DRAINAGE & PLUMBING
MAKING A SOUND PIPEWORK CHOICE
A sound understanding of the four key materials used for drainage pipes and fittings is essential if merchants are to help their customers make the right acoustic choices, BMJ finds out...
F
aced with the challenge of balancing busy work schedules and tightly squeezed budgets, drainage installers can often find themselves sticking with what they
know.
However, there is an argument that a reluctance to change products and materials is preventing enhanced acoustic performance, cost-savings and installation efficiencies from being achieved.
One such example is the soil and waste drainage system - a critical part of any building, and one in which failure is costly, disruptive and unpleasant for property owners and users alike. Yet despite continued innovation and development of materials, many installers will simply stick to the material they used in their last project.
Greg Austin, assistant product manager at Geberit explains that every material comes with its advantages and disadvantages, especially when considered for specific applications.
Effective drainage specification “There are the obvious considerations, like acoustic performance (i.e. how well the pipe can dampen the noise of flushing water), lifespan of the pipe and cost, which encompasses both the material cost and installation cost,” Austin says.
“We must also consider the smoothness of the pipe bore and how well it allows water to flow and therefore avoids blockages. For metallic pipes we must factor in susceptibility to corrosion, including whether any coatings are required.”
The four material options for soil and waste drainage systems are: enhanced polypropylene
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composite, cast iron, HDPE (high-density polyethylene) and PVC (polyvinyl chloride).
Enhanced polypropylene Enhanced polypropylene composite is a proven material, used for many years on the continent and now finally delivering benefits to UK specifiers, engineers and installers too. “Our Geberit Silent-PP is made from mineral reinforced polypropylene, improving the physical properties of the material and achieving first-class acoustics optimisation, effectively reducing the natural vibrations and noise,” Austin says.
“Crucially, it is comparative over a project in price to a PVC installation, which makes it a fantastic choice for acoustically sensitive applications. In fact, enhanced polypropylene may even provide an opportunity to deliver overall project cost savings compared to lagged PVC by reducing or removing the need for lagging on some projects.”
Cast iron credentials In comparison, cast iron is an alloy of iron and carbon that provides intrinsic acoustic properties, as the material is both dense and thick, preventing air transmission. However, Austin points out that cast iron is more expensive to purchase and install when compared with plastic.
“It is also susceptible to corrosion; whilst modern cast iron pipes have more advanced coatings, many older buildings are inevitably facing corrosion issues after 40 or 50 years of service from their original drainage systems.” Most significantly, cast iron pipes are also more likely to build up depositions than a plastic pipe due to a higher chance of roughness of the
pipe bore. Through decades of constant use, this surface roughness will gradually worsen, leading to serious blockages and clogging, which will eventually cause leaks if left untreated.
A shift towards HDPE
Offering a viable alternative to cast iron, Austin reports that HDPE is becoming an increasingly popular material for drainage pipes and fittings in commercial buildings.
He says: “Although HDPE isn’t as dense as other piping materials and lacks enhanced acoustic properties, it does possess lightweight flexibility and installation benefits. The initial investment in HDPE can often be outweighed by reduced maintenance costs and extended system life cycle – not to mention the peace of mind that comes with a strong and reliable welded solution.” HDPE pipes have a smooth bore which is maintained throughout their lifetime, helping to smooth the transition of any waste –Also, the interior of a HDPE pipe can often be cleaned thoroughly simply by flushing the toilet or running the tap.
PVC – the old favourite Currently around 75 per cent of soil and waste pipes and fittings sold in the UK are made from PVC, which is incredibly lightweight, cost-effective and easy to install. However, like HDPE, PVC is a relatively thin material and does not possess enhanced sound performance attributes in the same way as cast-iron. Austin says that, as PVC is also a relatively brittle material, particularly in cold weather, it is not uncommon with commercial applications for PVC drainage to be installed, only to be damaged later by subsequent contractors. “This can add unforeseen project costs,” he explains.
Be open to innovation “Ultimately, the choice of material for waste drainage pipes and fittings will come down to a number of considerations, but the key takeaway is to not rule out different or new materials when speaking with installers about their projects drainage requirements,” he says. BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net December 2018
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