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Fire safety
Why fire safety drainage systems matter
Drainage systems are the arteries of a building
Drainage systems are the arteries of a building. In the event of a fire, any delay in draining large volumes of water can worsen structural damage and increase the risk of fire propagation. Pipe penetrations through structural elements like walls or slabs can act as channels for heat and flames, posing serious problems. This is especially critical in high-rise buildings and industrial facilities, where local fire code regulations impose strict requirements for fire safety compliance.
Fire safety drainage systems are engineered not only to ensure efficient water flow, but also to minimize fire-related risks thanks to fire-resistant materials. Pam Building’s solutions help manage fire emergencies by integrating robust drainage strategies that prevent water accumulation, support leak prevention, and reduce thermal transfer through non-combustible components.
How fire safety drainage systems work?
Fire safety drainage systems are designed to manage large volumes of water discharged during fire suppression efforts, such as from sprinkler systems or firefighting hoses. These systems ensure rapid water removal to prevent flooding, structural damage, and hazardous conditions. Proper installation is key to avoid system failure and to maintain building safety. By rapidly removing water, they help prevent damage to structural walls, roofs, and other property.
Key features and benefits
- High fire resistance: All systems achieve Euroclass A1 or A2-s1,d0 ratings, confirming excellent behavior under fire conditions.
- Durable materials: Formed with cast iron and steel alloys, ensuring resistance to rust, corrosion, and thermal damage.
- Leak prevention features: Advanced lining, mechanical joints, and accessories designed to prevent leaks, even in high-pressure or heated environments.
- Efficient water flow: Optimized system geometry and drain outlet placement ensure high-flow performance and prevent slow drainage or blockage.
- Easy installation & maintenance: Our systems allow fast installation and simplified maintenance by professionals on-site, reducing operational downtime.
- Sustainable materials: Produced with 99% recycled content for a lower environmental impact.
- Resistant to air and chemicals: Robust pipe systems that resist internal and external corrosion, including flammable and hazardous atmospheres.
Why fire safety drainage systems matter
Drainage systems are the arteries of a building
Drainage systems are the arteries of a building. In the event of a fire, any delay in draining large volumes of water can worsen structural damage and increase the risk of fire propagation. Pipe penetrations through structural elements like walls or slabs can act as channels for heat and flames, posing serious problems. This is especially critical in high-rise buildings and industrial facilities, where local fire code regulations impose strict requirements for fire safety compliance.
Fire safety drainage systems are engineered not only to ensure efficient water flow, but also to minimize fire-related risks thanks to fire-resistant materials. Pam Building’s solutions help manage fire emergencies by integrating robust drainage strategies that prevent water accumulation, support leak prevention, and reduce thermal transfer through non-combustible components.
How fire safety drainage systems work?
Fire safety drainage systems are designed to manage large volumes of water discharged during fire suppression efforts, such as from sprinkler systems or firefighting hoses. These systems ensure rapid water removal to prevent flooding, structural damage, and hazardous conditions. Proper installation is key to avoid system failure and to maintain building safety. By rapidly removing water, they help prevent damage to structural walls, roofs, and other property.
Key features and benefits
- High fire resistance: All systems achieve Euroclass A1 or A2-s1,d0 ratings, confirming excellent behavior under fire conditions.
- Durable materials: Formed with cast iron and steel alloys, ensuring resistance to rust, corrosion, and thermal damage.
- Leak prevention features: Advanced lining, mechanical joints, and accessories designed to prevent leaks, even in high-pressure or heated environments.
- Efficient water flow: Optimized system geometry and drain outlet placement ensure high-flow performance and prevent slow drainage or blockage.
- Easy installation & maintenance: Our systems allow fast installation and simplified maintenance by professionals on-site, reducing operational downtime.
- Sustainable materials: Produced with 99% recycled content for a lower environmental impact.
- Resistant to air and chemicals: Robust pipe systems that resist internal and external corrosion, including flammable and hazardous atmospheres.
Reaction to Fire
Reaction to fire is described in Approved Document B as ‘the degree to which a product will contribute,
by its own decomposition, to a fire under specified conditions.’
Products, other than floorings, are classified as A1, A2, B, C, D, E or F (with class A1 being the highest
performance and F being the lowest).
The Ensign and Ensign Agilium® ranges are tested to the requirements outlined in BS EN 1350 1-1
incorporating: BS EN 1182, BS EN 1716, BS EN 13823 and achieve the following results under The Euroclass
classification:
A1 - This is the highest fire safety level achievable for a drainage system.
When a fire breaks out, the first objective is to stop it from spreading both horizontally and vertically.
Drainage systems should be selected so that they resist the passage of fire and do not feed it.
