The use of PVC in domestic and commercial drainage systems began around 30
years ago and has grown to dominate the market. In the UK, PVC now accounts
for around 85 per cent of the rainwater market and 50 per cent of the
underground drainage market (with 75 per cent of the 110mm pipe market). It
seems that the practical and competitive UK building industry puts cost and
performance first and this is where PVC wins hands down.
PVC has come a long way in the past 30 years. Innovations in both design and
manufacture have improved strength, durability and product choice. Improved
formulations with additional stabilisers can handle exposure to sunlight
without embrittlement and extreme and fast-changing temperatures.
Last year a new Euro Norm BS EN 1401-1:1998 covering PVC underground
drainage pipes and fittings in sizes from 100mm to 1,000mm came into effect.
The new standard raises a number of important issues for specifiers of
underground drainage systems and the British Plastics Federation (BPF) Pipes
Group is working hard to ensure that specifiers, merchants and installers of
underground drainage systems are fully informed about what the new standard
means for them.
BS EN 1401-1:1998 replaces parts of the existing British Standard BS 4660
and all of BS 5481. Pipes and fittings manufactured to the new standard will
be completely interchangeable with old products in terms of dimension. In
order to continue receiving exactly the same high quality product as
previously, specifiers should continue to identify ŒStiffness Class 4′ on
all specifications. BS EN 1401 does cover the use of a thinner grade of pipe
with reduced stiffness (stiffness class 2) in pipes with diameters of 160mm
and above than was permitted under the previous British Standards.
The BPF Pipes Group strongly recommends that specifiers continue to specify
stiffness class 4 because using Stiffness Class 2 pipes could cause costly
delays and problems on site because they require much more preparation and
bedding to give the same performance, even though they do technically comply
with BS EN 1401-1.
For the first time ever, the new standard also stipulates the specific
application areas where certain pipes can and cannot be used. It stipulates
that Stiffness Class 4 (equivalent to BS 4660 for 100mm and 160mm and BS
5481 for 200m, 250mm, 315mm and 400mm) or Stiffness Class 8 pipes and
fittings must be used if an installation is to comply with BS Codes of
Practice and resist long-term deformation.
Stiffness Class 2 pipes will need to be subjected to complex structural
design load calculation and expensive and time-consuming installation
techniques to achieve the same result.
For the first time, the BS EN 1401 defines two separate application areas
and the type of pipes and fittings that can be used in each:
– U: application area code for areas more than one metre away from the
building to which the buried pipe system is connected; and
– D: application code area for the area underneath and within one metre from
the building where pipes and fittings are underground and connected to the
soil and waste discharge system.
All pipes and fittings manufactured to BS EN 1401 will be marked with these
codes. Since Stiffness Class 4 or 8 pipes are suitable in both cases, they
will be marked ŒUD¹. The new European standard states that Stiffness Class 2
(SN2) pipes are totally unsuitable in areas where hot water discharge occurs
(D applications) and strongly recommends the use of Stiffness Class 4 or 8
pipes in these applications.
Specifiers of PVC underground drainage systems can start using the new EN
with immediate effect, retaining reference to the existing standards until
the changeover is completed in October 1999. The new standard refers to all
PVC underground pipes and most fittings from 110mm to 1000mm. Access
fittings and gullies will continue to be covered by BS 4660.
The BPF Pipes Group is made up of the UK¹s leading PVC pipe and fitting
manufacturers and covers rainwater, soil and waste and underground drainage
products.
The group was set up to promote plastic and educate the building and
construction industries about the benefits of using plastic pipes and is
issuing a series of technical bulletins outlining the changes that the new
standards will bring about and what specifiers should know about them.
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