PLUMBING DESIGN by the NUMBERS

By James E. Stenqvist, CPD

Educational Occupancies
School-learning settings that are secure, developmental, flexible, and appealing improve students success. Designing school facilities that effectively tackle modern and up-and-coming requirements for instruction and learning environments, as well as achieve long-term value and economy of operation, challenges the plumbing design professional as perhaps no other undertaking. Over time, the quality of both the piping and infrastructure will decide the final accomplishment of a design. Incorporating the best obtainable plumbing components into the planning process is advised. Structures used for educational purposes are challenging but sometimes repetitive. Most engineers say if you can design a hospital, then you can design any type of building, since most hospitals encompass a variety of systems. An educational occupancy building may challenge this rationale. A school can have a natatorium, a research laboratory, a central plant, shops, and a full-serving kitchen with dining area. Inside each department area may be numerous specialty systems to serve each specific program being taught. Programs vary by region of the country and school curriculum. A school near the water may specialize in aquaculture, while one in a farming region may concentrate on agriculture. If multiple schools are being designed, or if the town has a master plan for its schools, try to follow the municipalitys guidelines. This simplifies future maintenance and renovations and allows for a minimum amount of storage space for supplies and parts. Learn if such a program exists or seek out a facility manager whom you could interview to establish your own program. To allow repairs without turning off water to the entire building, isolation cutoff valves may be required to isolate each wing of the building and the toilet rooms, locker areas, and kitchen. Numerous codes and guidelines may be applicable for an educational occupancy project. These include the state public health code, U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Section 504, Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS), Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) design standards, ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, International Plumbing Code (IPC) or Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), International Mechanical Code or Uniform Mechanical Code, and local and state codes. Childrens Guidelines Reacting to the ideas of architects and others worried about facilities used largely by children, the U.S. Access Board released accessibility guidelines in 1998 for the construction of buildings intended mainly for childrens use. The guidelines protect ages Table 1 Specifications for Water Closets Serving Children Ages 3-12 Ages 3 and 4 Ages 5-8 Ages 9-12 12 inches 12-15 inches 15-18 inches Water closet centerline (305 mm) (305-380 mm) (380-455 mm) 11-12 inches 12-15 inches 15-17 inches Toilet seat height (280-305 mm) (305-380 mm) (380-430 mm) 18-20 inches 20-25 inches 25-27 inches Grab bar height (455-510 mm) (510-635 mm) (635-685 mm) 14 inches 14-17 inches 17-19 inches Dispenser height (355 mm) (355-430 mm) (430-485 mm)
Source: U.S. Access Board

12 and younger and incorporate provisions for drinking fountains, water closets, and sinks. Even though the childrens fundamental guidelines have not been adopted by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of its ADA regulations, they can be used to provide comparable alternative designs. The child heights may be used if the design provides a substantially equivalent or greater access to and usability of a facility (see Table 1).
James Stenqvist, CPD, is a project engineer with Diversified Technology Consultants in North Haven, Conn. For more information, or to comment on this article, contact articles@psdmagazine.org. This article is meant to provide some basic guidelines. Always check all relevant codes and resources for a particular project.

CHECKLIST FOR EDUCATIONAL OCCUPANCIES

Fixtures q Use one Americans With Disabilities
Act (ADA)-compliant fixture for each toilet room. q Use wall-mounted fixtures in lieu of floor mounted for easier cleaning. q Dont use tank-type water closets because they are prone to vandalism and present maintenance problems.

General Classrooms q Prekindergarten and kindergarten

classrooms should have their own drinking fountains at the appropriate height. A combination sink/drinking fountain is ideal, but separate bowls are a must. q Prekindergarten and kindergarten classrooms should have their own toilet rooms.

q Encourage wall-hung lavatories or

solid-surface lavatory systems. Countertop lavatories dont hold up as well. q Electric water coolers/drinking fountains should not protrude into corridors and exit passageways. This is a hazard and an obstruction and not allowed by ADA and ICC/ANSI A117.1: Standard on Accessible and

Usable Buildings and Facilities.

