The Water Supply Connection and Layout According to Regulations - Case Study Example

Name : xxxxxx Tutor : xxxxxx Title : Building and construction Course : xxxxxx Institution : xxxxxx @ 2010 Introduction The community hall project requires elaborate systems of water supply and storage, sewerage connection, water heating and fire protection among other things for it to operate fully. Maintenance of the water levels needs a pumping mechanism that involves pipes connective pipes and pumps. Below is a discussion of the things required for the community hall project. Assignment 1: Water storage & sewerage disposal The use of pumps to maintain water levels in storage tanks For the hall to have a constant supply of water all through there is a necessity for water pumps that can help to fill the tanks. These tanks need to be efficient and not energy consuming. Their level of fuel consumption should be low. Pumps that can make use of renewable sources of energy are preferred in order to reduce the costs of operation. (Vickery 1977) The pump should be easy to maintain and operate. The figure below shows a sketch for the water supply connection and layout according to regulations. A sketch for the water supply connection and layout according to regulations A sketch for sewerage and drainage connection and layout (Vickery 1977) The stacks used A soil stack and waste stack Stack vent This is the vent pipe for the main building making the connection between the top of the building and the plumping drains inside. The connection to the outside (top of building) brings air into the drains and also releases gases from the drains. Soil stack pipe takes wastes from toilets to the sewer line via a house trap then to the mains. It extends above the roof of the building. Other vertical drains that do not carry waste from the toilet are waste stack pipes. They take wastes from tubs, sinks, and showers. A stack vent Limitations and regulations for water storage Storage of water on the community hall project requires that extra expenses be incurred to facilitate this. It requires that a number of water storage tanks be installed plus the relevant system of pumping. This system consisting of pumps and pipes is the one that helps in the maintenance of a regular water supply at the hall. Fuel or power is also needed to run the pumps. Regulation 83 of the development regulations states that from 29th of November 2007 before class 1a buildings are occupied, they must have all connections for water supply from all sources done. The water sources mentioned include mains, rain water tanks and third pipe schemes.  As from July 1 2006 building rules in Australia require new structures to have additional water supplies to work together with the mains supply (Vickery 1977). This additional supply of water should be connected to toilets, water heater or laundry with outlets having cold water. The demand on the mains water supply is reduced by this. The effective way of meeting surplus water requirements is through use of minimum sized water tanks that are specially plumped. Because water tanks are the ones to be used in the provision of the required extra supply in can be prudent for them to be connected to the gutters so that rain water can also be collected. If the catchment area of the roof is not more than 50 square meters then the roof run off must be harvested and stored and utilized. The size of the tanks is an important thing as well that is talked about in the regulations. The storage capacity in the tank needs to be more than 1000 liters. This is just the minimum requirement since this water should be added to that which is the normal requirement. In case different dwellings are contributing to the communal tank then each dwelling needs to contribute water from 50 square meters of its roof catchment area. There must be an overflow channel fitted on the tank through which excess water flows. In addition, the tank needs to have a mosquito proof screen that is not easily degradable. This helps to keep the water clean (Leonard 1992). Methods for connection to the main drains New connections of sewers are undertaken by contractors then the connection is certified by a Water Authorities Inspector. When connecting to a public sewer it is important to use methods that can protect public sewer integrity. Legally a notice should be given to the relevant authorities before connection is done. There are several methods of connection discussed below. Oblique Junction (Y-Piece) This is a joint that takes the form of letter Y. the joint is expected to be flexible and not too permanent. The material used should be similar to that of the mains. Other methods include connection by saddle, connection to public brick sewers, connection to manholes and adoptable connections. Type of fixtures used in the building. Some of the fixtures related with water use and sewage disposal include water closets, urinals, sinks and lavatories. Urinals and toilets have pressure valves for letting out water. Several pies and other devices will be necessary to make the system complete. Expected problems in sewerage disposal and their solutions Sewage from the building will be disposed together with rain water from surface run off. A combined volume of these two can lead to overflow problems where the sewage can force its way out of the sewers thereby causing land and water pollution. The most ready solution to this is the construction of a separate sanitary sewer from the ones transporting the run off. The two separate channel then lead to the mains thus reducing pressure on all of them (Vickery 1977). Assignment 2: Mechanical ventilation; Methods of mechanical ventilation and air distribution To ventilate is to change the air in a given place in order to control the temperature or get rid of moisture or other air impurities or stale air in order to make way for oxygen .It involves circulation air in the building and release of air to the outside. There is natural and mechanical ventilation. Mechanical ventilation also known as forced ventilation is important in controlling the quality of air within a building. Fans Air within a room is circulated by floor and table fans in order to reduce the temperature due to evaporation from the skin. Ceiling fans can also keep buildings warm in winter. However fans do not introduce out side air into the building. Assignment 3: Hot water system Evaluation