A New Heated Driveway For A Modern Development In North London
Northway House is a modern reworking of a 1970’s office block on the outskirts of London.
The developers approached Heat Mat to provide a sophisticated driveway heating system to prevent any frost or snow on the underground parking ramp.
Like many other developments our project team has worked on, Northway House residents require carpark access all year round, especially when parking is at a premium in London. When new asphalt is being laid a ramp heating system is a popular solution to avoid damage and discolouration from the use of salt or grit on the drive in winter.
The development by Redrow is finished to a high standard and unsurprisingly completely sold out. The developer wanted to install a fully automated system that uses the minimum of power.
Our solution
We specified our 10mm driveway heating cables to heat the ground underneath the asphalt. Due to the size of the drive, tyre tracks were marked out and heated by 300W/sqm mats instead of heating the entire driveway. This ensures power consumption is kept to a minimum instead. Each track was 100m in length, stretching along the drive allowing access to three underground parking entrances. Bespoke heating mats with an output of 300W/sqm were manufactured off-site.
In order to compact the asphalt, the developer intended to use a heavy roller. This meant the heating system could not be close to the surface due to the potential for damage, therefore a layer of 50mm thick asphalt had to be above the cables. To enable the system to heat this layer the cables were laid at an increased wattage of 300W/sqm allowing additional cable loops to be included for strength, and to shorten the distance in-between the cable runs ensuring that the heat spread effectively in the asphalt.
The mats are controlled by both air and ground temperature sensors, along with a moisture sensor to monitor surface water levels. The intelligent controls will only activate the system should the temperature drop to a certain level or moisture pose a risk of dangerous conditions, avoiding expense and environmental damage.
This system, like many of Heat Mat’s driveway and ramp heating systems, is a preventative measure to ensure residents are safe in winter and there are no obstructions to parking.