This International Standard specifies the characteristics and requirements for components such as pipes, fittings and valves made from one of the following materials: - acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS); - unplasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-U); - chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-C); intended to be used for thermoplastics piping systems in above-ground industrial applications. This International Standard is applicable to ABS, PVC-U or PVC-C pipes, fittings, valves and ancillary equipment, to their joints and to joints with components made of other plastics and non-plastics materials, depending on their suitability, intended to be used for the conveyance of liquid and gaseous fluids as well as of solid matter in fluids for industrial applications such as: - chemical plants; - industrial sewerage engineering; - power engineering (cooling and general-purpose water supply); - electroplating and pickling plants; - the semiconductor industry; - agricultural production plants; - water treatment. NOTE 1 Where relevant, national regulations for specific applications (e.g. water treatment) apply. Other application areas are permitted if the requirements of this International Standard and/or applicable national requirements are fulfilled. Relevant regulations in respect of fire behaviour and explosion risk are applicable if applications are envisaged for inflammable media. The components have to withstand the mechanical, thermal and chemical demands to be expected and have to be resistant to the fluids to be conveyed. Characteristics and requirements which are applicable to all three materials (ABS, PVC-U and PVC-C) are covered by the relevant clauses of this International Standard. Those characteristics and requirements which are dependent on the material are given for each material in the relevant annex (see Table 1).