Plumbing and Building Services of a Residential Building

Planning, design, construction, installation and maintenance are five important stages in Built Environment which are controlled by the rules and regulations of the plan sanctioning authority, National Building code and Indian Standard specifications. 

Today's residential and public buildings are getting bigger and much more complex. They need better lighting, air conditioning and different services.   

Working Details, Schedules and Specifications : 

Plumbing services includes planning, design, construction and installation of water supply, drainage and sanitation and gas supply systems. 

Building services include planning, design and installation of electrical instalments, air conditioning, heating work, lifts and escalators. Additional services include fire safety services, acoustical services, communication services etc. 

Design of pipelines:-   Design is done as per plumbing rules of the plan sanctioning authority and recommendations as per Hand book- SP: 35 (S and T) 1987 and water requirements for fire safety. Water supply requirements of water, rate of supply in liters per head per day, diameter and material of pipe from ground storage to overhead storage tank and from overhead storage tank to different units. 

Drainage system:-     The design of drainage system includes: Design of pipes, traps, as per one pipe or two pipe systems, antisyphonage pipe, septic tank, connection to drainage system to Municipal line or septic tank. 

Testing of the water and drainage line is essential to check if there are any leakage problems. The plumbing system should be designed with reference to : 

1. Use of minimum of water for proper performance, diameter of pipe, minimum length of pipe, self-cleaning velocity etc. 
2. To avoid cross connections between the water line and the drainage line. 
3. A well-ventilated drainage system with no danger of syphonage or forcing of water seal under conditions of ordinary use. 
4. Waterproofing of floors, walls, protection of concealed pipes of hot and cold water. 
5. Solar system for hot water---- design of system, storage and connections to different units. 
6. Preparation of final layout plans showing water and drainage pipes and various details. 

Plumbing services:-    The planning, design, construction and installation of water supply, drainage, sanitation and gas supply system is to be done as per part IX Plumbing Services, Water Supply, Drainage and Sanitation, Gas Supply etc., of the National Building Code of India. 

The initial cost and cost of maintenance of the building and plumbing services are the main considerations while designing the services. Different service engineers are requitioned according to the nature of the building. The shape of the building, area of the location, minimum length of service lines, arrangement for carrying out maintenance without disturbing normal working etc. are some of the points for decision. 

Specifications for trouble free maintenance, safety for building services and specifications for water supply pumps, pipes, leakage free connections, safety valves etc., are some main considerations for plumbing services. Use of new materials and machinery as well as of an economical design needs co-ordination with the architect, structural designer, service engineers and plan sanctioning authority. It is essential to achieve co-ordination right from the initial planning stage to a certain period before the completion of work. 

Building Services Consultant 

The planning, design, construction and installation of electrical power systems, air conditioning and heating facilities is included under the heading building services. It is designed and carried out with Part-III Building Services, Electrical Installations, with air conditioning and heating as per the National Building Code of India. The planning design including the number of lifts, types of lifts, capacity of lifts depending upon the occupancy of buildings etc. is taken as per Section 5, of the National Building Code of India i.e., of lifts and escalators. 

Air Conditioning at Homes : 

Today, air conditioning has acquired great importance. Air conditioning at homes, restaurants, hotels, libraries, cinemas, theaters, hospitals, cold storage buildings, offices etc. has become very common. It is now an essential service. If the work is of an extensive nature such as the air conditioning of the entire building, a specialist who has done similar work in other buildings. Such type of specialist's is very useful and would be able to provide guidance during the planning stage, such as, air conditioning machinery, location of the ducts and the costs involved, taking into consideration function of the building. 

For a Civil Engineer as well as for a builder/structural designer, it is necessary to know various basic units and arrangement in the air conditioning plant and process so that in the preliminary design, proper care is taken for their provision. Then it becomes easy to co-ordinate for construction work along with the layout or provision of machinery, ducts and pipes. 

Electrical Installations : 

Planning and design of electrical installations for lighting and for different types of machinery need the services of electrical engineer. 

The electrical system is broadly classified into two categories : Low Tension (LT) and High Tension (HT) i.e., HT for voltages above 440V. A consumer whose power requirement is more than 50kW is considered as HT. The total work in electrical installations includes : 

1. Connection from the supply point, overhead or underground line. 
2. Provision for transformers to reduce the voltage as per necessity and distribution through three phase system. 

Planning for Industries : 

Planning, designing and construction of industries requires an integrated approach and also the services of a mechanical engineer/electrical engineer. 

Construction of factories, workshops, manufacturing industries, process plants, chemical industries, textile industries etc., require a study of the process work from raw materials to the finished product. This requires a knowledge of storage of the raw materials and finished products, quality control, administrative personnel, their numbers and locations and amenities for all concerned, canteen, transport, security etc. Hence the detail of machinery to be installed, space requirement, water, steam, drainage, electricity etc. need to be given top priority before the actual planning of areas. 

In short, consultations with mechanical and electrical engineers and suppliers of machines should be held and their requirements regarding the foundation, power, etc. should be studied at an early stage. Light, ventilation, fire safety, movement of large or small vehicles inside and outside the shops, type of floor finish and wear and tear are other considerations in preparing the final and an integrated plan of individual units. 

The number of workers may vary from a few people to thousands, the building may be either for shops or for process plants along with a separate building for administration, depending upon the extent of project.