Vacurain
Using the DYKA VACURAIN system
DYKA is a leading European manufacturer of plastic tubing and pipe fittings, who in the 1990s developed an effective drainage system for large roofs using a vacuum effect.
A handy, profitable, tasteful and high-quality solution, ideal for draining rainwater off flat roofs of structures with special architectonic and/or structural requirements, the vacuum system finds an ideal application in extensive flat roofs of buildings such as warehouses, shopping centres, etc.
When the pipes are 100% full, the vacuum system uses the height of the building and the weight of the water in vertical pipes to its advantage. Invented in Finland, the system was put into practice in collaboration with a Swedish PE manufacturer and has been steadily improved since then.
The DYKA VACURAIN system is another evolution of the laminated modified PVC.
DYKA VACURAIN uses the advantages of closed vacuum system to their fullest::
- smaller pipe diameter ensure a tactful appearance of the pipes and make the installation of the pipes into the building interior easier
- it provides project designers with more options of utilizing the building space and allows for a greater freedom in the architectonic visualisation of the building
- project managers welcome the resulting lower costs, shorter installation time with considerable reduction of the required ground works and higher investment profitability.
VACURAIN has many benefits in comparison to a PE system: :
- Low thermal dilatability ration of the material permits a simpler fastening and mounting system, cheaper linking technology and lower material and installation costs.
- Thanks to the free pipe dilatation and flexible inlet connections using the flexible VACURAIN hoses (patented by DYKA), there is no internal strain in the pipe and connection material. The material has self-extinguishing qualities. Modified PVC is used, which is resilient to shocks.
- The installation of the DYKA VACURAIN system is very quick and doesn’t require using any sort of special equipment. The risk of faulty installation is therefore less.
DYKA provides their VACURAIN systems with a 10-year insured warranty.
VACURAIN is certified in the Czech Republic.
Operating principle of the VACURAIN vacuum system
Using the traditional gravity-based draining system, only about 70% of the pipe capacity is used. Each inlet leads to a vertical pipe that is connected to a pipe system built into the ground. Using the vacuum system, several inlets are connected to a horizontal branch leading to a vertical pipe.
Vacuum systems comprise of individual pipe sections. These are, using computer software, sized in such a way that when sufficient water is flowing into the pipes (300 litres per sec x ha for the Czech Republic), 100% of the pipe capacity is full with no air present. . When filling the system with water, a sufficient air outlet has to be secured.
The weight of the water in the vertical part of the pipe system results in a state of vacuum in the upper part of the system. The water in the vertical part of the system has a piston-like effect resulting in vacuum pressure in the upper part of the pipe system, which in turn causes the water on the roof to be sucked into the inlets and forced to flow more quickly through the pipes, taking with it residual air bubbles. The amount of vacuum pressure depends on the length of the vertical pipe (building height) and the diameter of individual pipe sections.
Preventing air being sucked into the pipe system system along with the rainwater is very important. This is achieved by using a special VACURAIN roof outlet..
When the pipe system is not fully filled with water, such as with mild rains, the system operates exactly like conventional gravity-based drainage systems.
Compare: traditional gravity-based system with a 125mm pipe and a 50% filling ratio has the same capacity as a 40mm pipe in the VACURAIN system with a capacity of 3 litres of rainwater per second.