Building conditions must be factored into any specification or application of plumbing systems to assure proper performance, according to a new white paper from Sloan Valve Company.
The document evaluates the findings of the PERC I (The Plumbing Efficiency Research Coalition) study: “Down the Drain.” The PERC I study sought to learn how drain lines react to the use of low-flow, high-efficiency toilets. It found that certain variables: toilet paper—along with the pipe slope and flush volume—are key variables in determining whether drain lines might be predisposed to clog.
The white paper reviews the results in relationship to real-life building conditions in the United States. Sloan strongly recommends an onsite visit by a plumbing engineer as part of any retrofit project. Such a hands-on survey of the building's entire plumbing system can help identify potential issues and affect the outcome for the best possible solutions, which may not support ultra-low water flows.
The white paper aims to help determine if low-flow flushometers are suited for particular restroom environments.
Related Stories
| Aug 19, 2013
The secret to creativity is… a messy desk?!
Anyone whose desk resembles a war zone can proudly cite a new scientific study that suggests a messy workspace may actually help people think more creatively and stimulate new ideas.
| Aug 19, 2013
Discovery of hidden asbestos complicates DFW terminal renovations
The finding of more asbestos in Terminal B than expected, and the pending merger of US Airways and the airport’s largest tenant, American Airlines, is causing construction delays on a $2.3 billion Dallas/Fort Worth Airport terminal renovation.
| Aug 19, 2013
Integration of solar panels in building skin seen as key net-zero element
Recent high-profile projects, including stadiums in Brazil for the upcoming World Cup and Summer Olympics and a bank headquarters in the U.K., reflect an effort by designers to adopt building-integrated photovoltaics, or BIPV.
| Aug 16, 2013
Today's workplace design: Is there room for the introvert?
Increasingly, roaming social networks are praised and hierarchical organizations disparaged, as workplaces mimic the freewheeling vibe of the Internet. Research by Susan Cain indicates that the "openness" pendulum may have swung too far.
| Aug 16, 2013
$5,000 in prizes to be awarded at BD+C's U40 Leadership Summit
Do you have the next big idea for improving the performance of buildings and the built environment? BD+C's 3rd Annual U40 Leadership Summit is your chance to shine—and share in $5,000 in prizes.
| Aug 15, 2013
Design-build project delivery holds steady at nearly 40% of nonresidential construction: DBIA study
The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), the only organization that defines, teaches and promotes best practices in design-build, has released research indicating that design-build project delivery represents nearly 40 percent of total market share in the United States, based on dollar value at the end of 2012.
| Aug 15, 2013
What do LEED and black magic have in common? A project principal leverages PDFs to demystify it for us.
LEED has become a labyrinth of standards which requires a full-time translator and tour guide to navigate. Now with LEED v4 on the horizon, I’m curious to see if any progress has been made to make these standards more consumable and applicable to true innovations within the six areas of sustainability.
| Aug 15, 2013
Nonresidential construction finally gaining momentum: Gilbane summer economic report
Gilbane Building Company today announces the publication of the Summer 2013 edition of Construction Economics – Market Conditions in Construction. Based on an array of economic data, construction starts, and material cost trends, the data continues to show positive growth for the industry.
| Aug 14, 2013
Five projects receive 2013 Educational Facility Design Excellence Award
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE) has selected five educational and cultural facilities for this year’s CAE Educational Facility Design Awards.
| Aug 14, 2013
Warehouses go vertical in NAIOP distribution/fulfillment center design competition
NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, has selected Ware Malcomb, a contemporary full-service architectural design firm headquartered in Irvine, California, and Riddell Kurczaba, a design consulting firm located in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, as winners of the 2013 Distribution/Fulfillment Center Design of the Future.