of the hot water systems available in the market Two major types of water heating systems are in use today. There is the instantaneous flow system and water storage systems. In the first system, water is heated as it flows which means there is no need for a cylinder to store water. The instantaneous system has systems like instantaneous flow gas and instantaneous flow electric. On the other hand systems for water storage are the solar water heating, heat pump water heating, electric storage, gas storage, and wood water heating (Leonard 1992) Electric water heating In this system, water is heated in an insulated tank which has an electric element. The water rises to a temperature set by a thermostat. Water heating can be done in the day or night as it is put to use. Heat loss from the cylinder can be prevented by using a cylinder wrap. In the instantaneous system water is not stored in a tank meaning heat loss is minimized. Gas water heaters Gas heaters may be instantaneous or hot water cylinders. Instantaneous heaters are more efficient since they reduce the possibility of heat loss. Gas hot cylinders may be outside or inside the house and the condensing system is the best. However they are stationed outside the house. Wood or pellets Pellet or wood fires or burner systems can be fitted with wet backs. Wet backs being arranged pipes can be fitted at the firebox back. It makes use of the heat of the fire for heating the water. The location and type of hot water cylinder is necessary in determining the use of a wet back (Leonard 1992). Assignment 4: Natural & artificial lighting Methods for natural and artificial lighting One of the challenges on the community hall project is energy conservation. Use of artificial lighting may bring about costs that can easily be avoided. To cut down on costs, natural light can be utilized to the maximum by use of various modifications on the hall as discussed below. Day lighting In this method, windows, reflective surfaces and other openings are installed so that there is enough natural lighting during the day. Day light harvesting is done by use of various methods as discussed below. Windows are used to allow light to enter the building. Since they assume a vertical position, they can do selective admission of light into the building. Windows should be positioned differently with varied orientations in order to give the required light mix. The amount of light coming through a window can be increased by placing the window near a light colored wall, using a big window sill with light color to direct light into the building and slanting the sides of window openings to have the outer opening being smaller than the inner one. Light reflectors Varying glass grades and window treatments can alter the quantity of light passing through the window. Light reflectors can also be used to re direct light into the building. Sometime light shelves can also be used to increase the window lighting especially on the side of a building facing the equator. The shelf throws light upwards to the ceiling which illuminates the room (Vickery 1977). Sky lights Horizontal windows or domes called skylights are placed on the house roof to allow light to pass. They contain translucent white acrylic that helps to make uniform diffusion of light to the concerned areas through out the day. The number of sky lights to be used will depend on the sky light characteristics, climate and latitude. Generally they take between 4 and 8 percent of the total area of the floor. Sky lights can save energy by about 78 percent. Bad installation or construction of sky lights needs to be avoided since they may cause leakages (Leonard 1992). Light tubes Due to its low surface area it does not bring heat into the room like the sky lights. Tubular Day lighting Devices are equipment that transmits light through roofs and walls. The tube has a coating in the underside or a fiber optic bundle that conducts light. It has a transparent dome that collects light and a diffuser assembly that focuses the light into inner spaces then it distributes the light equally. Clerestory windows Clerestory window is another element that can be used to enhance day lighting. Clerestory windows are windows placed vertically at a high position. When they are made to face the equator they increase direct light from the sun. Internal wall surfaces with light colors can have clerestory windows shining on them. The walls in turn reflect the light to other areas in the building where it is needed. The advantage of this method is that it makes light more softer and diffuse hence reducing shadows. Saw tooth roof A saw tooth roof is a roof angled device made of glass. They have a glass roof that faces a way from the side of the building facing the equator. This is important for capturing diffuse light. The glass structure has an angled side that is opaque and with good insulation of a cool roof coupled by a radiant barrier (Vickery 1977). Solarium If the building is well designed and isolated with things like green house, solarium and sunroom the equator side will have a reasonable amount of glass. The inside of the building can have a big glass area between it and the sunroom. A patio door safety glass needs to be put on the hall’s two sides. Lighting is controlled by drapes above the interior glass. These drapes may be automated with motor controls that have sensors for room occupancy, temperature, light and the time at each moment. The drapes close the door to stop heat transfer whenever the building is not occupied. Fiber-optic concrete wall The walls of the building hall can become translucent by having fiber optic cables embedded in them. The light of the day and shadow images will then pass through the concrete wall without necessitating the construction of glass windows. The wall should then be insulated on both sides by use of aero gel. Hybrid solar lighting It makes use of a light collector placed on the roof, an optical fiber with a large diameter and fluorescent lighting with transparent rods with connection to the cables of the optical fiber. Assignment 5: Fire protection requirements Sprinkler systems Automatic fire sprinkler systems come in many designs. Below are some of types found on the market. Control mode sprinklers Control mode sprinklers act by wetting the flammable material near the fire in advance. Another type is the extended coverage sprinkler. It has a