Fire protection in focus

Zurich. Fire in domestic drainage pipes – is this possible? In any case, devastating high-rise fires or heat waves bring the subject of fire protection repeatedly into focus – even in renovations. Most recently, clients demand systems that have a DIBt approval with a corresponding fire protection classification. The topic is ever-present at RS Technik as a supplier of systems for domestic connections and interior renovations.

When it comes to the fire protection of large buildings or public facilities, one image comes immediately to mind: The devastating fire in London’s Grenfell Tower in June last year, triggered by a broken refrigerator. The exterior cladding acted as a fire accelerator and turned the skyscraper into a deadly trap. Even if neglect of regulations and outdated insulating materials were the cause, cases like these also have an impact on the awarding of contracts in this country.

Downpipes as an accelerator?

“We have the impression that public authorities are increasingly sensitized to the topic of fire protection – this applies particularly to domestic rehabilitation,” says Klaus Müller, Managing Director of RS Technik AG. “Responsible people want to be on the safe side – Under no circumstances should they get a fire accelerator. As a system provider, we reacted to this a few years ago and keep an eye on the subject of our quality assurance. ”

As early as 2012, RS Technik AG, in cooperation with IQS Engineering AG, developed a liner test circuit for typical domestic rehabilitations in order to obtain approval for the RS MaxLiner® system from the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt) for the refurbishment of buildings. For this system, a fire protection certificate of class B2 was received, in accordance with DIN 4102-1. The current DIBt approval has been renewed for another five years.

Fire safety approval determined the award of the contract

Among other things, the fire protection approval was decisive for the contract for the rehabilitation of a building at the Technical University of Dortmund – for which RS Technik AG had applied together with the company Lobbe from Iserlohn. “That shows us, of course, the importance of the topic of fire protection in in-house renovations. Even though there is little chance that a line will catch fire, nobody would like to create the example, “says Müller.

Such is the case for IQS – which is continuously responsible for the further development of the systems and their quality on behalf of RS Technik AG – the approval criteria of the DIBt are an important factor for maintaining the high quality level of rehabilitation techniques in Germany. “Even though we are often ridiculed abroad for not simply getting going with new technologies in Germany, but first needing approval for systems – the requirements for flammability and temperature resistance make perfect sense,” says the technical director of IQS; Dr. Susanne Leddig-Bahls.

“Don´t stand still”

For RS Technik AG, the interest in fire safety certification has certainly shown that the sensitivity of the customer is an important factor in the further development of their own systems. Klaus Müller: “This shows that we should not stand still and must constantly adapt to circumstances and requirements. Confidence in the quality of domestic rehabilitation techniques is an important factor in our market. “