ASPE Plumbing Trade Exhibition and Technical Symposium

High Rise Plumbing Design – Drew R. McFadden, CPD

About the Presenter
 Drew R. McFadden, CPD
Principal / Partner, Alderson Engineering, Inc.
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Drexel University
ASPE Member Since 2005
Born & Raised in Northeast Philadelphia.
4 for 4 Philly Sports Guy
15+ years of mechanical, electrical, plumbing
and fire protection design experience
including high rise buildings.
Overview
 High Rise Plumbing Design
Definition of High Rise
Drainage Waste and Vent (DWV) Systems
Storm Water Systems
Domestic Water Systems
Domestic Water Booster Pumps
Domestic Hot Water Heating Systems
Hot Water Recirculation Systems
Overview
Pipe Expansion and Contraction
Natural Gas Systems
Fuel Oil Systems
Fire Protection
 Questions / Comments
Definition of a High Rise
 Formally defined in “definitions” in IBC
2009.
 High Rise Building – occupied floor more
than 75 feet above lowest level of fire
dept. vehicle access
IBC 2018 does not consider occupied roof
decks as an occupied floor.
 High Rise Buildings taller than 420 feet.
Definition of a High Rise
 Tall Building – more
than 328 feet.
 Super Tall Building
– more than 984
feet.
 Mega Tall Building
– more than 2,000
feet.
DWV Systems
DWV System Layout
 Sanitary, Waste and Vent Stack Location
Stacked floors
Within the building core
Adjacent to structural elements
 Parent and Child Stack Arrangement
 Horizontal or vertical distribution on the
floors
Adequate ceiling space for horizontal piping.
 Transition and collection floors
Drainage Terminal Velocity
 Terminal velocity is 10 – 15 FPS
 Terminal velocity is achieved within 10 - 15
feet of fall from the point of entry
 The velocity at the base of a 100-story
stack is only slightly greater than the
velocity at the base of a 3-story stack.
 Concerns
Weight of the vertical stack and it’s contents.
Waste entering the stack at lower levels.
Hydraulic Jump
Stable flow does not
occur in the horizontal
drain until a distance of
up to 10X the pipe
diameter.
Suds Pressure Zone
 Restriction in DWV
system caused by
suds that cannot
be displaced by
air.
 Avoid connections
to these zones.
Suds Pressure Zone
Suds Pressure Zone
 Separate stacks
when stack serves
more than 6 floors.
 Lower (4) floors on
one stack and the
rest above that
level on a
separate stack.
PPC – Stack Upsizing

PPC 2004 – P-904.4.4

PPC 2018 – P-919.2.10
PPC – Stack Upsizing

PPC 2004 – P904.4.4

PPC 2018 – P919.2.10
Stack Offsets
 Offsets are required in vertical stacks due
to floor plan changes or obstructions.

PPC 2004 – P-1107.1

PPC 2018 – P-919.7
Stack Offsets
Venting
 Common Venting Schemes
Single Stack System – Philadelphia, IPC or
NSPC version
Sovent System
IPC / NSPC Vent Schemes
 Wet Vent
 Waste Stack Vent
 Combination Waste & Vent
 Reduced Size Vent (Engineering System)
Relief Venting
 A relief vent pipe shall be installed on the
main drain before the main house trap
inside the building and be connected to
the nearest vent line for any building 75
feet or higher.
 On main drains of 8 inches or less, the vent
shall be a minimum of 4 inches.
 On main drains 10 inches and over, the
relief vent shall be a minimum of 5 inches.
PPC 2004 – P-1103.4
PPC 2018 – P-1002.6
Main House Drain Relief Venting

PPC 2004 – P-1103.4

PPC 2018 – P-1002.6
Relief Venting

Soil and waste stacks in buildings having

more than 10 branch intervals shall be
provided with a relief vent at each tenth
interval installed, beginning with the top
floor.
Velocity Breaks
 Velocity breaks shall be required in soil stacks
in buildings more than 30 stories above grade
to impede the velocity of the waste.
 At each velocity break, the stack shall be
offset by two 45-degree breaks.
 A relief vent one-half the size of the soil stack
shall be installed at the top of the second 45-
degree break and shall be connected to the
nearest vent stack.
 Velocity breaks shall be installed at maximum
10-story intervals above the 30th floor.
PPC 2004 – P-1104.1
PPC 2018 – P-919.4
Velocity Breaks

