Pre-insulated ductwork is efficient solution for new academy building
City Academy Norwich has its air-distribution requirements met by Kingspan’s thermally efficient KoolDuct system. Designed by Sheppard Robson, the academy accommodates 1100 pupils aged 11 to 19 and on completion was assessed as BREEAM ‘Excellent’ by WSP Group.
Contributing to this performance is 2574 m2 of pre-insulated Koolduct installed to and from the air-handling units. The KoolDuct panels have a thermal conductivity as low as 0.022 W/mK and can achieved air-leakage rates far lower than traditional sheet-metal ductwork.
Graham Sims, operations manager at RDS Ductwork Contractors, which installed the system, explains, ‘Aside from helping to meet the overall BREEAM “Excellent” target, our main consideration on the project was ensuring that the ductwork could be installed to the tight schedule, allowing the academy to be completed in time for the new school term. The Kingspan KoolDuct system enables us to easily meet this deadline. The system sections are far lighter than many of the traditional ducting options, meaning we were able to minimise the manual handling needed to get them in place. As they come pre-insulated, there was no need to spend additional time cladding them.’
The system is installed in a single fix.
The academy incorporates a district-heating system linked to the nearby campus of the University of East Anglia. There are also solar PV panels on the roof and a rainwater-harvesting system.