EN 13501-1 is the European standard for classifying the reaction to fire of construction products and
building elements. It provides a harmonised system used across the EU and UK to assess how materials
behave when exposed to fire, helping ensure safer building design and material selectio
Reaction to Fire
Reaction to fire is described in Approved Document B as ‘the degree to which a product will contribute,
by its own decomposition, to a fire under specified conditions.’
Products, other than floorings, are classified as A1, A2, B, C, D, E or F (with class A1 being the highest
performance and F being the lowest).
The Ensign and Ensign Agilium® ranges are tested to the requirements outlined in BS EN 1350 1-1
incorporating: BS EN 1182, BS EN 1716, BS EN 13823 and achieve the following results under The Euroclass
classification:
A1 - This is the highest fire safety level achievable for a drainage system.
When a fire breaks out, the first objective is to stop it from spreading both horizontally and vertically.
Drainage systems should be selected so that they resist the passage of fire and do not feed it.
EN 13501-1 is the European standard for classifying the reaction to fire of construction products and
building elements. It provides a harmonised system used across the EU and UK to assess how materials
behave when exposed to fire, helping ensure safer building design and material selectio
FIRE RESISTANCE
Fire resistance is a fundamental requirement in building design, including where building services penetrate fire-separating walls and floors. The subject must be approached as a system-based discipline rather than a single-product consideration.
Fire resistance describes the ability of a building element to maintain its integrity, insulation and, where relevant, loadbearing capacity for a defined period when exposed to fire.
These performance criteria are measured through full-scale fire resistance testing and expressed in time periods between 30 and 240 minutes (EI Rating).
Why fire safety drainage systems matter
We can issue and supply fire standard details for the project EI fire rating require.
The exact products required for the project can be specified at design stage giving you reassurance that you are specifying exactly what is required to achieve a given EI rating. Specification clauses can be downloaded through the NBS website
Applications of fire safety drainage systems
Our fire safety drainage solutions are ideal for:
- Commercial buildings: offices, shopping centers, businesses, and public structures.
- Industrial facilities: factories, warehouses, and flammable material storage.
- High-rise buildings: skyscrapers and apartment complexes requiring vertical drainage solutions.
- Roof drainage: effective roof drainage solutions to prevent water stagnation.
- Hospitals & healthcare centers: ensuring proper drainage for high-risk environments.
- Airports & transport hubs: managing large-scale emergency water discharge.
Why fire safety drainage systems matter
We can issue and supply fire standard details for the project EI fire rating require.
The exact products required for the project can be specified at design stage giving you reassurance that you are specifying exactly what is required to achieve a given EI rating. Specification clauses can be downloaded through the NBS website
Applications of fire safety drainage systems
Our fire safety drainage solutions are ideal for:
- Commercial buildings: offices, shopping centers, businesses, and public structures.
- Industrial facilities: factories, warehouses, and flammable material storage.
- High-rise buildings: skyscrapers and apartment complexes requiring vertical drainage solutions.
- Roof drainage: effective roof drainage solutions to prevent water stagnation.
- Hospitals & healthcare centers: ensuring proper drainage for high-risk environments.
- Airports & transport hubs: managing large-scale emergency water discharge.
STANDARDS
The UKCA and CE marking for cast iron wastewater systems is based on the harmonised standard EN 877, which applies to a system including pipes, fittings, couplings and accessories, and is used to test all of the ranges’ components.
When specifying your products you need to check the reaction to fire classification to ensure the tests were carried out by an accredited testing centre. Our compliance is validated by the quality marks, is periodically tested by accredited third-party laboratories and provides you with a performance guarantee for the systems you specify.
Cast iron and fire safety
Drainage systems passing through structures designed to withstand fire should not provide open breaches. For a given time, specified in the applicable regulations, they should not allow the passage of fire, smoke, heat or combustion products from one compartment another.
Cast iron, a non-combustible material, has a melting point of over 1000°C. In most cases it requires no additional fire protection.
Tested in CSTB-accredited labs, our cast iron systems (including pipes, fittings, linings, and elastomer accessories) received the following Euroclass certification:
→ A1 for the S range: completely non-combustible
→ A2-s1, d0 for the Plus range: No smoke, no flaming droplets in the event of a fire
Cast iron and fire safety
Drainage systems passing through structures designed to withstand fire should not provide open breaches. For a given time, specified in the applicable regulations, they should not allow the passage of fire, smoke, heat or combustion products from one compartment another.
Cast iron, a non-combustible material, has a melting point of over 1000°C. In most cases it requires no additional fire protection.
Tested in CSTB-accredited labs, our cast iron systems (including pipes, fittings, linings, and elastomer accessories) received the following Euroclass certification:
→ A1 for the S range: completely non-combustible
→ A2-s1, d0 for the Plus range: No smoke, no flaming droplets in the event of a fire