The Plumbing Efficiency Research Coalition is set to begin its long-anticipated Drainline Transport in Buildings study. The effort is aimed at determining if decreasing levels of water flow––caused by increasingly efficient plumbing fixtures––are sufficient to clear debris from plumbing pipes.
Essentially, plumbing experts have expressed concerns that the industry has reached a tipping point in terms of the ability of low-flow fixtures to adequately transport waste through drain lines, particularly in larger commercial systems with long horizontal runs to the sewer. Soon, they worry, end-users and professionals will avoid using more efficient products.
That, combined with the fact that such problems have been reported with low-flow plumbing systems in Europe and Australia, has raised many questions.
“I look forward to the results of the Drainline Transport study,” says David C. Smith, PE, plumbing and fire protection department manager, Bala Consulting Engineers, King of Prussia, Pa. “Logic states that less water in the waste stream will not carry the waste as far in the drainage piping.”
By analyzing the drainage issue from a standpoint of slope, flush volume, toilet design, and whether periodic surges of water into a building drain can help, researchers hope to come away with a more informed understanding of the issue.
David E. DeBord, CPD, LEED BD+C, ARCSA-AP, a Chicago-based plumbing and fire protection engineer, wonders if ultimately the industry will need to reduce the size of piping to maintain the minimum velocities required to assure proper scouring, and whether a 1/8-inch minimum pitch per foot of piping is still sufficient in this new world of low-flow plumbing systems.
PERC’s coalition members include the International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE), the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE), the International Code Council (ICC), Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors (PHCC), and Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI). The group’s impending research is scheduled to be conducted at an American Standard testing facility. +
Related Stories
| Jul 1, 2014
Zaha Hadid's flowing Heydar Aliyev Center named Design of the Year for 2014
The Design Museum's Design of the Year award has been awarded to Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Center. Hadid is not only the first woman to win the top prize, but the center is the first architectural project to win the overall competition.
| Jun 30, 2014
Autodesk acquires design studio The Living, will create Autodesk Studio
The Living, David Benjamin's design studio, has been acquired by Autodesk. Combined, the two will create the Autodesk Studio, which will "create new types of buildings, public installations, prototypes and architectural environments."
| Jun 30, 2014
San Antonio green lights multimodal transit center
The new 90,000-sf development will principally service San Antonio’s growing network of city bus and VIA PRIMO bus rapid transit service, including real-time arrival updates, as well as become an iconic public plaza for the city.
| Jun 30, 2014
Philip Johnson’s iconic World's Fair 'Tent of Tomorrow' to receive much needed restoration funding
A neglected Queens landmark that once reflected the "excitement and hopefulness" at the beginning of the Space Age may soon be restored.
| Jun 30, 2014
Research finds continued growth of design-build throughout United States
New research findings indicate that for the first time more than half of projects above $10 million are being completed through design-build project delivery.
| Jun 30, 2014
Narrow San Francisco lots to be developed into micro-units
As a solution to San Francisco’s density and low housing supply compared to demand, local firms Build Inc. and Macy Architecture each are to build micro-unit housing in a small parcel of land in Hayes Valley.
| Jun 30, 2014
Arup's vision of the future of rail: driverless trains, maintenance drones, and automatic freight delivery
In its Future of Rail 2050 report, Arup reveals a vision of the future of rail travel in light of trends such as urban population growth, climate change, and emerging technologies.
| Jun 30, 2014
4 design concepts that remake the urban farmer's market
The American Institute of Architects held a competition to solve the farmer's markets' biggest design dilemma: lightweight, bland canopies that although convenient, does not protect much from the elements.
| Jun 30, 2014
Harvard releases the State of the Nation’s Housing 2014
Although the housing industry saw notable increases in construction, home prices, and sales in 2013, household growth has yet to fully recover from the effects of the recession, according to a new Harvard University report.
| Jun 30, 2014
OMA's The Interlace honored as one of the world's most 'community-friendly' high-rises
The 1,040-unit apartment complex in Singapore has won the inaugural Urban Habitat award from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, which highlights projects that demonstrate a positive contribution to the surrounding environment.