PPC 2004 – P-1104.1

PPC 2018 – P-919.4
Venting – Common Issues
 Floor plan changes that cause additional
venting (i.e flat offsets).
Common in single stack systems
 Lack of roof area to locate vent through
roof terminals.
 Too many sanitary stacks and vent stacks
connected to a common vent through
the roof.
DWV Systems - Pipe Materials
 Below Grade
H&S Cast Iron Pipe
 Lead & Oakum Joints or mechanical couplings*
 Above Grade
No-Hub Cast Iron Pipe
 Standard or extra heavy couplings
H&S Cast Iron Pipe
 Lead & Oakum Joints or mechanical couplings
 Smaller branch piping (< 2”)
“DWV” copper
DWV Systems - Pipe Materials
 Below Grade
Cast Iron Pipe
Schedule 40 PVC
 Above Grade
Cast Iron Pipe
Schedule 40 PVC
 Smaller branch piping (< 2”)
“DWV” copper
Schedule 40 PVC
Additional Design Consideration

 Sewage Ejector and Sump Pumps for sub-

terrain levels.
 RPZ backflow preventer failure
Properly sized waste receptor for 100+ GPM.
 Sprinkler system drain down provisions.
150 - 250 GPM discharge
 Diesel fire pump engine radiator discharge
25-40 GPM into a floor drain
 Indirect waste receptors for AC condensate.
 Water heater drip pans and leak drain pans.
Storm Water Systems
 Primary and secondary system sized the
same as a low rise building.
 Vertical projections
50% of the vertical projection surface area is
added to the sizing of the roof drain.
Very tall vertical projections will not shed all of
their water onto the horizontal surface below.
 Low and High Roofs should not connect to
the same vertical riser.
Storm Water Systems
 Secondary Systems
Required by IPC 2015 & 2018, PPC 2018
PPC 2018 exemption for existing buildings.
Not required in New Jersey.
 Consider scuppers as the secondary
system.
More likely to have primary drain clogs from
trash, debris or bird “waste”.
Watch out for icicles forming where scuppers
are located.
Water Re-Use Systems
 Rainwater Harvesting Systems
 AC and Steam Condensate Recovery
Systems
 Uses
Cooling Tower and HVAC system make-up
water; Evaporative Cooling Systems
Irrigation Systems, Green Roofs
Decorative Fountains
Toilet and urinal flushing
Fire Protection Back-up
Domestic Water Systems
Domestic Water Systems
 High rise buildings present essentially two
problems in the design of the domestic
water system.
Provide a means to develop and maintain
adequate pressure at the plumbing fixtures or
mechanical equipment in the highest portion
of the building.
Provide a means to avoid exceeding the
fixture and equipment pressure requirements
in the lower portions of a building.
Domestic Water Systems
 Upfeed or Downfeed System
 Mechanical or gravity pumping
 Configuration Considerations
Building Use, Type and Height
Water Heating Plant Location
Critical Equipment at top of building (i.e.
cooling towers, HW mixing valves).
Emergency water requirements (NYC).
Water Pendulum or Mass Tuned Damper
Domestic Water Systems
Downfeed Water System
 Incoming water service is connected to a
main house pump system.
 House pump system pumps water up to
the gravity tank at the top of the building
or multiple gravity tanks in the building.
 Water is supplied to the fixtures from the
gravity tank(s).
 Booster pump from tank discharge
provides adequate pressure to fixtures on
closest floors below the tank until gravity
can take over.
Downfeed Water System
 To limit pressure to acceptable levels, the
building is divided into multiple vertical
zones with either tanks or pressure zones.
 Common system in NYC since 1800’s.
WTC 1 (Freedom Tower) has 16 gravity tanks.
 Tanks are usually 5,000 to 10,000 gallons.
 Reference Project - Two Liberty Place
(2) 7,500 gallon tanks on 38th and 58th Floors.
5,000 gallons for potable water, 15,000
gallons for fire water.
Downfeed Water System
Continuous Upfeed System
 Incoming water service is connected to a
water pressure boosting system.
 Water pressure boosting system maintains
flow and pressure to all fixtures and
equipment.
 Water pressure boosting system uses variable
speed pumps.
 Hydro-pneumatic tank provides buffer for
incidental flows so pumps don’t always use.
 To limit pressure to acceptable levels, the
building is divided into multiple vertical zones.
Pressure Zones
 To limit pressure to acceptable levels, the
building is divided into multiple vertical zones.
 This is accomplished by pressure-reducing
stations that limit the zones to 7- 10 floors
depending on floor to floor height while
maintaining the pressure at the lowest floor of
the zone at an allowable value that will
permit any connected water fixtures to
operate properly.
 This maximum pressure is usually between 60
to 75 psi.
Single Pressure Zone
Multiple Pressure Zones
Pressure Reducing Stations
 Single or multiple pressure reducing valves
that lower water pressure from system
pressure to low pressure for use by fixtures.
 Can be a single valve or multiple valves in
series or parallel.
 In multiple valve configuration, pressure
settings are staged to divert flow between
high flow and low flow valves.
Pressure Reducing Stations
Domestic Water Booster Pumps

