Chartered public health engineering · UK nationwide
Above-ground drainage design
Above-ground drainage is often the first public health system to cause coordination problems: it needs falls, it needs ventilation, and it needs to reach a stack in a building that was not always designed to accommodate it. We design soil, waste and vent systems that work within those limits.
Request a fee proposalWhat the service covers
- Soil and waste stack strategies, including stack replacement in existing buildings
- Branch sizing, falls and connection arrangements to BS EN 12056
- Primary, secondary and branch ventilation, and air admittance valve strategies where appropriate
- Access and rodding provision for maintenance
- Condensate, plant and special waste connections
When clients typically need it
- New toilets, kitchens or plant are being added to an existing building
- A building is being converted to a new use with different sanitary demand
- Existing stacks are failing, undersized or in the wrong place for a new layout
- The architecture leaves very little void depth for drainage runs
Deliverables
- Drainage schematics and coordinated layouts
- Stack and branch sizing calculations
- Riser and builder's work requirements
- Details for complex connections and access points
Common project constraints
- Shallow floor and ceiling zones that limit achievable falls
- Transfer structures and beams in the path of stacks
- Existing cast iron or asbestos cement stacks to be retained or replaced
- Acoustic and fire-stopping requirements around penetrations
How we approach it
- Check stack positions and void depths against the structure early
- Agree fall and access requirements with the architect before layouts are fixed
- Keep runs short and maintainable rather than relying on complex venting
- Provide clear builder's work information to avoid late coring on site