PROJECT
29
LEED operates under the umbrella of the US Green
Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit coalition of
building industry leaders. The goal of the rating system
is to encourage and reward sustainable design across
several metrics – sustainable site choice, energy savings,
water efficiency, reduction of CO 2
emissions, and indoor
environmental quality, among others – all while improving
company profitability and employee wellbeing.
Since its inception in 1994, the LEED rating programme
has become an industry standard for excellence in
sustainability. LEED motivates professionals throughout
the industry to step up their green game, including real
estate professionals, facilities managers, engineers, interior
designers, landscape architects, construction managers,
private sector executives, and government officials.
The LEED rating programme is a four-tiered creditbased
system that awards points based on compliance
with different aspects of sustainability. A basic LEED
certification is awarded if a building amasses between
40 and 49 points. LEED Silver and Gold certifications are
50-59 and 60-79 points respectively. The highest LEED
certification is LEED Platinum, awarded to buildings that
attain 80 or more points.
Plumbing by Jazzman
Jazzman Plumbing won the tender to install all the
plumbing with the exception of the external stormwater
and sewer lines which was done by the civils contractor.
Owner Leon Tobias explains that the scope of work
encompassed the entire plumbing installation, everything
that was internal, including the rainwater, stormwater,
sewer, hot water reticulation, heat pumps, boilers,
sanitaryware, with the contractor providing all the
sanitaryware as a free issue supplied by a company
called Afrikaner and the contract therefore valued at
R13.2-million.
The plumbing company was not involved in the
selection of products, or the design of anything, which
were all stipulated in the plans. “The spec was given to
us by the plumbing consultants and architects. Tobias
says there were difficulties with access, and due to the
extent of the work, this slowed progress somewhat.
At the peak of the job, Tobias about 35 of the firm’s
complement of 52 staff were on site at one time. At the
time of the interview in April, all that remained of the
contract was the snagging.
The challenges on site were primarily “procuring
the material from some suppliers – it was very, very
challenging”. Some of the sanitaryware came in “bits
and pieces”, but once the project was more advanced
Jazzman had access to a storeroom and could build up
its stockholding. “Everything had to be carried manually
up the stairs as there were no lifts, and while this was
no real challenge it simply added to the time. Technically,
everything went according to schedule: the drawings
were excellent, and we worked well with Wat-Sol.
“The more challenges there are, the more we like it as
we cope well with pressure.” The real challenge for all
plumbers today, he says, is to make any margin from
a job.
Tobias describes the rainwater harvesting system as
working off the Valsir Rainplus system, which makes
use of the building height as the driving force, and
together with the effect of negative pressure, allows
high speed flow rates to be reached thus maximising
drainage efficiency.
According to Valsir’s website: “Rainplus allows the entire
flow of water to be directed to any part of the building
whatsoever, thus enabling the most modern rainwater
harvesting systems to be installed as required by the
Green Buildings Program.
“The Rainplus siphonic drainage system is made up of
special outlets that are patented, designed and tested
to American Standard ASME A112.6.9 and European
Standard EN 1253 and connected to HDPE high density
polyethylene pipes. The outlets also incorporate special
components that allow installation on any type of roof and
waterproofing sheet.”
“The Duravit
urinal flush
systems have
flush actuator
plates set
at only one
litre a flush.
These flow
capacities are
dictated by the
LEED rating
system.”
The faucets reduce water consumption by up to 60% and urinal flush systems are set at only one litre a flush.
August 2020 Volume 26 I Number 06
www.plumbingafrica.co.za