 House, Tank Discharge or Boosting System

 No. of Pumps
Duplex, Triplex, Quaplex or Sixplex
 Types of Pumps
Closed Coupled Pumps or Stainless Steel
Vertical Multi-Stage Pumps
 Sizing Pumps
Lead/Lag (100% redundancy)
Multiple pumps in parallel
 (2) @ 60% flow, (3) at 40% of flow, (4) @ 30%
Domestic HW Heating Systems

 Fuel Sources
Natural Gas, Steam, Heating HW or Electric
 Plant Location
Top, middle or bottom of the building.
Gas heater venting length and termination
limitations.
Hydrostatic head on water heaters.
 Number of Plants
(1) plant per pressure zone or single plant with
multiple pressure zones.
Domestic HW Heating Systems

 Hot Water Generation

Tank-Type Water Heaters
 With or without additional storage tanks.
Volume Water Heaters with Storage Tanks
Heating Water Boilers with Indirect Water Heaters
Steam-to-HW or HW-to-HW Heat Exchangers
(Semi-Instantaneous or Instantaneous).
 Most vessels come with a T/P relief valve set
at 125 PSIG. Option to get 150 PSIG.
 Indirect water heaters are available with
higher working pressures.
Domestic HW Distribution
Domestic HW Distribution
Domestic HWR Systems
 Building is a single pressure zone
With or without PRV’s at lower floors.
 Multi-Zone Recirculating System
Individual HW plant and recirculation pump
per zone.
 HW plant could be located in the zone or remote.
Single HW plant for whole building with
reheater and circulation pump per zone.
 Self Regulating Heat Trace System
Single Zone HWR System
Single Zone HWR System
Multi-Zone HWR Systems
Multi-Zone HWR Systems
Multi-Zone HWR Systems
Self Regulating Heat Trace
Domestic HWR Systems
 Main Recirculation Pump Sizing
Calculate heat loss in supply and return
piping to determine flow rate.
 Pump Flow = Heat Loss / 500 x 10ºF delta T.
 Minimum flow is driven by hot water mixing valve
requirements.
Pump head – pipe friction through balancing
valves and piping downstream of most
remote fixture / riser. Street pressure or system
pressure does the work to get the water to
this point.
Domestic HWR Systems
 Pressure Zone Recirculation Pump Sizing
Pump flow - 1 GPM per vertical riser. Simulate
a low flow faucet running.
Pump head – pipe friction through balancing
valves and piping downstream of most
remote fixture. Street pressure or system
pressure does the work to get the water to
this point.
Domestic HWR Systems
 Pressure Zone Reheater Sizing
Electric Water Heater or Indirect Hot Water
Heater
Capacity
 BTU/hr.
= Pump Flow (GPM) x 500 x 5-10ºF delta T.
 25 GPM x 500 x 10ºF = 125,000 BTU/hr. = 37 kW

Use smallest tank available. Not looking for

any storage capacity.
Usually needs to be ASME rated due size of
heating element.
Hot Water Delivery
 IECC ‘15, ’18
requirements.
 Keep HW sources
(water heater or
riser) close to
fixtures.
 More risers on
projects.
Pipe Materials
 ≤ 3-inch – Type “L” copper with soldered or
press joints.
 4-inch or larger – Type ”L” copper or
stainless steel with grooved coupling joints.
 Fittings and valves need to be rated for
the application pressure
125 or 250 PSIG.

