace boundary boxes and fittings even before they have been fully installed. For example, the guard pipe is polypropylene, not a brittle material such as fibre glass seen in other pipes, so it can withstand the rigours of the construction site for prolonged periods. One contractor has reported to AVK that, previously, up to 50% of its installed mains-to- meter products were having to be replaced even before the development was finished, due to inferior products being unable to withstand everyday wear on-site. This, plus the fact the AVK Pentoflow range is designed for ease of installation, results in major savings. Kieran Fitzpatrick calls AVK Pentoflow a ‘real world’ solution. “It is vitally important that key mains-to-meter products are built to withstand the wear and tear of the building site. This means we can say goodbye to contingency budgets needed to replace damaged products even before they are fully installed. The cost incentives are also vast. On testing the products, one self-lay company predicted it could save around £50,000 in the coming year by adopting the AVK Pentoflow range. With the AVK Pentoflow range, AVK has genuinely asserted itself as a ‘one stop shop’ for every mains-to-meter product. Additionally, as part of a new product field test an industry expert examined strength and ease of fit of AVK Pentobox boundary box. Designed to be the most durable, class-leading boundary box on the market, the product features a surface box that will withstand an 8 tonne load, made of stronger composites to withstand site damage and lid failure. AVK claims it will reduce the need for retrofits and repairs, drastically cutting ‘through life’ costs. But can it really stand up to the toughest tests in the business? Industry expert Phil Frost has been there, done that, got the t-shirt in almost every role in the water industry, so who better to put the AVK Pentobox through its paces? Nowadays a well-respected trainer and lecturer, Phil’s first comment on the AVK Pentobox is a general note of guidance: “The installation and reinstating industry guidelines are there for a reason. This is what I teach and if you follow them, you can’t go far wrong. Boundary boxes and other products are designed to be installed properly,” he says. “What I liked immediately about the Pentobox,” said Phil, “was that the telescopic adjustment does actually give and maintain a precise height. When I started filling in the trench the outer sleeve gripped the inner one, so it stayed at the optimal height. “This is a clever feature, as other boundary boxes I have used slide down the tube and needed digging out pretty quickly. The design of the AVK Pentobox achieves the flat surface required. We tested it at different levels and they all worked.” AVK consulted end users when developing the entire AVK Pentoflow range, so the telescopic adjustment was designed specifically to enable a faster, easier installation. Phil’s work as a college lecturer covers everything, as he says: “How to dig, to reinstating and the whole lot.” He has been familiar with AVK products for many years. But surely one boundary box is pretty much the same as the next? Phil disagrees: “The push-fit connections on the AVK Pentobox work well and make installation easier. Of course, I would again emphasise doing this right first time.” In reinstating the trench, Phil used a 56-kilo vibrating plate compactor. “I can happily report it compacted and held very well,” he says. “With other boundary boxes they can sink into the ground when it comes to laying the tarmac surface. So really, this new product will solve those problems.” AVK’s Kieran Fitzpatrick confirms this: “We developed the entire AVK Pentoflow range in discussion with the primary users, including Water Utilities and their delivery partners, developers and self-lay piping companies. “They want their mains-to-meter products installing right first time, so we designed the AVK Pentobox to help make this easier. Ease of installation, durability and a reduction in retrofits and repairs all mean a drop in through life costs – this is what the industry told AVK they need, so this is what we have delivered.” New product field test: industry expert examines strength and ease of fit of AVK Pentobox boundary box