PROJECT 23
Like its sister block , The Tyrwhitt Apartments , this block will be served with natural gas and installed throughout the residential building to supply to the main gas boilers , all kitchen gas hobs , gas braais and gas fireplaces . The restaurant , situated on Parking level six ( 6 ), also ground floor , will also receive a gas supply . The building is new and consists of seven parking levels , five underground and fifteen apartment floors .
The main gas supply is from Egoli Gas and all fittings , associated with a safe and competent gas installation , were done by an accredited gas installer . The main gas chamber is fitted with gas regulators with gas filters , gas pressure relief valves and manual reset shut off valves .
Pressure measuring test points are placed at the apartment regulators , which also act as purge points . Line pressure gauges ( glycerine type ) are installed on each main supply pipe in the gas metering chamber before and after the regulators for measuring gas pressure and the reduced pressure , to be supplied to the boilers , apartments , and restaurant .
All piping from the gas pipes at the site boundary into the building and to each apartment is in black mild steel as per SANS 62-1 .
Steel pipe fittings , valves , and accessories were of the screw type if smaller than 32OD and not embedded as per SANS 62-2 . If embedded and exposed these were welded if larger than 32OD .
Expansion of pipes is managed by use of pipe loops every 30m length of horizontal pipes and 15m of vertical pipes .
Piping inside of apartments was composite PE-X / AL / PE-X compatible with natural gas and complied with SANS 827 and were tested to 100Kpa minimum or as per the standard .
All gas piping was clear of any electrical system , conduits or cables by being 150mm minimum away from such service .
Gas boiler plant room . The 50-diameter supply pipes to the gas boilers were installed with a quarter turn emergency shut off valve outside the plant room with a permanent sign “ GAS VALVE .” Two vent lines were constructed of black mild steel which were connected to a common 50 diameter vent line by the installer to all pressure relief valves or devices along the gas trains that required venting to the atmosphere .
Apartment supply The main 80 diameter pipe in the water service cupboard forms a ring main and reticulates to all the gas riser pipes to each apartment . Each riser pipe was sized to accommodate the required gas flow for the appliances being served . Pressure gauges were installed at the highest point of each of the ten gas pipe risers , also in the service cupboards . Each apartment has its own meter for billing purposes .
Restaurant supply The gas supply was installed as close to the restaurant as possible for onward connection by the restaurant owner . A pressure regulator , gas meter and pressure gauge were installed to this supply pipe .
Drainage All drainage was done according to SANS 10400-P and waste drainage for all internal appliances in each apartment from level 01 to level 15 , including drainage for some areas in the Parking level . In general , drainpipes are of uPVC and those for showers were 50 diameter uPVC and were positioned before the slab was cast .
There were several 110 diameter stacks dropping from the top floors down to Parking level 7 where all the stacks connect
May 2022 Volume 28 I Number 3 www . plumbingafrica . co . za