Wh y t a k e r i s k s ?

Vitrified clay
a question of simple economics

Vitrified clay
the sustainable solution
Steinzeug | Keramo is a European company with international orientation with offices in Frechen, Germany and Hasselt,
Belgium. It develops, manufactures and sells vitrified clay pipes, fittings and accessories for domestic industrial
sewerage systems. The durability of clay with its acknowledged resistance to corrosion, high inherent strength, absolute
tightness, long term resistance to abrasion and proven record of longevity, make it the ideal solution for all sewage and
drainage needs. Our primary business is the development, production and sales of vitrified clay pipes used in sewerage
and drainage systems.
The range of products manufactured by the plants within the Steinzeug group of companies comprises a full programm
of pipes and fittings in a range of diameters from 100 mm up to 1400 mm as well as vitrified clay pipes for microtunnelling.
Also available are vitrified clay elements for the rehabilitation and repair of damaged sewerage infrastructure. Combined
with the incorporated jointing system, these products make an important contribution towards waste water technology
and in doing so, assist our market partners in their task at environmental protection.
The products are fully glazed and produced in accordance with the requirements of the worldwide recognised standard
EN 295. Audits by independent third party quality assessors are carried out in regular intervals to ensure compliance
with the requirements of EN 295 under a quality management system complying with EN 29002 (ISO 9002).
The company has production plants in Cologne and Bad Schmiedeberg (both in Germany) and Hasselt (Belgium). Its
main markets are Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, the Far East and Oceania.
A network of stockists and agents in the individual countries is established to provide clients, potential clients,
consultants and contractors with quotations, information and products.

The production schedule of Steinzeug | Keramo's three plants is outlined below. Details can be found in the «product
range» catalogue.

STG-1 STG-2 STG-3

Torgauer Strasse Paalsteenstraat 36 Bonnstrasse 22 – 24
06905 Bad Schmiedeberg 3500 Hasselt 50226 Frechen
Germany Belgium Germany

The main products are:
• pipes DN 200 - 600, standard
load class
• pipes DN 300 - 600, high load
class
• Fittings DN 300 - 600
• Jacking pipes DN 150 - 200
The main products are: The main products are:
• pipes DN 100 - 600, standard • pipes DN 300 - 1400, standard
load class load class
• pipes DN 200 - 600, high load • pipes DN 300 - 800, high load
class class
• Manholes • Fittings DN 350 - 1000
• KeraLine • Jacking pipes DN 250 - 1000

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Vitrified Clay Modern vitrified clay products used for drainage and sewerage owes its exceptional
characteristics not only to the high quality of the raw material but also, above all, to a
comprehensive automated manufacturing technology. Vitrified clay pipes are produced
from the raw materials clay and chamotte (grogg) and are glazed. The glaze consists of a
combination of loam, clay, feldspar, lime, dolomite, quartz and in some cases metallic
oxides for color.
The clay is compacted by augers and air is removed in a vacuum chamber. First the socket
and than the pipe barrel are extruded in one step through an annular gap on the die of the
press. The freshly extruded pipes are placed on rail cars by suction devices. The whole of
this manufacturing process is fully automated.
During the drying process in the drying chambers the water necessary for shaping is
extracted from the material at ~80°C. This causes the pipe to change from a state of
plasticity to a state of rigidity.
The glaze is applied to the raw pipe either during the extrusion process or after drying by
dipping it into the glaze suspension.
During the subsequent firing in modern tunnel kilns or periodical kilns at temperatures rising
to 1250°C, a complete new material is formed by sintering. This material is made up of glass
and mullites. During drying and firing the clay products lose approx. 10% of their initial
volume after shaping.
However, the highly developed techniques for preparation and production keep the
dimensional tolerances well within the values permissible by the European Standard for
vitrified clay pipes and fittings: EN 295.
The new material – vitrified clay - has exceptional properties in respect of chemical
resistance, mechanical strength, impermeability and hardness.
Being made of the same base materials, this also applies to the glaze. As the glaze
suspension is applied before firing and fuses indissoluble with the body during firing, there
is absolutely no possibility of “chipping” occurring due to external water pressure or steam
pressure. This is the essential difference between a glaze and any other kind of supplemen-
tary coating. The glaze is only used tot reduce the roughness factor to the minimum and is
not to protect the pipe or make it more impermeable.
Vitrified clay pipes and fittings produced by our organization comply in all respects with the
stringent requirements stipulated in EN 295.
Highly developed manufacturing and preparation techniques have made it possible to
upgrade an already proven product, the consistency of which is guaranteed by continuous
supervision and quality control.

Joints It is imperative that tight joints are formed when individual pipes and fittings are connected
to form sewers. Both the pipe and the joint have to be seen as one unit in order to meet the
requirements of reliability and ease and speed of jointing. Therefore our products are
supplied with factory-applied «push fit» joints.

F-system:
joints type “L” and “KD” complying with the requirements to EN 295. Pipes and fittings of
nominal sizes DN 100 to DN 200. The joint is made of SBR-rubber which is factory fitted
inside the socket.

C- system:
joints “K” and “S” complying with the requirements to EN 295. Pipes and fittings of nominal
sizes DN 300 – DN 1400. The joint comprises of either spigot and socket sealing elements
made of polyurethane or one sealing element on the spigot, made of SBR rubber. For pipes
with jointing system C, at the time of fixing the joints in the factory, tolerances are measured
and the crown of the pipe is marked automatically. When the pipes are laid with the mark
at the top, any stepping of the inverts is reduced to a minimum and guaranteed to be well
within the permitted tolerance.

