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<< Continued from page 27 equipment . Geberit ’ s new facility , where design meets function , enables installers , specifiers , and end users the opportunity to experience this new world for themselves .
System description At 9.5m in height , the tower is the tallest one in Africa . It was designed specifically for the South African plumbing market and the challenges it faces .
Currently it is programmed to run 11 different scenarios , demonstrating the incorrect and correct way of doing things . The plan is to have red and blue coloured water in the system to illustrate the difference between the incorrect and correct scenarios further .
The scenarios are all numbered on the tower . They show things like swept entry versus non-swept entry . Scenario 9 , for example , is all about showing cross-contamination of water . You can run any scenario with the touch of a button on the preprogrammed tablet screen .
The system is fitted out with clear CAB piping . It is exactly the same size and dimensions of normal HDPE pipe , except that it is see-through to allow you to see what is happening with the water inside .
“ People often think plumbing is just removing water and solids , but the water-to-air ratio is so important and thanks to the clear piping , we can now show people just how important ,” says Da Silva . “ It ’ s clear pipe and you can ’ t fool hydraulics ; what you see is what you get .”
Installation Once the design was complete , the MPW team moved onto site and worked quite quickly , starting on 14 February 2017 , with completion on 30 March 2017 . They were selected for the job based on their knowledge and understanding of the Geberit project .
Patrick Masongweni , project manager on the job for MPW , and Dean Cane , operations manager at MPW , both have seen the Hydraulic Tower at Geberit ’ s head office in Switzerland and were very impressed with the design . Also , MPW has been working with Geberit for many years . “ So when we were invited by Mark Schurr to be involved , the decision was an easy ‘ Yes ’ for us !” explains Cane .
Installation was pretty straightforward once the tower ’ s design was signed off by head office . “ Once we had the drawings for the water and drainage we could work with these , applying normal installation practices ,” Cane explains .
“ The Hydraulic Tower offers such a great opportunity for plumbers , architects , and engineers in southern Africa to experience the flow of water and change a few dogged mindsets of what is wrong and what is right ,” says Cane .
“ The Hydraulic Tower challenges the status quo . No architect , engineer , or plumber can visit this and not appreciate the significance of plumbing , water , and water flow ,” says Cane .
The tower offers training for all different kinds of professionals in the industry . It covers from installers to architects and specifiers — even quantity surveyors and wet service engineers – anyone can go there and experience the tower to see how it works .
While the main function of the tower is to show the workings of drainage , it has been fitted out with a Pluvia syphonic roof drainage system at the back to show how the system works – something that was never possible before . “ Usually you can ’ t see such detail on the Pluvia systems . You only see the ends ; you don ’ t see what happens inside the pipe ,” explains Da Silva . “ Once you see how it works , you understand it better .”
Hilti was used for the framework of the system , and Geberit cisterns , new toilets , and basins from the Geberit Bathroom Collection , together with Geberit urinals and traps , were mounted onto the system and connected to the clear CAB pipe . Grundfos pumps are used to pump the water , enabling the running of various scenarios .
All about training Training commenced in May and the idea is to keep groups relatively small ( about 12 people at most ) to keep the focus of the group , explains Da Silva . The training will be done by the various Geberit sales consultants who have market experience and have been trained on the tower themselves . “ The consultants know exactly what their clients need to be trained on , as they ’ re the ones out in the field all the time ,” explains Da Silva .
From when the company opened its doors locally , training has been essential for Geberit . They initially started training in a small container at first , and now they have come so far . This is one of the key aspects about Geberit and why they are so successful . “ The Hydraulic Tower is the next step to show our commitment to training ,” said Da Silva .
“ Geberit ’ s commitment to training is well known , and the tower will enhance the training visually as well as practically ,” says Cane . “ For us again , and for industry , the mere uniqueness of the project is special .”
Continued on page 30 >> www . plumbingafrica . co . za June 2017 Volume 23 I Number 4