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
| Mar 1, 2012
Cornell shortlists six architectural firms for first building on tech campus
Each of the firms will be asked to assemble a team of consultants and prepare for an interview to discuss their team’s capabilities to successfully design the university’s project.
| Mar 1, 2012
Aragon Construction completes 67,000-sf build-out in NYC
Aragon constructed the space in partnership with Milo Kleinberg Design Associates, (MKDA) and the Craven Corp. as the owner’s representative.
| Mar 1, 2012
Bomel completes design-build parking complex at U.C. San Diego
The $24-million facility, which fits into a canyon setting on the university’s East Campus, includes 1,200 stalls in two adjoining garages and a soccer field on a top level.
| Mar 1, 2012
Eidco Construction bolsters Chicago office
Eldco hires Peterson and Vivoda as senior project managers.
| Mar 1, 2012
Reconstruction of L.A.’s Dunbar Hotel underway
Withee Malcolm Architects’ designs for the project include the complete renovation of the Dunbar Hotel and the Somerville Apartments I and II.
| Feb 29, 2012
C.W. Driver opens new office, appoints Castillo regional SVP
Castillo will oversee projects with new and existing clients in northern California within the areas of education, healthcare/biomedical, public sector, military contracting, entertainment, retail, corporate and hospitality.
| Feb 29, 2012
Report says BIPV glass market to reach $6.4 billion by 2016
The report analyzes the opportunities for BIPV glass products using c-Si, thin-film and OPV/DSC materials and provides eight-year forecasts in terms of MW and square footage shipped as well as forecasts of revenue generated.
| Feb 29, 2012
Construction begins on Keller Army Community Hospital addition
The 51,000 square foot addition will become the home for optometry, ophthalmology, physical therapy, and orthopedics clinics, as well as provide TRICARE office space.
| Feb 29, 2012
Carvalho appointed Shawmut Safety Director
He has been a driving force behind multiple safety-orientated initiatives at Shawmut, including Safety Week, the creation of an online safety manual, and the implementation of a new safety reporting and tracking system.
| Feb 29, 2012
Shepley Bulfinch selected to design new Children’s Hospital of Buffalo
The firm was selected because of their past experience in designing clinically complex facilities that emphasize patient- and family-centered care and operational efficiency as well as distinctive architectural forms for many other children's and women's hospitals.