With recent regulations mandating more fire safety precautions be put in place around building services, a polymer specialist has released a Class B fire-rated pre-insulated pipework solution for quick installation in high-rise buildings.
Following previous developments such as the 2018 Hackitt Review and the government’s July announcement of legislation appointing a new regulator for safety in buildings, there is even more emphasis on building compliance from developers and contractors. Alongside this, the challenge of delivering these projects to tight deadlines remains so products that save time on site are in high demand from contractors.
With focus now on buildings being specified and completed to high safety standards, Steve Richmond, Head of Marketing and Technical – Building Solutions at REHAU outlines how contractors and specifiers can use plumbing solutions to ensure projects are fully compliant.
Steve says: ‘The recently updated legislation is obviously a great improvement for the safety of building occupants. However, with pressure on contractors and specifiers to complete buildings within shrinking timeframes, the industry has been calling for pipework solutions that fulfil all the requirements. Yet alongside adhering to the Class B fire rating, and meeting BS EN13501-1 directive around fire classification of construction projects and building elements, any solution must also remain quick and easy to install.’
The new version of REHAU’s RAUTITAN stabil plumbing and heating pipework has been designed to meets these standards, as it is pre-insulated with Class B rated fire insulation, saving contractors the time-intensive process of manually adding insulation to pipework. RAUTITAN stabil uses the renowned Everloc compression sleeve fitting, which allows visual inspection thanks to it not needing O-rings, further saving time on installation.
On top of increased fire safety and quick installation, the RAUTITAN range also provides contractors and specifiers with a hygienic drinking-water solution. Lead-free fittings and cavity-free joints mean microbial contamination is avoided, which means contractors and specifiers can promote the health and wellbeing of occupants.
Steve concludes: ‘REHAU champions the concept of designing healthy buildings, and we look to support the industry with solving issues with compliance while future-proofing the UK building stock, as shown in our guide, ‘Designing Healthy Apartments’. With RAUTITAN, we aim to help reduce costs and installation time for contractors and specifiers, alongside meeting regulations to deliver to a healthy, safe and future-proof build to stringent deadlines.’
For more information about RAUTITAN pipework, please visit www.rehau.uk/rautitan
