UNIVERSITY OF UYO

FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL
STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

A CASE STUDY OF THE

EFFECTS AND TYPES
OF VERTICAL PIPING
ON A BUILDING
FABRIC

BY

300L STUDENTS (GROUP A)

COURSE: BUILDING SERVICES (ARC317)

COURSE LECTURERS: ARC. ABIMBOLA OKE; ARC. U.
E. AKAH

GROUP MEMBERS
1. ANDENYANG EMMANUEL IFU
17/EV/AR/756

2. JACKSON INIOBONG IME

15/EV/AR/611

3. ESSIEN NSIKAKABASI XAVIER

16/EV/AR/636

4. EKPO UDUAKABASI ROBERT

16/EV/AR/637

5. SYLVESTER IDONGESIT JOSEPH

16/EV/AR/638

6. OKON IMOH DANIEL

16/EV/AR/642

7. OKONKO EMMANUEL STEPHEN

16/EV/AR/643

8. OKON UBONG ANIEFIOK

16/EV/AR/644

9. EKPO ETTA ETTA

16/EV/AR/645

10. ETIM PATRICK ANTHONY

17/EV/AR/708

11. ADAKA, UTOM-OBONG IME

16/EV/AR/679

12. JACKSON, NYAKNO-ABASI EMMANUEL

16/EV/AR/680

13. EDET, ANIEBIETABASI LAWRENCE

16/EV/AR/684

14. SAMPSON, DARAMFON EMMANUEL

16/EV/AR/694

Page | 2
15. EKPEOWO KUFRE EKWERE
17/EV/AR/711
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The capital and installation costs of building services in
modern buildings can take up 50% of the total
construction budget; for highly serviced buildings such as
sports centers, this figure can easily exceed 75%[ CITATION
Bab12 \l 2057 ]. Services can also take up 15% of a building’s
volume[ CITATION Bab12 \l 2057 ]. Therefore, building services
cannot be ignored. Nowadays, the demand for
architecture by the public is not only about living spaces,
but also an increase in comfort and safety requirements.
In recent years, with the development of the economy,
whether it is urban or township, the degree of detail given
to building construction is getting higher and higher.
More attention is therefore paid to the design of water
supply and drainage works for buildings. People's
requirements for the water supply and drainage function
of the building are also constantly improving, which gives
the water supply and drainage project a broader
development space.
In this write-up, the male hostel (annex campus) of the
University of Uyo is chosen for a case study. The water
supply and sewage drainage systems of the building are
analyzed, and the construction points are briefly given.
The focus is to identify the type and effects of vertical
piping on the building fabric. This can effectively improve
design level and quality of the water supply and drainage
system of future building designs, and facilitate better
use of domestic water for residents.

Page | 3
Architects have learnt to accept and accommodate the
increased need for pipes, ducts and cabling encroaching
on to their designs. Some with reluctance, not least Louis
Kahn when writing in World Architecture in 1964[ CITATION Hal07
\l 2057 ]: ‘I do not like ducts, I do not like pipes. I hate them
so thoroughly; I feel that they have to be given their
place. If I just hated them and took no care, I think they
would invade the building and completely destroy it.’ Not
all architects have chosen to compete with the ducting
and mechanical plant. Some have followed the examples
of Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers by integrating it with
the construction and making it a feature of the building,
viz. the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the Lloyds Building
in London.
Building services are the dynamics in a static structure,
providing movement, communications, facilities and
comfort. As they are unavoidable, it is imperative that
architects, surveyors, builders, structural engineers,
planners, estate managers and all those concerned with
the construction of buildings have a knowledge and
appreciation of the subject.

2.2 BUILDING WATER SUPPLY

The nature of a building's use, the water pressure of the
municipal or private pipe network, and the total height of
the building determine the water supply plan for a
building. In order to improve the reliability of the water
supply, a building water supply is usually divided into low
and high areas, and different riser connections are used,
and a separation valve is provided. When the inlet pipe in
the low zone is damaged or faulty, or the pressure of the
outer pipe network cannot meet the water supply
demand, the partition valve is opened to supply water
Page | 4
from the high zone to the low zone. The water supply is
directly carried out in the low zone, and the water supply
is carried out in parallel between the water pump and the
water tank in the high zone. A water storage tank should
be provided in front of the water pump below a building
to improve the water reliability of the residents in the
lower area.

