The Belgian defence is prioritizing energy efficiency and comfort improvement in its infrastructure with a new heating network for the Majoor Housiau barracks in Peutie.
In the Flemish Brabant municipality of Peutie, Belgian Defence houses various services in the Majoor Housiau military barracks that was inaugurated in 1971. Over the years, several renovations were necessary, including the renewal of the outdated underground heating network. Equans renovated seven heating circuits under a design and build formula.
A new heating network
In late 2020, Equans was awarded the design and build contract for the renovation and energy optimization of the underground heating network from the gas boiler room to the substations per building. The old network consisted of eight circuits, built with PUR pre-insulated steel pipes. This was damaged, and several circuits showed serious leaks and other signs of wear and tear, which eventually led to them being decommissioned. Equans was tasked with refurbishing the remaining seven circuits.
Maintenance-friendly & energy-efficient
In total, the Equans team installed approximately 11 km of heating pipes. "The majority of the refurbished circuits are made up of Calpex plastic pipes with an outer jacket in PUR insulation," says Frank Deruyter, project site coordinator for networks & infrastructure at Equans. "Only 1% of the network was replaced with new steel pipes. By using plastic, we extend the lifespan and guarantee the maintenance-friendliness of the network. The energy efficiency of the site also benefits: less gas consumption, and the installation will need to be refilled less often."
Design & Build
Before installation, an Equans energy efficiency and smart building advisor calculated the sizing and optimization of the various circuits. Depending on the type of building and its functions, the diameter of the pipes was determined. The largest diameter is 200 mm. The Equans team then carried out soil tests to determine the ideal route for the new circuits, considering existing utility lines.
36 Building connections
An important requirement was to keep the existing circuits in service for as long as possible during the installation of the new network. Deruyter explains, "That's why we first installed the new main pipes, then the individual main stations, and finally made the connection to the gas installation. In total, we installed 40 connections to substations, 36 building connections, and the connection to the heating installation. Finally, we subjected the entire installation to a pressure test at 8 bar for 2 hours. This required a volume of over 100 cubic meters of water. Throughout the project, around ten Equans employees were active on site daily from 2020 to early 2023."
With this renovation and optimization of the heating network, Defence has taken a significant step towards energy efficiency and improved comfort at the Majoor Housiau barracks in Belgium.
IFM contract for complete customer satisfaction
In addition to this infrastructure works, Defence is also constantly working to improve the comfort of the barracks' users. Our teams work with Laurenty and Umami (ELU) in a temporary association to carry out an extensive IFM contract. This includes preventive and corrective maintenance, as well as project-based jobs in both the technical and infrastructural aspects of the building.
We also manage daily catering, lodging, training facilities, gardening, winter services, cleaning services, energy management, and much more to ensure complete customer satisfaction.