Plumbing Systems


Plumbing is one of the vital things in building and planning. It refers to the introduction and elimination of water and human by-products to and from a building, the creation of the water system for good sanitation and the drainage system like the sewer pipes. The location on plumbing lines within a building have an impact on the space planning and interior design of a space. Plumbing systems are divided into water and waste supply. Water supply systems operate under pressure, while waste systems operate by gravity, thus requiring a slope in waste pipes.

The three primary water supply options can be divided into 3 groups. There is potable water (water that is suitable for drinking), Black water (water that contains sewage) and grey water (wastewater from sinks, bathtubs and washing machines). To reduce the amount of potable water being discharged into the waste stream, several items have been introduced for use in buildings. As the single biggest source of interior water use, toilets have been targeted for reduced use of water in general and potable water specifically. There are HETs (High-Efficiency Toilets) and are defined as those using less than 1.28 gallons per flush. Dual-Flushing Toilets are equipped with a dual flushing mechanism that allows the toilet to be flushed according to its usage. When less water is required, one flush is used, verses two flushes when more water is required. a low-flow toilet will significantly reduce the amount of water needed to channel waste through the plumbing system and away from your home.

In public projects, a certain percentage of the bathroom fixtures must be American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. By adhering to ADA standards, you create a space that's more widely accessible regardless of physical ability. It impacts the height of water closets and lavatories, inclusion of grab bars, size of some bathroom stalls and the types of faucets and accessories used within a bathroom. The most prevalent aspect of ADA compliance is measurement and spacing of various bathroom elements. Staying up to date with equal access laws is crucial and making sure your bathroom fits the bill is just one way you can achieve this.




These are some great examples of accessible bathroom design. By creating an open shower allowed for standing or sitting and placed grab bars in key places for both functions. The space beneath was also kept open to accommodate a wheelchair if needed in the future. at the toilet area, there are grab bars provided on both sides of the toilet, but there is also clearance to one side so that someone could transfer from a wheelchair if they needed to.



Comments

  1. Emmaline DaveyOctober 30, 2021 at 7:01 PM

    Erica, you did a great job at touching what we read in Chapter 6 this week. You can tell that you knew what you were talking about. I appreciate the dimensions pictures that you included so that we can see just how tall or wide something should be. I wish you would've broken down each picture separately instead of combining it, but overall great post.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kelly MunsellOctober 31, 2021 at 3:00 PM

    I thought you did a great job of summarizing the chapter. I really like how you included pictures of residential bathrooms. Often we think of accessibility and ADA compliance as only necessary in commercial settings but that's not always the case. Safety and easy accessibility are always important no matter where you are, whether at home or out and about.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Professor VanderNoordaaNovember 3, 2021 at 4:10 PM

    Erica- thank you for your thoughtful and thorough summary of Chapter 6- plumbing. I appreciate all of your information on ADA compliance and the images your chose to illustrate these concepts. Your examples of ADA compliant bathrooms were perfect. Total points 50/50.

    ReplyDelete

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