 High Rise Buildings up to 150 feet can use

non-metallic piping in a dwelling unit.
Pipe Expansion and Contraction

 Piping expands due to temperature

change.
Fluid temperature vs. ambient temperature.
Cold weather or hot weather installation.
 Tall vertical stacks expand and contract.
 Storm water piping sees the biggest
change in temperature
Snow melting at 32 degrees, pipe is at
ambient temperature – 65-70ºF.
Pipe Expansion and Contraction

 DWV system – 50ºF

differential
 DHW system – 80ºF
differential
Pipe Expansion and Contraction

 200 foot tall cast iron stack expands 0.672”

at 50 degree temperature rise.
 200 foot tall PVC stack expands 3.6” at 50
degree temperature rise.
Natural Gas
 High Rise Challenges for Natural Gas
Supplying adequate pressure to all appliances
and equipment.
Overcoming stack effect – natural gas is lighter
than air, therefore, gas pressure rises in the
building.
Gas pressure rises 0.1 inch of water column for
roughly every 12.5 feet of building height.
Optimizing pipe sizing due to pressures and
diversity factor on equipment.
Space planning for booster pumps and/or high
pressure gas service.
Natural Gas Odorant Fade
Natural Gas
 Natural Gas Booster Pumps or High
Pressure Gas
Gas loads in the basement and on the roof.
Need booster pump for loads in basement
since gas pressure rises to the top of building.
 Pipe Sizing
Using high pressure gas with high pressure
drop can reduce size of vertical riser.
Example - 15,000 MBH / 150 developed feet
8” pipe (< 2 PSI, 0.3” W.C pressure drop)
3” pipe (2 PSI, 1 PSI pressure drop)
Diversity Factor

30 Ranges @ 65 MBH each = 1,950 MBH (682.5 MBH with diversity)

100 developed feet of pipe = 3” riser / 2” riser (with diversity)
Gas Service Space Planning

