KnowHow
Copper Pipes within Cementitious Floors - Best Practises.
TLA
Cement
Water
In the UK, installing copper pipes within cementitious floors (concrete or sand-cement screeds) is allowed, but there are several important restrictions and protection requirements set out in British Standards and technical guidance. Summary of the main guidance used in UK construction:
1
Copper pipes should not be embedded directly in concrete or screed. Plain copper tube must not be placed directly in cement-based materials without protection, because the alkaline environment can cause corrosion or “pinholing”. Good practice:
• Use factory-coated (plastic-sheathed) copper tube. • or wrap or sleeve the pipe before it is buried in screed or concrete.
Compression joints are normally not allowed within screed or concrete in many specifications.
4
Additional corrosion protection Where pipes are buried in floors, they must be protected against corrosion and degradation. Typical methods:
• • • •
Factory plastic coating. Bituminous or tape wrapping. Installation in ducts or conduit. Insulation sleeves.
Typical protections:
• LDPE-coated copper pipe. • Plastic conduit (“pipe-in-pipe” systems). • Polyethylene sleeve or tape wrapping.
2
Pipes must be able to move freely Copper expands with temperature. If locked in cement it can fail.
Important practical note:
Modern UK housing increasingly uses plastic pipe for floor runs because it: • Avoids corrosion risk. • Comes in long continuous coils. • Reduces buried joints. If in doubt, please contact local authority for guidance.
Pipes buried in floors should be:
• Sleeved or wrapped so they can move along their length. • Protected with soft covering material (~5 mm thick) to allow movement and prevent screed bonding.
3
Minimise or avoid joints in the floor • Continuous pipe runs wherever possible. • Avoid fittings buried in floors. • If unavoidable, they should be accessible or suitably protected.
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