26
PROJECT
Level 3 under construction . The installation of the TABS matrix of pipes into the floor slab . TABS ( thermally activated building system technology ) operates continuously throughout warmer months , cooling the internal environment using chilled water circulating through the floor slabs .
are metered to monitor water consumption and all the water meters are connected to BMS .
The rainwater harvesting is collected from roof and greywater collected from the building ’ s wastewater points such as wash hand basin and cyclist showers . This water is then filtered , treated , and re-used for flushing toilets , urinals as well as irrigation use .
The base build design has hot water for showers only , generated by heat pumps located in the naturally ventilated parking areas . For low hot water consumption areas , remote from the central risers , instantaneous hot water heaters are provided to avoid losses associated with constant recirculation of hot water over long distances .
What were the challenges one faced when designing and ‘ engineering ’ the project regarding all piping , fittings , harvesting , if any ? The usual challenges of coordinating the gravity drainage systems into the allocated service zones were encountered . However utilising 3D modelling using Revit assisted greatly in the coordination process . One of the main challenges was collecting the rainwater pipes below the ground floor slab , which required careful coordination to ensure that clear heights within the car park were maintained .
A similar challenge occurred at the roof full bore outlets ; however , this was a coordination issue due to the introduction of upstand beams on the roof and no horizontal drainage pipes allowed inside the building . The short horizontal runs could just be accommodated cast within the slab , however providing adequate access for rodding and maintaining the rainwater down pipes required developing a coordinated detail that did not compromise the structural design and allowed for adequate weatherproofing around penetrations . Standard rodding eyes were not applicable , so a custom straight rodding eye was designed using standard fittings .
3D coordination process also helped in the design of the water and drainage reticulation within the raised access floor system that served as the ventilation plenum for the building . Around the plantrooms , the services were congested , as would be expected . Being able to coordinate the services in 3D and share this information with the contractor allowed for smoother installation process .
Was there any touchless technology applied ? Bathrooms are installed with touchless sensor taps and urinals are automatically flushed connected to BMS .
What alternative energy for hot water storage was specified ? At design stage , gas water heaters were considered , however the final design reverted to heat pumps due the complexity of bringing piped gas to the building .
Solar hot water panels were considered ; however , their application was discounted as the hot water produced is generally available after the peak hot water demand in the morning . The space on the roof was dedicated to the Solar PV installation instead . PA
www . plumbingafrica . co . za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline August 2021 Volume 27 I Number 6