Our pipe joints are likewise subject to continuous quality control and supervision.

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Long-life clay O Natural
Earth to earth
Only vitrified clay has all the qualities of vitrified clay.
The one who proposes an alternative, proposes by definition a lesser solu-
tion.

ties
t he quali es
as all ropes
f ied clay h ne who p ition a
vitr i he o ef in
”Only f ied clay. T poses by d
ri o
of vit rnative, pr solution.”
te lesser
an al

O Sustainable
A proven life expectancy of over 150 years. Vitrified clay is the only material
fulfilling this demand.

t of
ical poin
onom last
purely ec em should is the
a st
from ge sy d clay
”Seen , a sewera rs. Vitrif ie lf ill this
view n 150 yea at can fu
tha l th
more y materia nd.”
onl dema

O Recycable
Clay is re-productive.
Vitrified clay is never wasted.

O Ecological
A proven bio-ecological solution.
Scientific research establishes that vitrified clay is without any objection the
best solution for sewage applications, seen from an bio-ecological point of
view.

O Economical use of energy

No other material needs less energy for its production or recycling.

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Clayforce O Resistant
A higher crushing strength, even higher than reinforced concrete!

at is
ate rial th f
nly m ces o
y is the o e inf luen age
l a t h w
fied c le to ive se
”Vitri y insensib of aggress
reall cocktail ter.”
’s wa
today

O Everlasting!
An abrasion resistance of 15m/s.

O Tight!
A wall tightness 10 times better than required.

O Unalterable
A corrosion resistance against acids and bases.

O Vitrified clay allows longer flow times through central

sewage treatment plants

O Ability to withstand high static and dynamic loads

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Do not drain your O High environmental quality
An excellent material quality to respect our environment.
budget too

O Capital
No more investments for early rehabilitation or replacements

O Cost saving
Long depreciation periodes improve your financial possibilities.

O Who does any better?

VITRIFIED CLAY Longevity

Corrosion resistance Impermeability

Abrasion Mechanical
resistance resistance

Thermal Hydraulic
stability roughness

Impact resistance

PVC CONCRETE
Longevity Longevity
Corrosion Corrosion
resistance Impermeability resistance Impermeability

Abrasion Mechanical Abrasion Mechanical

resistance resistance resistance resistance

Thermal Hydraulic Thermal Hydraulic

stability roughness stability roughness
CAST IRON
Impact resistance Impact resistance
Longevity
Corrosion
resistance Impermeability

Abrasion Mechanical
resistance resistance

Thermal Hydraulic
stability roughness
Korrespondenz Abwasser N° 5/92
G. Petzow, H. Schubert, Stuttgart,
Impact resistance Germany, Max Planck Institution.

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Our products

O Vitrified clay pipes in DN 100 - DN 1200 mm in lengths

up to 2,50 meter

O Vitrified clay pipes for microtunnelling in

DN 150 - DN 1200 mm

O KeraLine elements for rehabilitation and pumping

stations

O A full range of accessories for every situation

8
 ectly
su lt is dir e vison,
re th
p r oject’s e sum of and the
”A th de
r t io nal to efforts ma
propo cept, the ls used. ”
on ria
the c mate

”The
u
only s se of vitr
olutio if i
n tha ed clay pi
on fu tw pes
ture ill not be is the
gener a
ation burden
s.”

aw
t he best r er
een sew
always b uction of een
has rod nb
”Clay l for the p have eve rs. ”
r ia ie s ea
mate . Its qualit ugh the y
s
pipe oved thr o
impr

”The
af
the m f irmation
o
solut st sustain that vitrif
ion fo able a ied cl
syste r a
ms, h the insta nd most s y ist
as ne llatio o und
objec ve n
ted to r been qu of sewage
.N est
comp ot even by ioned or
et ito our
rs.”

9
 Buying green!
European Commission
By purchasing wisely, you can save materials and
energy, reduce waste and pollution, and encour-
age sustainable patterns of behaviour.

Another important feature is the durability of the

product; whether it is built to last. In some cases
it seems very attractive to buy the cheapest prod-
uct, but in fact it could prove more expensive in
the long run and also detrimental to the environ-
ment. Products of inferior quality (regardless of
their environmental characteristics) tend to have a shorter
lifespan. If a cheaper product has to be replaced more often
than a more expensive product, this will result in higher costs,
extra energy consumption and more waste.
(Quote from “Buying Green! A handbook on public procurement” edited by the “Office for
Official Publications of the European Communities”, 2004, ISBN 92-894-8117-x)

An example: city of Hasselt

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 ” The installation costs for the construction of a sewer system are of minimal importance compared
with the total project’s price.
A choice in favour of vitrified clay even is a money-saver if one considers the costs for maintenance,
the longer life expectancy and the low environmental strain.”

KERAMO STEINZEUG N.V. STEINZEUG Abwassersysteme GmbH

Paalsteenstraat 36 Alfred-Nobel-Strasse 17
3500 Hasselt D-50223 Frechen
Belgium Germany
Telephone +32 / 11 / 21 02 32 Telephone +49 / 2234 / 50 70
02-007-0107

Telefax +32 / 11 / 21 09 44 Telefax +49 / 2234 / 50 72 07

E-mail: info@keramo-steinzeug.be E-mail: info@steinzeug.com
Website: www.steinzeug-keramo.com Website: www.steinzeug-keramo.com