Thermally Activated Building Structures (TABS)

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This whitepaper aims to demonstrating how TABS works, why it’s necessary and its value for construction in a low-carbon economy.

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REHAU TABS specifiers guide front cover October 2021 - 1097705

Thermally Activated Building Structures (TABS): Efficient Heating and Cooling Solutions

Energy cost, carbon reduction and legislation drive the need to find new and innovative ways to heat and cool modern buildings. Thermally Activated Building Structures - or TABS – is an innovative cooling and heating system engineered to meet these high requirements.

TABS utilises the large thermal mass of concrete building structures as a buffer for the changing cooling or heating loads during the day. It does this by running hot or cold water through pipes within the slab.

TABS is proving itself as an efficient low energy cooling system on various BREEAM "Excellent" and "Very Good", and Passivhaus certified projects across the UK.

Benefits

Thermally activated building structures have the following benefits;

Low investment and operating costs
"Gentle cooling" without draft effects
Reduced air exchange in combination with ventilation systems
No sick building syndrome
Use of alternative energy sources
Low flow temperatures

Energy Savings

Air

Chiller

Comfort Levels

Lower air volumes -
> less energy required
& reduced fan size

Higher temps (15-18°C)

compared to AC (6-12°C)

Increased comfort and
reduced draughts

Noise Reduction

COP uplift of chiller

1°C increase in room temp
= ca. 6% energy savings

Applications

Typical applications of Thermally Activated Building Structures:

Offices
Hospitals
Retail
Museums / galleries
Transport hubs / stations
Sport centres / arena

Installation Methods

In-situ concrete slabs

Large circuits possible
Minimal connections within structure
Around 300m² installed per day (2 people)
Can sit anywhere within structural slab

Precast concrete planks

Offsite construction methods
Quick to install on site
Easy connections into building services
High cooling capacity of up to 90W/m²

Pre-fabricated mesh

Fast installation
Can be used for PT slab applications
Better outputs when near slab surface
Ideal for Tichelmann Loops
2 options - sTABS or TABS module

REHAU EVERLOC^TM system

Beyond the REHAU PE-Xa pipe, the jointing system plays a central role. Over 850 million fittings have been installed worldwide, our jointing system consists of only 2 components; a compression sleeve and fitting.

Benefits:

Fast and easy to install
No hot works on site, no mess
10 year comprehensive warranty
No O-ring
Installation is immediately able to handle pressure loads

Projects

2016 REHAU at the heart of Tate Modern

REHAU’s Thermally Activated Building Structure (TABS) system is at the heart of the newly opened £260m extension to Tate Modern on London’s South Bank.

2016 University of Northampton

University of Northampton’s new £330m Waterside Campus development have been designed utilising REHAU’s innovative TABS system.

2017 REHAU provides TABS for landmark office

With more than 150 km of REHAU’s Thermally Activated Building Structure (TABS) system installed.

2018 University of Warwick chooses REHAU

Mathematical Sciences Building uses REHAU TABS

News

21.10.2025 Next Level Heat Networks event

REHAU is set to host a free in-person workshop centred around the future of district heating on 27 November 2025, at The Building Centre in London. The Next Level Heat Networks workshop offers a free opportunity to gain innovative insights into low-carbon heat networks, panel discussions and a chance to network with industry experts.

03.09.2025 Construction and Decarbonised Heat: Supplying the Suburbs

The continuing phase-out of gas boilers leaves new-build housing construction at a crossroads. Debate continues over what comes next in home heating, but with sustainability, efficiency and cost-effectiveness proving key, district heating networks are growing in popularity as a potential option.

12.08.2025 Key Considerations when Specifying Commercial Plumbing Systems

Growing demand for commercial projects has led to further scrutiny on all building services, with a drive for faster, more efficient installations with assured, long-lasting performance. Here we explore the implications for plumbing system specification.

All news

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