PLUMBING DESIGN by the NUMBERS

By James E. Stenqvist, CPD

Building Storm Water Systems

Previously simple building storm water systems have become more complicated during the last decade. Todays intricate roof designs, secondary roof drainage, scuppers, and vertical wall heights require special attention. You also must consider siphonic systems, controlled flow, site design, green roofs, rainwater harvesting, and detention/retention basins, all of which are separate subjects themselves. A storm water system design first requires the design criteria to be determined (see Checklist). The local rainfall rate is the key starting point for the design. Rainfall rates typically are found in the local plumbing code book. For example, Fairbanks, Alaska, uses a 1-inch-per-hour rainfall rate, while New Orleans Figure 1 Typical roof drain and leader work, piping, and light fixtures. A design approach could incorporate one or two drains piped together with the piping running vertically in lieu of horizontally. The majority of the pipe then could tie together below slab and pitch accordingly without much interference. The designer also must take into account footings and structural foundations. Using a computer-aided design program, the designer could copy the footings into the plumbing plan for reference and then turn off that layer when issuing final construction documents. Vertical leaders typically run down columns with enclosures, forming a chase around the column. This chase must be enlarged when separate overflow secondary drainage is designed within the enclosure, which increases cost and consumes valuable space. When the vertical drain turns out to horizontal below the slab at the footing, another problem occurs if the footing is too high or tight to the floor slab. The structural engineer may need to lower the footings to accommodate the pipe or protect the pipe if below the footings. Lastly, dont forget the wall or floor cleanout required by code at the base of the riser. The locations for these should be coordinated with the architect for aesthetic purposes when located in a prominent finished area such as a lobby, main entrance, or corridor. The typical roof drain and leader detail shown in Figure 1 is a good illustration of this arrangement. Typically a buildings storm drainage system terminates 5 feet away from the building, and the civil engineer provides the design from that point on. With a combined storm/sanitary sewer, the storm and sanitary piping should exit the building separately, so improvements made to the exterior sewer system wont affect interior plumbing systems. When computing the flow and size of a combined system, specific sizing criteria is required. The sanitary fixture units must be converted to an equivalent projected roof or paved area, then added to the storm load for a total load. This system usually results in a larger pipe diameter. A program on this topic is slated to be presented at the ASPE Convention in October in Tampa, Fla. It is part of a recently completed PowerPoint presentation that is available to ASPE members at no charge from ASPEs Education Committee. Other PowerPoint presentations soon to be available are on hot and cold water systems and sanitary waste and vent systems. Resources ASPE Design Handbook, Volume 2. Chapter 4: Storm-Drainage Systems. American Society of Plumbing Engineers. Storm-Water Drainage Systems. Plumbing Systems & Design, March/April 2005.
James Stenqvist, CPD, is a project engineer with Diversified Technology Consultants in North Haven, Conn. For more information, or to comment on this article, contact articles@psdmagazine.org. This article is meant to provide some basic guidelines. Always check all relevant codes and resources for a particular project.

uses a 4.75-inch-per-hour rate, both for a 100-year storm with a 60-minute duration (a storm strength that, theoretically, occurs once in 100 years and lasts for 60 minutes). Its critical to apply the correct rainfall rate. Ive witnessed misapplications and undersizing of storm water systems that resulted in major construction cost change orders and redesigns. Storm water system piping is inherently large-diameter pipe. Average roof drain sizes are 4 inches and 6 inches. When multiple drains and roof areas are connected, pipe sizes of 812 inches are common. Problems can occur when trying to route the piping in ceiling cavities among other obstructions. Horizontal piping should be insulated to prevent sweating, which increases the overall diameter dimension and slope throughout its length. Ive reviewed too many designs that circuit multiple drains horizontally, 100 feet or more, trying to fit amongst duct56 Plumbing Systems & Design
MAY/JUNE 2006

Source: Cast Iron Soil Pipe & Fittings Handbook, Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute

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