prEN 12259-16

• Abstract:

  This document specifies requirements, test methods and performance criteria for factory-applied polymer coatings applied to the internal and external surfaces of steel pipes intended for use in fixed water-based fire-fighting systems designed in accordance with the EN 12845 series of standards.; This document specifies requirements for the polymer coating when used as a corrosion-protection system. The mechanical and functional characteristics of the steel pipes and pipe systems are outside the scope of this document and are as specified in the EN 12845 series.; NOTE Throughout this document, the term "coating" refers exclusively to factory-applied polymer coatings unless otherwise specified.

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 29-Feb-2028
• ICS: 13.220.20 - Fire protection
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 191 - Fixed firefighting systems
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 191/WG 5 - Sprinkler systems
• Current Stage: 4020 - Submission to enquiry - Enquiry
• Start Date: 02-Jul-2026
• Due Date: 14-Oct-2026
• Completion Date: 02-Jul-2026
• Ref Project: oSIST prEN 12259-16:2026 - Fixed firefighting systems - Components for sprinkler and water spray systems - Part 16: Polymer coated pipe systems

Overview

prEN 12259-16 sets out requirements, test methods, and performance criteria for factory-applied polymer coatings on steel pipes used in fixed water-based firefighting systems. Developed by CEN/TC 191, this part of the EN 12259 series focuses specifically on the corrosion protection provided by polymer coatings applied internally and externally to pipes installed in sprinkler and water spray systems. The main objective of the standard is to ensure that polymer coated pipe systems meet stringent durability, compatibility, and performance benchmarks in accordance with the widely recognized EN 12845 series for water-based fire protection.

Key Topics

• Polymer Coating Requirements

  • Specifies the type of polymer coatings that may be factory-applied to steel pipes for corrosion protection.
  • Defines minimum layer thickness, depending on manufacturer’s specification.
  • Applies to both internal and external pipe surfaces in fire protection installations.

• Testing and Assessment Methods

  • Includes flame resistance testing, coating thickness measurement, salt spray corrosion testing, and ageing tests in warm air and water.
  • Provides two corrosion evaluation options, with criteria regarding visual appearance and performance after exposure.
  • Addresses optional C-value determination to assess hydraulic properties.

• Documentation and Marking

  • Outlines required technical and user documentation, such as material specifications, installation instructions, and compatibility information.
  • Sets requirements for permanent, legible pipe marking with manufacturer, type designation, diameter, and production details.

• Performance Criteria

  • Coated pipes must show no visible corrosion or impairment of downstream components after testing.
  • Mechanical and functional properties of the pipes themselves are covered separately under EN 12845.

Applications

prEN 12259-16 is primarily intended for use by manufacturers of polymer coated steel pipes, system designers, installers, and inspectors involved in the construction and maintenance of:

• Automatic Sprinkler Systems:
  Ensuring pipes for wet, dry, and alternative water-based systems provide ongoing corrosion resistance, especially in challenging environments.

• Water Spray Fire Suppression Systems:
  Supporting installations in industrial, commercial, and public buildings where enhanced durability of pipework is vital to system reliability.

• Buildings Requiring Enhanced Fire Protection:
  Hospitals, data centers, warehouses, parking structures, and manufacturing facilities, where both external and internal pipe surfaces are exposed to potentially corrosive atmospheres.

The standard is crucial for guaranteeing long-term integrity and safety of fixed firefighting systems, ultimately minimizing maintenance requirements, reducing the risk of system failures, and improving the lifecycle of fire protection infrastructure.

Related Standards

For effective application and compliance, prEN 12259-16 is designed to work alongside other recognized European and international standards, including:

• EN 12845 Series:
  General requirements for automatic sprinkler systems, specifying the system design, installation, and mechanical characteristics of pipes.

• EN 12259-5:
  Requirements for water flow detectors used in fixed firefighting systems.

• EN ISO 9227:
  Standard methodology for neutral salt spray (fog) testing of coatings, referenced for corrosion resistance assessment.

• EN 13565-1:
  Covers foam firefighting systems, including relevant test methods for system components.

Adhering to prEN 12259-16 facilitates compatibility across compliant products and systems, supporting safe and durable fire protection solutions across Europe and beyond.

