ADCAS (Association of Ductwork Contractors and Allied Services) is recommending a new BSRIA guide, published to help clarify confusion around flexible ductwork and improve building performance.
Flexible Ductwork - A guide to specification, procurement, installation and maintenance (BG 43/2013) was launched by BSRIA earlier this month, as a joint venture with ADCAS. The document provides guidance about legislation, product standards, specifications, installation practices and maintenance requirements relating to flexible ductwork.

Philip Johnson, chair of the associates committee, said the guide answers a need within the industry to refine essential legal and best practice policies regarding flexible ductwork to raise standards within the UK's buildings. He said: 'A lack of clarity over statutory requirements, product standards and technical guidance relating to flexible ductwork has led to a wide variety of interpretations by those parties involved in the design, specification, manufacture, installation and maintenance of ventilation and air conditioning systems containing flexible ductwork. This means that buildings may have ductwork installations that do not meet statutory requirements and may potentially compromise building performance. The BSRIA guide clears up any confusion and is a must read for those in the industry.'

ADCAS President Malcolm Moss, who provided the foreword to the guide, said: 'ADCAS' practical expertise in flexible ductwork meant we were the ideal partners to the BSRIA's engineering, technical and market research experts in producing a best practice guide. In preparing the guide, information was gathered from Approved Documents of the Building Regulations, British and European standards, industry guidance literature produced by organisations such as CIBSE and B&ES, manufacturers' technical guidance and a wide range of construction project specifications.'

The guide was written by Glenn Hawkins of Clear Construction and designed and produced by Joanna Smith of BSRIA. It is free to download to BSRIA members and £30 to non-members. To obtain a copy of the BSRIA Flexible Ductwork guide visit www.bsria.co.uk/bookshop/recent