number of heads and each head is made to wet as big an area as possible. It may be a quick response or residential system installation (Leonard 1992). Suppression Sprinklers Suppression Sprinklers are designed to pour water on the fire core directly. Building containing materials that are highly combustible are preferred for this type of sprinkler. Another type is the residential sprinkler which is a favorite for developers. They operate to protect the occupants of a room in which a fire starts. Decorator Sprinklers Decorator Sprinklers are installed within the ceiling in order to conceal visibility. It is commonly used in homes. Early Suppression Fast Response (ESFR) Sprinklers are meant for areas with high risks. They occur in high pile storage structures since their speed of action is so high. Low-Pressure Sprinklers can also be used to put out fires but they are common on tall buildings without a lot of water pressure in the top floors. The advantage of this kind of sprinkler is cost reduction and also they do not need a fire pump. Alarm systems There are several fire alarm systems that can be used. They are important since thy can help prevent disasters thus avoiding losses. Depending on the type of building and its requirements, a fire alarm is chosen. Those used in homes can be simple ones that detect smoke. On the other hand big buildings should have those with hard wires with an attachment to alarm panels. Manual alarm boxes are used at the same time. There are three major categories of fire alarms namely; ionization alarms, thermal alarms and photo electric alarms (Leonard 1992). Thermal alarms Thermal alarms work with a sensor that detects the presence of heat in a room. At normal room temperature its sensor will have a certain conductivity which changes if the temperature of the room rises. This change triggers the alarm. Photo electric alarms Photo electric alarms are powered by batteries and they depend on the flame particles to sense a fire. They have a chamber for monitoring the concentration of solid particles. When the number of particles in the chamber is adequate to prevent waves from reaching a receiver, a switch is set off by the receiver. This allows electricity to trigger the alarm (Vickery 1977). Ionization alarms Ionization alarms are designed to detect the particles that appear in smoke coming from a fire. It is effective because many times before the fire builds up smoke will come out first. The detectors use radioactive material which when combined with smoke form ions that conduct electricity. These ions complete a broken circuit within the system that triggers an alarm. Manual alarms Manual alarms depend on human effort to pull them. In a big building they are normally fixed on the wall. They have connection to an all building alarm system by way of wires. Incase somebody notices a fire he just pulls the handle and the alarm sounds. (Leonard 1992) Interconnected Fire Alarms Interconnected Fire Alarms refers to a system that links all other fire alarms in a building. If one alarm is sounded then all the rest will go off and warn all the occupants of the building (Vickery 1977). Fire resisting doors Compartment in buildings is done in order to reduce the spreading of fire from one place to the next. Doors normally link these compartments to facilitate movement of people in the building. When closed, doors stop fire and smoke and when open they give way for escape. In order to do this job well intumescent strips are fitted on them. This cellular material is soft and prevents the door from deformation. At the rise of temperature in the building, probably over 200 degrees centigrade the strip gets swollen and fills the gaps. Two strips are capable of sealing the door for a one hour fire. Two fire doors exist by the names certified and nominal fire doors. Fire extinguishers A fire extinguisher is a type of equipment that is used to control small fires or put them off in cases of emergency. Big fires that are beyond control cannot be handled by an extinguisher. It is made of a pressure vessel that is held by the hand. The cylindrical vessel has an agent that is released to put off a fire. Fire extinguishers come in two types namely; cartridge operated and stored pressure. The stored pressure one has the firefighting agent in the same chamber with the expellant. Different types of propellants can be used depending on the agent in use. Dry chemical extinguishers are used with nitrogen while air is needed in water and foam extinguishers (Vickery 1977). Cartridge-operated extinguishers are used mostly in places like industrial facilities, because here they are used excessively. They can be recharged easily and promptly which means one can afford to recharge it in the process of extinguishing a fire. They make use of compressed carbon dioxide. Fire extinguishers can also be divided into cart mounted or wheeled and hand held extinguishers. Handheld extinguishers can be carried by hand because they are light. The wheeled ones are heavier and are preferred on air ports, construction sites and docks (Leonard 1992). Assignment 6: Electrical and electronic installations The requirements for insulation of electric plugs and pins are given in the Australian standards AS/NZS3112:2000 and AS/NZS3112:2004 for Australian Mains Plugs. All plugs must have insulated live pins in order to a void electric shock. Conclusion The community hall project needs to be fitted with all the necessary devices and equipment in compliance with the current regulations. Some of the things that are needed include fire protection systems, sewerage systems, water connections and tanks for the storage of the water. Various equipment exist on the market but for each requirement the best equipment, most efficient and cost effective is recommended. References R.M. Aynsley, W. Melbourn, and B.J. Vickery ( 1997). Architectural aerodynamics, Applied Science Publishers, London. Leonard Metcalf, Harrison P. Eddy (1992) Sewerage and sewage disposal. New York McGraw Hill Cady Staley, George S. Pierson (1899) the separate systems of sewerage, its Theory and Construction, New York; Van Nostrad Steven Burian, et al. (2008) urban waste water management; past, present and future. Journal of urban Technology James K(1981) The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company: J.M.Freeland, (1997) Architecture in Australia, Penguin Publishers Read More