Protech VOC Flex Tests Prove Best in Class Protection for Brownfield Development

A new high class performance VOC membrane Protech VOC Flex has been launched by as part of our range of ground gas protection products. Protech VOC Flex is a multi layer flexible reinforced VOC Hydrocarbon/ Chemical Barrier suitable for use on brownfield sites that require protection from dangerous contaminants such as hydrocarbons.
Protech VOC Flex Tests Prove Best in Class Protection for Brownfield Development cover image

Key guidance, standards and codes of practice relating to protection and best practice when building on contaminated land is given in CIRIA C748* and BS8485:2015**. As a minimum VOC membranes must be tested against the 9 chemicals for vapour permeability (ISO 15105-2) and after immersion (EN14414). Protech VOC Flex was tested against several additional chemicals over and above the 9 listed. The 9 chemicals included are: benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, m.pxylene, hexane, vinyl chloride, tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichlorethene TCE, and naphthalene.

Protech VOC Flex has been extensively tested by an independent testing authority and fully complies with the requirements of BS8485:2015 where methane permeability must be <40ml/m2/day. Protech VOC Flex was tested against several additional chemicals over and above the 9 listed. Aubrey Machin, Ground Protection National Technical Sales Manager for the Group explains, “with the continued emphasis and urgent need for brownfield development, more is demanded from the systems that are used for ground gas protection. We wanted to develop a new high performance membrane that is designed specifically to make the development of brownfield sites safer and easier. In order that designers and installers can have ultimate confidence in barrier membranes, it is essential that they consider products which are able to provide accurate test data and not simply modelled data. Protech VOC Flex has been comprehensively tested and all data validated ensuring specifiers can have full confidence in the product in use.” *CIRIA C748 Guidance on the use of plastic membranes as VOC vapour barriers **BS8485:2015 Code of practice for the design of protective measures for methane and carbon dioxide ground gases for new buildings