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Keywords: polymer coated pipe systems, fire sprinkler systems, corrosion protection, fixed water-based firefighting, CEN standard, EN 12845, polymer coatings, corrosion testing, sprinkler pipe marking, fire protection standards.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-september-2026
Vgrajene naprave za gašenje - Sestavni deli sprinklerskih sistemov in sistemov s
pršečo vodo - 16. del: Cevni sistemi s polimernim premazom
Fixed firefighting systems - Components for sprinkler and water spray systems - Part 16:
Polymer coated pipe systems
Ortsfeste Löschanlagen - Bauteile für Sprinkler- und Sprühwasseranlagen - Teil 16:
Polymerbeschichtete Rohrsysteme
Installations fixes de lutte contre l’incendie - Composants des systèmes d’extinction du
type sprinkleur et à pulvérisation d’eau - Partie 16: Réseaux de tuyauteries revêtues de
polymère
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 12259-16
ICS:
13.220.10 Gašenje požara Fire-fighting
13.220.20 Požarna zaščita Fire protection
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
July 2026
ICS 13.220.20
English Version
Fixed firefighting systems - Components for sprinkler and
water spray systems - Part 16: Polymer coated pipe
systems
Ortsfeste Löschanlagen - Bauteile für Sprinkler- und
Sprühwasseranlagen - Teil 16: Polymerbeschichtete
Rohrsysteme
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 191.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 12259-16:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references . 4
3 Terms and definitions . 4
4 Assessment methods and criteria . 4
4.1 General. 4
4.1.1 Test conditions . 4
4.1.2 Test modules and test samples . 5
4.1.3 Documentation . 5
4.2 Flame test . 5
4.2.1 Assessment method . 5
4.2.2 Criteria . 7
4.3 Layer thickness of polymer coating . 7
4.3.1 Assessment method . 7
4.3.2 Criteria . 7
4.4 C-value determination (optional) . 7
4.4.1 Assessment method . 7
4.4.2 Criteria . 8
4.5 Salt spray corrosion . 8
4.5.1 Assessment method . 8
4.5.2 Criteria . 9
4.6 Ageing in warm air . 9
4.6.1 Assessment method . 9
4.6.2 Criteria . 9
4.7 Ageing in warm water . 9
4.7.1 Assessment method . 9
4.7.2 Criteria . 9
4.8 Corrosion evaluation . 9
4.8.1 General. 9
4.8.2 Corrosion evaluation - Option 1 . 9
4.8.3 Corrosion evaluation - Option 2 . 10
5 Technical documentation, user documentation and marking . 10
5.1 Technical documentation . 10
5.2 User documentation . 11
5.3 Marking . 11
Annex A (normative) Corrosion evaluation option 1 . 12
Bibliography . 17

