Experts in civil engineering, manufacturers and builders have met in Sacramento, California, in support of the continued use of corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) in construction in California, explaining why it is a better option for protecting lives and property, as well as a time and cost-saving alternative for homeowners and builders. At a hearing before an official from the California Building Standards Commission, the group offered written and oral testimony challenging the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s proposed 2001 Uniform Plumbing Code, asking that it be amended to recognise CSST as an approved material, continuing the precedent set in the state’s 1998 California Mechanical Code. CSST is a light-weight, flexible stainless steel tubing with a polyethylene covering that is used to convey natural gas from a meter to a residential or commercial structure. The ability of the product to withstand the stresses of earthquakes has been confirmed in lab tests. Manufacturers also pointed out that CSST has been used in California since 1993, and in the US for more than 12 years, and no incidents involving the safety of the product have been reported to any certifying agency.
