Reference Library
What we design to, and why
Every size, fall, pressure and cable on a TechMEPi drawing traces back to a published standard. These are the 42 codes, guides and regulators behind the work — international standards for the engineering, Kenyan regulation on top, never instead.
The Principle
A standard is a settled argument
Someone has already worked out how fast water can move through a pipe before it erodes it, how far a hose reel really throws, and how much volt drop a motor will tolerate. Designing to a standard means those arguments are not re-litigated on your project at your cost — and that an approving authority, an insurer and the next engineer can all check the work.
Checkable
A number traced to a clause can be verified by anyone. A number that came from experience alone cannot.
Insurable
Insurers and approving authorities ask which standard was applied, not how confident the designer felt.
Maintainable
A facilities team years later can look up the same clause and understand why the system is built that way.
By Discipline
The reference library
Grouped the way our drawing register is grouped. Where a Kenyan requirement applies it is listed alongside the international standard, not buried.
Water & Public Health
7- BS EN 806 Drinking water installations inside buildings Pipe sizing by loading units, velocity limits, materials and hygiene.
- BS 8558 Design and installation of water supplies Complementary guidance on storage, boosting and backflow protection.
- BS EN 12056 Gravity drainage inside buildings Above-ground soil, waste and vent design; stack and branch sizing.
- BS EN 752 Drain and sewer systems outside buildings Below-ground layout, falls, manholes and testing.
- BS EN 12897 Unvented hot water storage Calorifier and cylinder selection, safety devices and controls.
- BS EN 12056-3 Roof drainage Rainfall intensity, outlet capacity, overflow provision.
- WHO / KS EAS 12 Drinking-water quality Target water quality for treatment plant design and verification.
HVAC & Mechanical
7- CIBSE Guide A Environmental design Design conditions, comfort criteria and heat gain calculation.
- CIBSE Guide B Heating, ventilating and air conditioning System selection, plant sizing and distribution.
- ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals & Applications Psychrometrics and application-specific design data.
- DW/144 Specification for sheet metal ductwork Duct construction, gauge and leakage classification.
- DW/143 Ductwork leakage testing Test method and permissible leakage rates before insulation.
- BSRIA BG 29 Pre-commission cleaning of pipework Flushing, chemical cleaning and passivation before dosing.
- EN 378 Refrigerating systems — safety Refrigerant charge limits by room volume; A2L requirements.
Fire Protection & Life Safety
7- BS EN 671-1 Fixed firefighting systems — hose reels Hose reel construction, coverage and running pressure.
- BS 9990 Non-automatic firefighting systems Wet and dry risers, landing valves, breeching inlets.
- BS EN 12845 Automatic sprinkler systems Hazard classification, density, pump sets and water supplies.
- BS 9251 Fire sprinkler systems for domestic premises Residential and domestic sprinkler design.
- BS 5839-1 Fire detection and alarm systems Category selection, device spacing, cause and effect.
- BS 8519 Fire-resistant power and control cable systems Supplies to life-safety equipment including fire pumps.
- County Fire Authority Fire safety approval (Kenya) Local approval of the fire installation before occupation.
Electrical, ICT & Energy
7- IEC 60364 Low-voltage electrical installations The international basis for design, protection and verification.
- BS 7671 Requirements for electrical installations Referenced for detailed application of IEC 60364.
- IEC 62305 Protection against lightning Risk assessment, air termination, bonding and earthing.
- CIBSE Lighting Guides Illuminance and glare Task illuminance, uniformity and glare by space type.
- IEC 62109 / 62116 PV inverter safety & anti-islanding Grid-tied inverter protection and disconnection testing.
- IEC 61215 / 61730 PV module qualification and safety Module type approval and safety classification.
- EPRA (Kenya) Energy & Petroleum Regulatory Authority Solar licensing, net metering and fuel installation regulation.
Specialist Systems
7- HTM 02-01 Medical gas pipeline systems Design, installation, validation and operational management.
- ISO 7396-1 Medical gas pipeline systems System requirements, identification and colour coding.
- BS EN ISO 9170-1 Terminal units for medical gas Terminal unit performance and gas-specific connection.
- BS EN 13348 Copper tube for medical gases Degreased seamless tube; brazed under nitrogen purge.
- PWTAG Swimming pool water treatment Turnover, filtration, disinfection and water quality.
- BS EN 16713 Swimming pools — water systems Circulation, filtration and treatment requirements.
- BS EN 12845 / BS 9251 Water supplies for fire systems Storage duration and pump duty for suppression systems.
BIM, Environment & Local Regulation
7- ISO 19650 Information management using BIM Information delivery, naming and model federation.
- LOD 350 Level of development at construction issue Model detail sufficient for fabrication coordination.
- NEMA (Kenya) Environmental Management & Co-ordination Act Effluent quality, discharge licensing and impact assessment.
- NEMA Water Quality Regs Third & Fourth Schedules Reuse for irrigation and discharge to the environment.
- NCA (Kenya) National Construction Authority Contractor registration and site compliance.
- KEBS Kenya Bureau of Standards Product standards and conformity for installed materials.
- County Building Approvals Plan approval including services Requirements vary by county and building classification.
Standards are revised. We work to the edition current at the date of design, and record that edition on the drawing. Where a manufacturer’s instruction is stricter than the standard, the stricter requirement applies.
See It Applied
Standards are easier to judge on a drawing
Every sample sheet in our register cites the standards it was drawn to, in its own general notes. Open one and check.