European foreword
This document (prEN 12259-16:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 191 “Fixed
fire fighting systems”, the secretariat of which is held by BSI.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
1 Scope
This document specifies requirements, test methods and performance criteria for factory-applied
polymer coatings applied to the internal and external surfaces of steel pipes intended for use in fixed
water-based fire-fighting systems designed in accordance with the EN 12845 series of standards.
This document specifies requirements for the polymer coating when used as a corrosion-protection
system. The mechanical and functional characteristics of the steel pipes and pipe systems are outside the
scope of this document and are as specified in the EN 12845 series.
NOTE Throughout this document, the term “coating” refers exclusively to factory-applied polymer coatings
unless otherwise specified.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 12259-5:2002, Fixed firefighting systems — Components for sprinkler and water spray systems —
Part 5: Water flow detectors
EN 12845 (all parts), Fixed firefighting systems — Automatic sprinkler systems title of series
EN ISO 9227:2022, Corrosion tests in artificial atmospheres - Salt spray tests (ISO 9227:2022)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in the EN 12845 series of standards
and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
pipe end
side of the pipe intended to potentially receive the pipe joint element
3.2
post treatment
method of restoring a permanent corrosion protective property, for the treatment of defects in the
polymer coating due to mechanical/thermal processing of the already polymer coated pipelines
4 Assessment methods and criteria
4.1 General
4.1.1 Test conditions
The tests shall be conducted at a temperature of (25 ± 10) °C unless otherwise specified for a specific test.
The tolerance of all test parameters shall be ± 5 %, unless specified otherwise. The test conditions given
here shall be observed for each test unless otherwise specified.
4.1.2 Test modules and test samples
For the testing of polymer coated pipelines, the number and dimensions of the required test samples are
determined when the test schedule is drawn up. At least the following test samples shall be used for the
tests:
— 1 pipe;
— 1 pipe, which also has all the post-treatments specified in the documentation.
4.1.3 Documentation
4.1.3.1 General
The test samples shall comply with the documents according to Clause 5 and shall be within the scope of
this document.
4.1.3.2 Technical documentation
The technical documentation submitted by the manufacturer shall be checked whether the test samples
correspond to the description in the technical documentation and comply with the requirements of this
document, which can be verified in the process.
4.1.3.3 Marking
By visual inspection of the labelling, it shall be evaluated and checked for completeness and compliance
with the requirements according to 5.3.
4.1.3.4 Resistance to corrosion and ageing
By reviewing the documentation and examining the test samples, it shall be determined whether the
corrosion protective function of the coating (inside and outside) is given.
4.2 Flame test
4.2.1 Assessment method
In preparation for the test, the test sample shall be placed dry and open in the test device. The test sample
shall have a length of 800 mm to 1 000 mm.
Dimensions in millimetres
a) Side view
b) Top view
Key
1 test sample
2 pan 200 mm × 400 mm × 60 mm
Figure 1 — Test set-up flame test
The fuel pan, stainless steel with 2 mm wall thickness, dry and clean, shall be positioned centrally under
the pipe end with its longitudinal axis centrally perpendicular to the pipe axis as shown in Figure 1. The
fuel shall then be filled into the fuel pan and ignited.
Characteristic values of the test shall be:
— Fuel: methanol (concentration ≥ 99 %);
— Filling quantity:
— 0,5 l for nominal diameters < DN 100;
— 1 l for nominal diameters ≥ DN 100 (in the case of reducing joints, the dimension of the smaller
nominal diameter shall be used to determine the filling quantity);
— Burning time:
— until the fuel quantity burns off (naturally 5 min) for nominal diameter < DN 100;
— 8 min for nominal diameter ≥ DN 100 (for reducing sleeves, the dimension of smaller nominal
diameter shall be applied to determine the burning time).
After the burning time has expired, the flame shall be extinguished by filling the pan with water. The test
sample shall remain in the air to cool down.
4.2.2 Criteria
After completion of the test in accordance with 4.2.1 no residues/detachments, etc. shall form in the pipe
which could impair the function of downstream components (e.g. flow reduction of a sprinkler).
4.3 Layer thickness of polymer coating
4.3.1 Assessment method
The coating thickness shall be measured internally and externally at each of 5 different locations
distributed over the surface and checked for compliance with the requirements of 4.3.2. The
measured/determined values shall not be averaged.
4.3.2 Criteria
When tested in accordance with 4.3.1, the layer thickness shall be at least the value specified by the
manufacturer.
4.4 C-value determination (optional)
4.4.1 Assessment method
This test is optional and may only be performed if explicitly requested. For each nominal diameter, 12
test samples shall be submitted, all with the same length of 800 mm to 1000 mm. Four of the test samples
shall be cut into sections of approximately 200 to 250 mm length as shown in Figure 2, Key 2. The test
shall be carried out on at least two nominal sizes in the range DN 40 to DN 80.
For the measurement and evaluation of the real pipe constant, the pressure loss ∆p shall be determined
over a test section according to Figure 2. For this purpose, test samples in the unconditioned state as well
as in the preconditioned state shall be used.
For the preconditioning, the test samples are subjected to a salt spray corrosion test according to 4.5.1,
but with deviating test durations, so that the following results after the preconditioning phase:
— Test sample 1: unconditioned;
— Test sample 2: 240 h preconditioned;
— Test sample 3: 720 h preconditioned.
The complete set-up (test sample 1, 2 and 3) shall be built using couplings for smooth-ended pipes, which
shall be supplied by the manufacturer. The hydraulic effects of the connecting edges on the test samples
shall be minimized. For this purpose, the connections shall be deburred accordingly and joined together
in alignment and centrically in the longitudinal axis.
Named test samples shall be assembled into a test section as shown in Figure 2 using assembly equipment
supplied by the customer.
The test section shall then be supplemented by the inlet and outlet pieces with measuring points and
connected to the water supply. The measuring connections of the differential pressure transducer shall
be connected to the pressure measuring points (1/2“-welded-on sockets) in the inlet and outlet sections.
Key
1 outlet tube 5 flange
2 4 × test item 6 flow direction
3 inlet tube D diameter
4 pipe coupling
For 1/2” welded-on socket with a 3 mm bore sharply deburred on the inside of the pipe.
Figure 2 — Test section C-value measurement
Then the test section shall be flown through with an increasing flow rate until the maximum measuring
range of the differential pressure transducer (P = 500 mbar) or the flow meter (Q = 3000 l/min) is
reached. The real differential pressures between the measuring points of inlet and outlet shall be
recorded. To calculate the real pipe constant C, the Hazen-Williams formula is converted and shall be
applied as:
5 1,85
6, 05 ××1 0 Q ×L
1,85
C=
(1)
4,87
∆pD ×
where
C is the dimensionless pipe constant;
Q is the flow rate in l/min;
L is the pipe length in m;
∆p is the pressure loss in bar;
D is the inner pipe diameter in mm.
The measured values shall be averaged. For the final d
...