Page | 5
 CHAPTER TWO
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 BUILDING SEWAGE DRAINAGE
The internal drainage system of a building should ensure
that the domestic sewage can be quickly discharged
under relatively stable atmospheric pressure conditions,
and the harmful gases in the pipeline are also discharged
at the same time, thereby ensuring a good indoor air
environment. A building can adopt a confluence system,
that is, a combination of fecal sewage and domestic
wastewater is used to discharge the sewage to the
sewage treatment plant, with no need to set up a septic
tank. The requirements for the layout of the drainage
pipes of a storey building are[ CITATION YeS18 \l 2057 ]:
 the shortest length,
 straight pipelines, which are conducive to
maintenance management,
 ensuring the normal use of rooms or places with
drainage pipes,
 ensuring that the pipes are not easily damaged,
 meeting the aesthetic needs,
 and reasonably controlling economic expenditures
The laying and installation of the drainage pipe needs to
meet the following requirements[ CITATION Ols76 \l 2057 ]:
1) All the drainage pipes are preferably concealed except
for the pipes placed in the basement and equipment
floors. The drainage riser is internally laid with concealed
equipment, that is, in the pipe tip, the pipe groove and
the pipe, the horizontal branch pipe is embedded in the

Page | 6
pipe tip, or the ceiling flat decoration space is used for
treatment.
2) The pipe is suitable for being arranged on one side,
and the other side is used as an access passage, and the
diameter at the narrowest point of the passage is not less
than 450 mm.
3) The distance between the drain pipe and the outer
wall of other pipes should be greater than 150mm,
especially the distance between the drainage pipe and
the water supply pipe, and the expansion can be carried
out when conditions permit. The drain riser and the drain
vent should be kept at an appropriate distance for easy
connection with the venting pipe (if the spacing is
insufficient, the H pipe can be used).

2.2 VERTICAL PIPING METHODS

2.2.1 The Duct System
The duct system involves the installation of water and
heating pipes according to the method long in use for
electric wiring. Ducts and junction boxes are built into
walls and floors. Soft piping of iron, copper or plastic is
then inserted into the ducts and connected in the junction
boxes. Ordinary metal coil piping with a minimum bore of
75 mm is used for ducting (Figure 2).
The duct system has three major advantages compared
to conventional systems. Firstly, installation of plumbing
need not be coordinated with erection of the load-bearing
structure and a clash between two trades as dissimilar as
concreting and plumbing is avoided. Secondly, the piping
used is easy to inspect and replace; this facilitates future
alterations and may in some cases mean that greater
Page | 7
stresses may be permitted on materials, e.g., higher
water velocities in copper pipes. Thirdly, any water
leaking from pipes is filtered off into the drainage system,
thus reducing the risk of damage caused by overflow. In
the past few years, the amount of damage caused by
water has increased a great deal, and along with it the
insurance premiums.
The duct system requires the use of soft piping. In
addition, the diameter of inner pipe must be considerably
less than that of a duct to permit insertion. There are
many reasons for keeping diameters as small as possible:
space, fire safety, acoustic insulation, materials
consumption, handling expenses, etc. Since thick piping
is also difficult to bend, it is natural that an effort should
be made to produce the smallest possible bores and the
thinnest possible walls for water pipes.
Experience gained from completed projects has shown
that copper piping should not be of a size in excess of
22x1. When the pressure is low, such a pipe is capable of
supplying a limited number of taps. It is also difficult to
connect branch pipes inside ducts. It is therefore
necessary to work with a large number of rising pipes, a
situation from which advantage can be derived.
Two systems connected in parallel involve smaller
pressure losses than one system connected in series. The
smallest possible bore for pipes assumes that we avoid
trying to transport unnecessarily large quantities of water
and that the velocity of the water is high. The amounts of
water flowing from taps should not exceed the standard
flows. Also, the best possible use should be made of the
pressure avai1able. This brings us back to the need to
avoid unnecessary consumption of water. It is also

Page | 8
obvious that it is best to have a high pressure in
municipal mains.
The duct system is one which favors pipes and couplings
which will stand up to high pressures and velocities.
Copper piping is less suitable than plastic. Development
work is in progress with a view to reducing the pressure
drops occurring in bends and coupling. It will be fairly
obvious from all this that some of the prerequisites for
the duct system have little in common with the
conventional systems of water supply, e.g., large
numbers of small-bore rising pipes. Careful dimensioning
is also essential to ensure that every chance may be
taken of producing the smallest possible bores.

