At this year’s Steel Awards, hosted by the South African Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC), Marley Pipe Systems was awarded the Stewart & Lloyds Light Steel Frame Commendation for their role as primary supplier of their renowned Marley Equator hot and cold plumbing system for the successful construction of the Saint Helena Worker’s Village.

Marley’s unique push-fit PE-X pipe system for hot and cold water applications, Marley Equator, has long been celebrated in the industry for being SABS testing and approved, less labour intensive, and low in maintenance requirements. These are just some of the factors that made Marley Equator the preferred choice for use in the Saint Helena Worker’s Village Project.

The award-winning project came about following a £250 million investment by the UK Government to construct an international airport on the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, an isolated island situated in the South Atlantic Ocean. The airport, which is expected to cater for flight routes between Saint Helena, and London, Cape Town and Johannesburg, is anticipated to boost the island’s tourism industry and promote economic growth for the future. Due to the remoteness of the island, however, the construction meant that a worker’s village would need to be constructed to accommodate the 300 employees that would be working on the project for the duration of the contract.

The logistical and environmental challenges that the island presented meant that materials had to be carefully selected to comply with stringent transportation requirements. With this in mind, Marley was commissioned by SA Steelframe Systems to supply their Marley Equator hot and cold pipe materials for installation in the village, which includes accommodation, ablutions, recreational facilities, laundries, offices, and a kitchen and cafeteria.

As there would only be a boat available to transport materials to the island once a month, Marley had to work closely with SA Steelframe Systems to calculate the amount of materials needed for the construction, as a shortage of materials would have resulted in costly delays for the project. After careful inspection of the plans, Marley presented a Bill of Quantities which turned out to be the exact amount needed for the construction – with no additional materials needed nor arrangements required to return excess stock.

Owing to the project’s limited time constraints for construction, ease of installation was one of the key deciding factors in choosing the Marley Equator system. To assist further in speeding up the installation process, Marley provided value-added training and support to the local labourers who would be installing the system in the form of training tools and resources developed by Marley.

This had a significant impact on the successful outcome of the project as many of the workers had little or no previous experience in the installation of plumbing systems.

The Steel Awards were held on 19 September 2013, where Marley gratefully accepted their award, which only serves to prove their unwavering commitment to quality products and superior service for ground-breaking, albeit challenging, projects such as the Saint Helena Worker’s Village.

About Marley Pipe Systems
Marley Pipe Systems is the leading manufacturer and supplier of plastic pipe systems within the Civil, Irrigation, Mining and Industrial as well as the Plumbing and Building markets of sub-Saharan Africa. As a value organisation, Marley is committed to offering clients economic value and uncompromising service with SAPPMA endorsed quality solutions backed by a comprehensive range of PVC and HDPE pipes, fittings and accessories.