The poor planning of drainage systems can contribute directly to the spread of fire in large buildings, explains Peter Jennings, Technical Director for ACO Building Drainage.

A building's drainage infrastructure is, by its very essence, an open system, designed to allow liquids to drain away from kitchens, bathrooms and shower rooms quickly and efficiently. However, this open nature also presents a significant danger in the event of a fire, providing open channels through which flames, smoke and toxic gases can easily spread from floor to floor and room to room, even acting as a venturi in the worse case scenario, increasing the speed at which fire and fumes can travel and spread still further.

Needless to say, the design and installation of drainage systems requires considerable thought and must be meticulously assessed to prevent fire hazards that can cause catastrophic damage to people and property. For maximum protection it is always advisable to specify a system that has been specifically developed with fire proofing in mind as these provide high performance fire protection and meet the associated standards. In doing so, you can rest assured that these systems will help to prevent the spread of fire without compromising the ability to carry out their primary task of effective water removal.