Why consider using a lighter rail alternative to traditional strut?

Traditional 41 x 41 strut is often used as a default rail system for all kinds of installations. However, with developments in product innovation, there are now more options available that can offer some great advantages over the traditional strut systems.

How can a lighter rail system benefit me?

For many installations like standard plumbing and heating pipework, ventilation pipes and cable trays, heavy and bulky 41×41 strut is not required. The weight of these types of installations can often be supported by a lighter strut rail like Walraven RapidRail 30×20 channel, which has additional benefits.

Some advantages of using a lighter strut rail include:

1. Lighter rail can be easier to install – especially when used in overhead applications. Being lighter makes it easier to handle, and less likely to cause accident or injury when used in those more awkward spaces.
2. Easier to store and transport – as well as weighing less than bulky 41 x 41 strut, lighter rail systems are often available in shorter 2m lengths. Both of these factors can make it easier to store, carry and transport.
3. Environmental benefits – a light rail is more environmentally friendly as it uses less steel.
4. Installation speed – some lighter rail systems, like Walraven’s RapidRail® fixing rail , are designed with a range of fast-fit accessories as standard, to make overall installation quicker and easier!

Walraven RapidRail® fixing rail alternative to strut

Walraven RapidRail® is our unique light rail fixing system that we developed as a lightweight, easy to install alternative to traditional strut. It uses 1.9kg less steel per metre than 41×41 channel making it significantly lighter and better for the environment.

The unique benefit of the Walraven RapidRail® fixing rail system is the time-saving gained from the pre-assembled accessories. Instead of using loose nuts, bolts and washers, our pre-assembled slide nuts and hammerfix are 3in1 parts that simply push and twist into the rail. No messing around with loose parts! This makes it much quicker and easier to connect the pipe clamps to the rail as well as faster fixing of parts like cantilever arms, which are supplied with slide nuts already attached. A simple push and twist is all that’s needed to connect the parts.

Save hours on your installations

Craig at CR Plumbing and Heating is a self-employed plumbing and heating engineer who has been using the Walraven RapidRail® fixing rail system to install heating and hot water system conversions like the one below. He told us he saved hours on this installation due to the time-saving hammerfix and slide nuts.

“This system has been a great discovery for me! The benefit of not having to use loose nuts, bolts and washers is a huge time-saver on larger installations. The other accessories that come with this rail are also great, making it really versatile. The cantilever arms allow pipes to be run at multiple depths against the wall with ease.”