THE EARTH TUBE STORY: A BUILDING SERVICES CHALLENGE

摘要

The most innovative feature at the new Rutherford Appleton Laboratory is an extensive underground labyrinth. Dubbed the Earth Tube, it is nothing more than a pair of empty tunnels that will supply naturally cooled or warmed fresh air to the laboratories. rnTotalling 120 m in length and with a cross section of 1.5 m by 2.14 m, it is the brainchild of building services consultant Hoare Lea, which claims it is the world's largest cooling tunnel and 10 times the size of others in the UK. rn"Labs need hell of a lot of fresh air, and then they throw it away straight after using it," says Hoare Lea's project partner Ian Durbin. But before they use it, labs demand that the fresh air be heated, cooled, dehumidified and purified to their exacting requirements. rnAnd on top of that, the client asked for a BREEAM rating of "very good", or if possible "excellent", which favours heating and cooling by natural means to reduce energy demand.