There are several types of ductwork for different applications. An important consideration when designing ducts is leakage classification and pressure testing. Some applications, like ventilation systems, also call for fire compartmentation tests.

Ducts can be manufactured to any specification and final specifications depend on the design and intended use case of the system. For example, we wouldn’t use the same ducts to transport gas as we would general ventilation.

We specialise in the design, manufacturing, supply, and installation of plastic, GRP-reinforced plastic and GRP ducts. These materials are suitable for commercial and industrial applications ranging from ventilation to cooling water lines.

Let’s run through these different types of ductwork:

Plastic ducting

Plastic ducting is basic ducting that’s suitable for general ventilation and air recirculation systems. It has replaced metal ducting in ventilation systems because metal corrodes, and plastic doesn’t. This reduces maintenance and TCO.

Plastic ducting is only used in indoor applications with ventilation systems that deal with low pressure. Plastic ducting can theoretically be made in any shape, although there are common round and rectangular sizes.

Plastic ducting has low air turbulence because the internal bore is smooth. Plastic is also lightweight and easy to replace when maintenance is needed. Typical applications include runouts and branches from main ducts to terminals.

GRP reinforced PVC Ducting

GRP reinforced PVC ducting is medium duty ducting made from PVC plastic reinforced with continuous strands of glass fibre. The glass fibres give the ducting higher-strength properties and higher temperature resistance to plastic ducting.

This ducting is also known as fibreglass ducting. It’s fabricated by combining the plastic with resins and glass fibres. The result is ducting that is strong and suitable for medium pressure applications, like fan connections and risers.

As you may know, ducts are pressure rated by the amount of positive and negative air velocity they can withstand. GRP-reinforced ducts are normally used for primary ductwork like fan connections and main distribution.

Plastic lined GRP ducting

Another type of ducting is plastic-lined GRP ducting, which uses a thermoplastic or fluoropolymer lining. The benefit to this combination is increased chemical resistance while maintaining the strength of the GRP.

This ducting is widely used to transport gas from one process to another. It is a good alternative to rubber lined steel ducting in this respect. Liners also make this ducting useful for releasing air into the environment at a high level.

GRP ducting

GRP ducting is made from glass-reinforced plastic. The difference between this and GRP-reinforced plastic ducting is that GRP ducting is heavier duty. The mechanical and chemical properties of the ducting are determined by the resin used.

High-strength, insulated GRP ducting is suitable for the most extreme applications. It can sometimes replace titanium and other exotic materials at lower cost. GRP pipes have a working life of 50 to 60 years and rarely need maintenance.

These ducts are a good choice for industrial processes, gas transportation, chemical transportation and water transportation. The ducts can be supplied pressure tested to BS, EN and ASTM standards to meet your design specifications.