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q Sinks generally are not required,

except in specialty classrooms.

q Tabletops and sinks should be black

epoxy resin specified and detailed by the architect. Due to the homogenous nature of black epoxy resin, there is no lamination to bubble or crack and no porosity to allow liquid penetration. The surface is also highly heat resistant. q Water faucets should be equipped with integral vacuum breakers.

Shops q Semicircular and circular wash basins

usually are specified.

Kitchens q Is the kitchen full serving or warming

only with satellite cooking done elsewhere? Do the plates and utensils require washing or are they disposable? How many students are served per day? Is breakfast or dinner served in addition to lunch? Floor drains should not be installed in food storage areas. Floor drains should be a minimum 4 inches in diameter. Cafeteria and kitchen floors should have drains where spillage may occur or frequent hosing and cleaning are required. Floors under and around steamers and kettles should be drained independently of other floor areas. A 140-degree hot water supply and separate return line should be provided. Hose bibbs should be provided for floor wash down. A service sink or a receptor should be located in the kitchen area.

q Combination emergency eye wash/

showers may be required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) where chemicals are present. q A compressed air supply usually is required for vehicle maintenance, wood shop equipment, and powering of hand tools. q Trench drains, as well as an oil and/or sand interceptor, may be required for large wash-down areas. q Automotive shops require floor drains in the center of an area approximately 14 14 feet. The floor in this area should slope to the drain, and an oil interceptor should be provided.

q q q q q q

Art Rooms q Counters with integral sinks should be

acid-resistant black epoxy resin.

q Sinks should have sediment traps and

be accessible from more than one side. q Sinks should be height appropriate with hot and cold water supplied. q Floor drains should be provided in areas where water or other liquids might be spilled. q For ceramics, provide a large, deep sink with hot and cold water supplies and a clay trap.

Toilet Rooms q Are electronic, hands-free fixtures q q q q

required? Provide floor drains a minimum 3 inches in diameter in each area. Provide correct fixture heights, styles, and sizes for varying grade levels. Ensure vandal-resistant fixtures and trim are specified. Special toilet rooms should be provided for school administrators, teachers, and service workers. Hose bibbs and floor drains should be provided in every toilet room, with the floor pitching toward the drain. Where school grounds are likely to be used on weekends, vacations, and other times when the school building itself is closed, it is advisable to provide toilet rooms for both sexes accessible to outdoor physical education spaces. This can be done by planning the toilet facilities for the locker and shower rooms for exterior access.

q q

Gymnasiums q Drinking fountains should not be

located in areas with wood floors, including performing arts classrooms. Drinking fountains should be used in lieu of electric water coolers. Chilled water may have an adverse effect on the body, causing stomach cramps. Drinking fountains should be located in alcoves away from any field of play to prevent injury. Sprinklers should be specified with head guards to prevent accidental damage from activities. Consider master mixing valves and shutoff stations for each locker room shower area. Consider push-button metering shower valves to automatically time and shut off showers. Are shower floors and walls tiled, onepiece acrylic units, or bases specified by the plumbing engineer? Provide floor drains in the areas of the locker rooms where students dry off. In the shower and drying areas sufficient floor drains should be provided and located so that no student needs to stand in or walk through wastewater.

Science Classrooms q Acid-resistant waste lines should be

provided for chemistry laboratories in high schools and instructor stations in middle school science laboratories, but they generally are not considered necessary for other laboratory areas and lower grades. Provide tepid water to emergency eye washes and showers. Provide floor drains with trap primers under emergency showers. Specification of gas jets, faucets, and outlets should be by the architects laboratory casework section and detailed on the large-scale millwork plans. Fume hoods should be specified as pre-piped by the architect. An ADA-type emergency gas shutoff at the rooms point of exit is required where gas is present by state and local codes, standardized school construction, good engineering practice, and NFPA 45: Standard on Fire Protection

q q q

Exterior Plumbing q Irrigation systems should have backflow preventers and a water meter.

q q

q q

q Wall hydrants with backflow preventers should be spaced at 100-foot intervals (and freeze-proof if applicable). q Are there outdoor drinking fountains?

for Laboratories Using Chemicals.

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