EXAMPLE 22.

2
Select drainage and vent piping sizes for the plumbing in an office
building for
which the fixtures are shown in Fig. 22.30.
SOLUTION
Selected dfu values from Table 22.2 are applied to each section of
the piping and totaled for each branch and stack, as well as for the building
drain and the building sewer. Individual fixture branches should not be less
than the size indicated in Table 22.3 for the minimum size of trap for each
fixture. An example of a fixture-unit summary and sample sizes of individual
branches that connect into a typical branch of the mens toilet group on any
floor are shown in the following table.

Table 22.3 indicates that a 3-in. (76-mm) horizontal fixture branch

is inadequate for the mens toilet group because this size pipe will handle
only 20 dfu. Therefore, a 4-in. (102-mm) pipe is selected (also a wise
minimum choice whenever water closets are served). Its capacity of 160 dfu
will be more than enough for the 36 fixture units needed here. The same
table shows that the soil stack diameter can be 4 in. (102 mm), and it is run
thus for its entire height. Its capacity of 90 dfu per story (or interval) is
sufficient for the 64 dfu that connect in at each T-Y connection. For three
branch intervals, this size stack will carry 240 dfu (this example requires 3
x64 =192 dfu); for its entire height, it will carry 500 dfu (this example
requires 5 x64= 320 dfu).
The vent stack must serve up to 338 dfu, with a 4-in. (102-mm)
soil stack, and with a maximum 70-ft (21.3-m) developed length. From Table
22.4, a 3-in. (76-mm) vent serving 540 dfu has a maximum developed length
of 150 ft (45.7 m), well over the minimum requirements. All vent stack
diameters will increase to 4 in. (102 mm) as they pass through the roof.

According to Table 22.5, the building drain and the building

sewer, at a pitch of in./ft (2.1%), should carry at least a total of 350 dfu. A
5-in. (127-mm) building drain or building sewer has a capacity of 480 dfu.
Although opinions may vary about the relative merits of
continuous or circuit venting, either system, properly designed, will
effectively prevent the siphoning of traps and relieve air pressures that could
cause foul gases to bubble through the traps into the occupied space.
Another system (Section 22.5c), especially suitable for high-rise buildings,
eliminates the the vent stack completely with equal
effectiveness.