High Pressure Gas Service

Natural Gas Odorant Fade
 Odorant - Mercaptan Family Compounds
 Odorant Fade Causes
Physical and chemical processes in the pipe.
Gas stagnation and pipe oversizing.
Intermittent or low flow.
More pronounced in systems with new steel
pipe or long runs of piping.
 Correction Methods
Proper pipe sizing.
Conditioning “pickling” or coating of piping.
Fuel Oil Systems
 Types of Equipment
Diesel Standby Generators
Dual Fuel (Gas/Oil) Boilers & Water Heaters
Diesel Fire Pumps
 High Rise Challenges
Fill port locations
Pumping fuel to the equipment fuel tank.
Fuel oil return to the primary fuel tank.
Fuel storage limitations
 Thresholds - 660 gal., 1,320 gal. & > 1,320 gal.
Fuel Oil – Generator(s)
Fuel Oil – Dual Fuel Boilers
Fuel Oil – Diesel Fire Pumps
Structural Coordination
 Coordinate DWV and water riser locations
with columns, structural beams, rebar
within the slab.
 Toilets, showers, bathtubs, floor drains, mop
sink drain outlets on top of horizontal
structural elements.
 Coordinate penetrations through link
beams, deep columns, grade beams and
mat slab foundations.
Fire Protection
 Sprinkler Systems
High rise buildings shall be equipped throughout
with an automatic sprinkler system in
accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 (NFPA 13
system) and a secondary water supply where
required by Section 403.3.3.
Each sprinkler system zone in buildings that are
more than 420 feet in building height shall be
supplied by not fewer than two risers. Each riser
shall supply sprinklers on alternate floors. If more
than two risers are provided for a zone, sprinklers
on adjacent floors shall not be supplied from the
same riser.
Fire Protection
 Water Supply per IBC 2015 & 2018
Buildings 420 feet and taller are required to
be supplied by connections to not fewer than
two water mains located in different streets.
Separate supply piping shall be provided
between each connection to the water main
and the pumps.
Each connection and the supply piping
between the connection and the pumps
shall be sized to supply the flow and pressure
required for the pumps to operate.
Fire Protection
 Secondary Water Supply
High rise buildings assigned to Seismic Design
Category C, D, E or F as determined by IBC
2018 Section 1613 shall have an automatic
secondary on-site water supply having a
capacity not less than the hydraulically
calculated sprinkler demand, including the
hose stream requirement.
The secondary water supply shall have a
duration of not less than 30 minutes.
Additional pumps are not required unless
needed to provide adequate pressure at the
fire pump inlet.
Fire Protection
 Secondary Water Supply
Fire Protection
 Sprinkler and Standpipe Systems
Sprinklers and wet standpipes required in all
new construction high rise buildings.
Hose connection from wet standpipes
required at the primary or alternate stair
landing in each egress stair tower or
horizontal exit.
Fire Protection
 Fire Department Connections
Two (2) remotely located fire department
connections are required for each standpipe
zone.
Standpipe zones with an auxiliary water
supply and/or back-up fire pump above the
pumping limits of the fire department are not
required to have a fire department
connection
 250 feet (in height) is the pumping limit of the
Philadelphia Fire Department.
Fire Protection
 Fire Department Connections
Fire Protection
 Fire Pumps
Required when insufficient pressure is
available for sprinkler or standpipe systems.
Fire pumps only INCREASE pressure, not flow.
Pump starts when system pressure significantly
drops below a defined set point due to
sprinkler heads releasing water or standpipe
use.
Fire Protection
 Fire Pumps
One pump per standpipe zone.
Redundant pumps are required for pressure
zones that are beyond the pumping
capabilities of fire department.
 250 feet (in height) is the pumping limit of the
Philadelphia Fire Department.
Pumps must be rigidly connected to building.
No vibration isolation (concrete inertia base).
Fire Protection
 Jockey Pumps (Pressure Maintenance
Pumps)
Maintain pressure in system.
Not required by code but good design
practice for longevity of fire pump.
Design Flow = 10% of system flow
Design Pressure = 125% of system pressure
Electric driven and backed up by standby
generator.
NFPA 20 rating not required.
Fire Protection
 Electric Power or Diesel Engine.
Fire Protection
 Fire Pump - Normal Power Sources
Electric fire pumps are required to have a
reliable normal power source.
Electric fire pump connected to the utility
service upstream of the building main
disconnect switch.
Electric fire pumps can be tricky if the
building is fed with primary service power (15
or 35 kV).
Fire Protection
 Fire Pump - Alternate Power Sources
Electric fire pumps in high rise buildings are
required to have a standby power source.
Dedicated automatic transfer switch
connected to the emergency generator.
 Diesel Fire Pump
Battery charger, block heater and radiator
coolant system required to be on standby
power.
Fire Protection
 Diesel Fire Pump Fuel Sources
Gravity fed double wall fuel tank located
adjacent to the pump.
Fire pump is not allowed to directly receive
pumped fuel from another tank. Must be
gravity fed from a adjacent day tank.
 Tank Sizing
1 gallon per horsepower plus 10%
Tank Sizes (Gallons) – 119, 187, 300, 359, 572,
849 & 1100
Fire Protection
 Fire Pump Test Header
Sized similar to a fire department connection.
Connected to discharge of pump.
Two bypasses around pump
 Recirculation of water to pump.
 Maintain system pressure during test.
Single Fire Pump Setup
Fire Pump Testing
 Conditions
No Flow (churn) – 10 minutes (elec.) / 30
minutes (diesel pump).
Rated Flow
150% of pump flow capacity / 65% of pump
head minimum.
 Test Frequency
Electric and Diesel Fire Pumps in High Rise
Buildings – Weekly
Thank You!
Questions or Comments?
Bibliography
 ASPE Handbooks (Volume 1 through 4)
 ASPE Domestic Hot Water Design Guide
 ASHRAE Design Guide for Tall, Supertall &
Megatall Building Systems
 ASHRAE Handbooks - HVAC Applications I-
P Edition