St Cuthberts Court - Gateshead

One crucial aspect of the building that had not been upgraded was the original drainage system, and after over 50 years of service, problems with leaks were starting to occur.
The original cast iron soil and vent pipes had served the building well, but corrosion had set in on some levels, and temporary repairs had been made. Many of the problems with leaks were associated with the copper runout pipes that connected baths and sinks to the main stacks. Because the connections to the main stacks were not always serviceable, or were obsolete, making proper repairs proved challenging for the repairs teams, resulting in plastic pipework having to be used to replace old original sections of copper pipe. This mixture of old and new pipework resulted in the occasional flood and constant leaks at lower floor levels.

Gateshead Council sought to rectify these issues by bringing the drainage system up to date and fit for purpose for the next 50+ years

By engaging with PAM Building’s High Rise Social Housing Team, they were provided with a detailed condition report which identified where failure was occurring, setting out options to rectify the issues. Due to the type of building and number of occupants housed, Gateshead Council chose to replace the system using our A1 fire-rated, pre-assembled system, with the installation carried out by a PAM Trained Installer. This meant the residents did not need to be decanted and the installation would not have a major impact on their lives.

Hughie Construction acted as the Principal Contractor and worked closely with the client throughout the process. The client’s concerns around access and coordination were quickly addressed, which resulted in incompletion in 8 weeks from start to finish.
On completion, Nick Spencer from Gateshead Council said they were delighted with the product and the standard of installation. Residents gave valuable feedback, saying the drainage had much improved with the new pipework. Where some baths had previously taken over half an hour to drain, this was no longer the case, and it was now only taking minutes.
PAM Building provided full manufacturer support throughout the process, to ensure what might be considered a challenging project went smoothly. On completion, the client was provided with a key stage inspection report, which recorded various stages of the installation.

With much of the UK’s social housing stock approaching 60 years old, the problems at St Cuthbert's are typical in similar buildings throughout the country.
PAM Building prides itself on being the number one UK manufacturer of cast iron drainage systems and has the expertise to offer clients facing similar issues within their stock.