The Obel Tower

The Obel Tower stands at 28 stories high, making it the tallest building in the city of Belfast. Standing at 88.31 metres high and dominating Belfast’s skyline, the Obel Tower took two years to build and was selected by Construction Excellence in Northern Ireland as a demonstration project due to its innovative construction methods. Geberit’s expertise in providing piping, drainage and bathroom systems was called into action for this most iconic of Belfast’s buildings. The Obel Tower was the first UK-based project to use Geberit Sovent fittings, which allow the use of smaller diameter soil stack pipes and offset self siphonage from the floats, which was a particular requirement from the contractor.

Particularly suitable for use in tall buildings due to its superior environmental and acoustic properties, as well as being easier to install than metal alternatives, Geberit’s HDPE piping was chosen alongside the Geberit Sovent soil and waste drainage system. Geberit Sovent is a single stack drainage system designed specifically for use in high rise buildings. Developed to substantially increase the performance of a soil and waste drainage system, Geberit Sovent eliminates the need for a separate vent stack and reduces the diameter of the stacks in highrise buildings.

Geberit also supplied more than 330 concealed dual-flush cisterns, ensuring that water consumption per tenant is minimalised.

Giles Hill, Mechanical Director at Blackbourne Mechanical, comments: “We were able to solve significant drainage issues with the Sovent drainage system, enabling the project to be approved by Building Control. Installing services to the tallest high rise building in Northern Ireland created its own difficulties, so selection of suitable materials was critical to its success. The Geberit products specified more than lived up to our expectations.”