CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Project Background

La Vie Flats is a 23-storey residential condominium

building beside the existing Vivants Flats located along
Parkway Avenue and situated within Filinvest Corporate
City, Alabang Zapote Road, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. It
consists of 147 one-bedroom units and 98 two-bedroom
units for a total of 245 residential units. The building has
a total lot area of 2705.071 m2. The project started on
April 2008 and targeted to finish on June 2010. It has an
approximate building cost of 8 million pesos. The La Vie
Flats is one of the condominium buildings owned by
Filinvest Alabang Inc. (FAI). They take into service
Design Coordinates Inc. as their project managers, GF &
Partners Architects, Co. and Aromin & Sy + Associates
as their architectural and structural consultant,
Figure 1.1 La Vie Flats Perspective
respectively.
The condominium is build to house a total of _____people and its water distribution system is
design to deliver ______L of water to satisfy the demand of _______. It has underground
reservoir tank and elevated cylindrical water tank with a storage capacity of _______ and
_______, respectively. It supply lines are connected to the Filinvest Corporate City water mains.

The Water Distribution System of the La Vie Flats has special features such as its distribution
system aside from gravity flow system has a pneumatic system and installed a pressure reducing
valve assembly.

Through the study of this project, the water distribution system should be test and check whether
the tanks and the different assemblies installed in the system is adequate.

1.2 Significance of the Study

Figure 2 - Vicinity Map

-Syempre ensure na sound ung system s

-provide in-depth knowledge about WDS and its components

- maintroduce ung program na watercad

-taz maemphasize na sa pagdami ng mga condominium ngaun as engineers kelangan

mdami taung alam sa wds.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

In general, this study aims to provide an in-depth knowledge about water distribution system and
the problems that needed to be addressed in the design of the system, specifically waterhammer.

Specifically, this study aims:

1. to create a model of the water distribution system of the La Vie Flats Project

2. to conduct a waterhammer/surge analysis in the system using AFT Impulse v. 4.0

3. to determine the capacity of the system to control waterhammer under different scenarios

4. to check whether there is a possibility of waterhammer failure occurrence

1.4 Scope and Limitations of the Study

1.5 Date and Place of the Study

The study was conducted from April to May of 2009 at Design Coordinates Inc. Office assigned
at the La Vie Flats Project located at Parkway Avenue, Alabang Zapote Road, Alabang,
Muntinlupa City. Gathering of additional data and researches were done at the same site. Further
researches were done from July to September 2009 at the College of Engineering and Agro-
industrial Technology (CEAT), University of the Philippines, Los Baños, Laguna (UPLB).

CHAPTER II - REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Water Distribution System in Buildings

2.1.1 Gravity Pressure System

The gravity pressure system is possible only when the source of supply is located substantially
above the level of the demand community. This is the most dependable method, provided that
there are multiple-protected pipelines carrying the flow (Mc Ghee, 1991). This system is
inherently associated with elevated storage or tank. The storage facility provides the reservoir in
which the inflow and outflow of water can better match the hourly consumer demand and act as
a supply source during emergency situations. In buildings

a.) Elevated Steel Tank –The height of the tank will be determined based from the topography of
the area served, the height of the buildings and the pressure losses in the distribution system.
Altitude valves, check valves and shut off valves are necessary to control the level of water in the
tank and to provision or isolate portions of the distribution system during emergencies (USCE,
1986).

2.1.2 Pneumatic System

Pneumatic distribution systems are applicable where demands for water supply are less than 2 m3
per minute. The system has a low pressure setting with minimum operating pressure of 30psi and
a high pressure setting that is dependent on the max allowable pressure in the distribution
system.

Pneumatic pressure is air pressure over and above atmospheric pressure. It is the pressure which
is registered on the pressure gauge and which makes water flow from hydropneumatic tank
(Wright, 1956). The hydropneumatic tank “riding” on the system functions in two ways (USCE,
1986).
1.) In case of emergency, the hydropneumatic tank can act as a supply for a short period of time

2.) In can act as an air spring or piston and is a reservoir of stored energy to maintain pressure in
the system and help avoid short-cycling of the pumps.

2.2 Distribution Mains and System Equipment

2.2.1 Pipe Material

2.2.2 Service Connections

2.2.3 Types of Valves

2.2.4 Types of Pumps

2.3 Distribution System Pressure Problems

2.3.1 Waterhammer

Water hammer is a phenomenon that results from the sudden stoppage or slowing down of the
velocity of flow of water in a closed conduit.

2.3.3.1 Causes of Waterhammer

2.3.3.2 Waterhammer or Surge Analysis

2.3.3.3 Prevention and Control

2.3.4 Cavitation

2. 4 Softwares Use for Waterhammer Analysis

2.4.1 Description of AFT Impulse

2.4.2 Application of AFT Impulse

2.4.3 Principles Governing the Analysis

2.4.3.1 Juokowski and Allievi Equation

2.5 Review of Related Local Manuscripts

CHAPTER III - STUDY METHODOLOGY