PPI's Building & Construction Division (BCD) is focused on plastic pressure pipe and tubing systems used within buildings and on building premises for a wide variety of applications:

• Fire protection
• Geothermal ground loops
• Hot- and cold-water plumbing distribution
• Outdoor snow and ice melting
• Radiant heating and cooling systems
• Radiant Control Systems
• Thermal Comfort - Radiant Heating & Cooling
• Reclaimed water piping
• Turf conditioning
• Water service lines
• Chilled water piping
• District heating and cooling
• Flexible pre-insulated piping
• Hydronic piping and distribution

In some cases, multiple BCD materials listed on the Home page may be suitable for use in the same application, but this is not always the case.

Users should check with piping system manufacturers to be sure that their products are recommended for each specific application and can be supported with design and installation advice. Selected products must also be in compliance with relevant standards and local regulations, such as plumbing and mechanical codes.

Many pipe and tubing system manufacturers produce specific types of pipes for specific applications. For example:

• CPVC tubing (copper tubing size) is used in residential plumbing applications, while CPVC pipe (iron pipe size) is used in commercial plumbing, hydronics, fire protection and industrial piping systems.
• PEX or PE-RT tubing is available with an integrated oxygen diffusion barrier for closed-loop hydronic systems that need this type of protection against oxygen permeation. Open systems, such as hot- and cold-water plumbing, do not require such barriers.
• PP piping systems are available with a mid-wall layer that greatly reduces longitudinal thermal expansion and contraction. This is an important feature for those hydronic heating systems which can experience wide swings in fluid temperature.

Note: Not all types of BCD products are approved for all applications.