Scottish parliament voted for cast iron

The new Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh will be using cast iron drainage systems in a move designed to reduce its impact on the environment and noise in the building.

The new £195 million building in Holyrood will house the Scottish Parliament and parliamentary offices. The building will also include a hotel for members of the Scottish Parliament.

Another reason that cast iron was specified for the drainage systems was because of its lifespan. Developers feared that plastic or other materials were unlikely to survive the life of the building.

The first two phases of the building are complete with cast iron drainage installations in place. Final completion of the Enric Miralles/RMJM designed building is due for December 2002.

The building has been described as "an exemplar for environmentally conscious development" and will use the most environmentally friendly materials and construction methods possible.

Spokesman for the Cast Iron Drainage Development Authority, Mike Rawlings said this was a classic use for cast iron drainage installations.

"Because this is a parliamentary building, it is obviously important that ambient noise in the building be kept to an absolute minimum. Cast iron was specified to achieve this."

It was also felt that no other material had the lifespan required for such an important and prestigious project. The added bonus of cast iron to this new building is it will considerably reduce its impact on the environment. Cast iron is manufactured from 100 per cent recycled material. And it is itself capable of being recycled, so it was the natural choice," he added.