Image Source: [ CITATION

Ols76 \l 2057 ]

CHAPTER THREE

Page | 9
3.0 CASE STUDY

3.1 BUILDING INFORMATION

Name of Building: M2 Male Hostel
Location: University of Uyo Annex Campus
Number of Storey: 1
Estimated Number of Users: 2100 (source: Hall President,
2018/2019)

Type of vertical Piping Used: Surface Vertical Piping

3.2 EFFECTS OF SURFACE VERTICAL PIPING ON THE

BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND AESTHETICS
The entire facade of the building is defaced with external
pipe works. Aesthetics and future maintenance was not
considered during the construction process.

Image Source: 300 Level 2018/2019 ARC 317 Group A Field

Work

Page | 10
The left, right, front and rear facades of the building are
seriously defaced as a result of blockage and leakage in
general pipe work systems. The lack of frequent
inspection and maintenance inspection on chambers has
resulted in the surface display of solid human waste
which now drains through the erosion control channels
provided around the building.

Image Source: 300 Level 2018/2019 ARC 317 Group A Field

Work
The use of non-professional maintenance works
exacerbated the general state of the pipe work system
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over a short while after maintenance. For example, the
jointing of pipes of different quality as a result the
bonding of different materials does not last leading to a
more serious leakage as the materials begin to detach
from each other.

Image Source: 300 Level 2018/2019 ARC 317 Group A Field

Work
Constant leakages through pipes in walls have led to
water seepage which damages the paint and structural
Page | 12
components of the building. Permeability of water
causes rust in structural reinforcement, cracks appear on
the body of the building and structural elements such as
column.

Image Source: 300 Level 2018/2019 ARC 317 Group A Field

Work
The sides of the building that are exposed to the pipes
appear washed out than the sides that are not. The
painting done on those sides have peeled due to
dampness caused by the pipes that that on those sides.

3.3 EFFECTS OF SURFACE VERTICAL PIPING ON THE

BUILDING FABRIC’S STRUCTURE

Page | 13
Obvious cracks appear on the walls, emanating from the
points where the pipes enter the wall. The walls on those
sides appear to be very weak. The pipes themselves are
not properly hung on the walls. There are places on the
building fabric where constant water leakages have led to
larger cracks with mold growing in between.

Image Source: 300 Level 2018/2019 ARC 317 Group A Field

Work

The intermediate section of the column at the bathroom

side have patches of damp marks that seems to affect
the integrity of the column.
Page | 14
Image Source: 300 Level 2018/2019 ARC 317 Group A Field
Work

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

The technology of water supply and drainage engineering
for buildings has become more perfect, and problems
that may arise during and after the construction
Page | 15
processes are also being dealt with. Some attention has
been given to some details that were previously ignored,
but it is necessary to strengthen this attention and ensure
the correctness of their construction.
The surface vertical piping used for the building appears
to be highly inefficient and poorly executed. It appears to
be a poor choice considering the building involved
(students’ hostel), with high usage and high maintenance
requirements. The building fabric has completely lost its
aesthetics value due to the type of piping used. The
building is in dire and urgent need for maintenance.
The ducting method reviewed in literature above provides
a better option in terms of maintenance, aesthetics and
general effects on the building fabric. It makes
maintenance repairs easy while concealing pipes that
could deface the building and change the architects’
intentions. Moreover, in case of any leakage, the duct
serves as a drainage so that the leakage does not have a
negative impact on the building fabric.

REFERENCES

Babalola, P. O. (2012). Electromechanical Systems in Building Services

Engineering. ICCEM (pp. 89-114). ICCEM.

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Hall, F., & Greeno, R. (2007). Building Services Handbook. New York:
Elsevier.
Olsson, E. (1976). ECONOMIC WATER SUPPLY DESIGN BASED ON
PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. Water Supply and Drainage:
Proceedings of an International Symposium of National Academy
of Sciences (pp. 137-160). Washington, D.C.: NATIONAL BUREAU
OF STANDARDS.
WHO. (2019, June 18). 5.5: Building services. Retrieved from
www.who.org
Ye, S., Li, J., Yuan, J., Hu, Y., & Han, X. (2018). Design And Analysis Of
Water Supply And Drainage Engineering. E3S Web of Conferences
53, 03044 . EDP Sciences.

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