Homework until meeting next tuesday after class...

(Website for more plumbing info: ppfahome.org/publications.html)

We decided that we should now internalize all of the collective research until next meeting. 

We discussed design possibilities:

- trade unions deal with the upkeep of workers who control and develop the inner workings of a city / machine - usually not exposed to general public

-possible design driver. exposing the inner workings of the trade union meeting hall?

-translucent materials, exposed systems / silhouettes of inner workings?

-integrated design: multiple uses of mechanical systems?

We decided to meet up again in a week, this time after class.

Just a little something about PVC piping.....

Beyond serving as a cost-effective, efficient and durable means of meeting plumbing needs, plastics can serve as a green solution. For example, the manufacturing of PVC pipe can provide an overall savings of energy compared to alternative materials. A 1991 study by Franklin & Associates indicated that the manufacture of pressure piping used in the building, construction and transportation industries required 56,497 trillion fewer BTUs than iron and concrete/aggregate alternative pipe. Also, because PVC pipe and fittings are lighter in weight than alternative piping materials, they can save energy in transportation.

More Trade Union info

Trade unions aim to represent the interests of people at work and negotiate with employers for better terms and conditions for their members.

What is a trade union?

A trade union is an organised group of workers. Its main goal is to protect and advance the interests of its members.

A union often negotiates agreements with employers on pay and conditions. It may also provide legal and financial advice, sickness benefits and education facilities to its members.

Trade union recognition

Employers which recognise any union(s), will negotiate with those union(s) over members' pay and conditions.

Many recognition agreements are reached voluntarily, sometimes with the help of Acas (Labour Relations Agency in Northern Ireland). If agreement can't be reached and the organisation employs more than 20 people, a union may apply for statutory recognition. To do so, it must first request recognition from the employer in writing.

If this is unsuccessful, the union can apply to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) (Industrial Court in Northern Ireland) for a decision. In considering the union's application, the CAC must assess many factors including the level of union membership and the presence of any other unions. Often, the CAC will organise a ballot among the affected workforce to decide whether recognition should be awarded.

Throughout the process, the emphasis is on reaching voluntary agreement.

• Guidance on trade union recognition from Acas (opens new window)

Collective bargaining

If a union is formally recognised by an employer, it can negotiate with the employer over terms and conditions. This is known as 'collective bargaining'.

For collective bargaining to work, unions and employers need to agree on how the arrangement is to operate. They might, for example, make agreements providing for the deduction of union subscriptions from members' wages, who is to represent workers in negotiations and how often meetings will take place.

Both these agreements on procedure and agreements between employers and unions changing the terms applying to workers (for example, a pay increase) are called 'collective agreements'. Your contract of employment will probably set out which collective agreements cover you. It's possible that a union may negotiate on your behalf even if you're not a member.

• More about contracts of employment

Joining a trade union

Why join a union?

Some workers join a trade union because they believe that a union can:

• negotiate better pay
• negotiate better working conditions, such as more holidays or improved health and safety
• provide training for new skills
• give general advice and support

Union members have the right to be accompanied to a discipline or grievance hearing by a trade union representative (although trade unions are not compelled to provide this). All employees, regardless of whether they are union members or not, are entitled to be accompanied by a work colleague.

• Learn about grievance procedures
• Find out about disciplinary procedures

Recognised unions also have rights to consultation where redundancies or a transfer of business are proposed.

There is a regular subscription cost for union membership. Different rates may apply to trainees and part-timers. Unions will not normally help with problems which pre-date membership.

• Business transfers (TUPE) - find out more
• Redundancy - further information

How to join

If you want to join a recognised union in your workplace, you could approach a representative for information, for example, the shop steward. Otherwise, contact the TUC to find out which union is relevant to you.

• Find a union on the TUC's workSMART website (opens new window)

Trade union-related rights

The law gives you the right to join a trade union wherever you work. This right applies whether a union has been recognised or not.

You're protected from being disadvantaged for being a union member. Specifically trade union membership is an unlawful reason for:

• refusing you employment
• dismissing you
• selecting you for redundancy

• Find out about discrimination against trade union members

The law gives you the right not to join a trade union. The same protection applies to you as it does to union members. In particular, employers are no longer permitted to operate a 'closed shop' (that is, make all workers join the employer's preferred union).

An employer can't deduct payments from you, for example, to a union or charity, in lieu of union membership without your permission.

Trade union activities

When a union is recognised by an employer, members have the right to time off at an appropriate time to take part in trade union activities. These may include:

• voting in ballots on industrial action
• voting in union elections
• meeting to discuss urgent matters
• attending the annual conference

• Find out about time off for trade union duties and activities

You don’t have the right to be paid for any time spent taking industrial action.

new meeting

How about tuesday the 15th at 11:00 am? Let me know if this works for everyone.

Zephyr

Trade Union House, Bratislava

TRADE UNIONS: Then and Now

Origins and early history

Trade unions have sometimes been seen as successors to the guilds of medieval Europe, though the relationship between the two is disputed.^[3] Medieval guilds existed to protect and enhance their members' livelihoods through controlling the instructional capital of artisanship and the progression of members from apprentice to craftsman, journeyman, and eventually to master and grandmaster of their craft. They also facilitated mobility by providing accommodation for guild members traveling in search of work. Guilds exhibited some aspects of the modern trade union, but also some aspects of professional associations and modern corporations.

Additionally, guilds, like some craft unions today, were highly restrictive in their membership and included only artisans who practiced a specific trade. Many modern labor unions tend to be expansionistic, and frequently seek to incorporate widely disparate kinds of workers to increase the leverage of the union as a whole. A contemporary labor union might include workers from only one trade or craft, or might combine several or all the workers in one company or industry.

Since the publication of the History of Trade Unionism (1894) by Sidney and Beatrice Webb, the predominant historical view is that a trade union "is a continuous association of wage earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment."^[1] A modern definition by the Australian Bureau of Statistics states that a trade union is "an organization consisting predominantly of employees, the principal activities of which include the negotiation of rates of pay and conditions of employment for its members."^[4]

Yet historian R.A. Leeson, in United we Stand (1971), said:

“

Two conflicting views of the trade-union movement strove for ascendancy in the nineteenth century: one the defensive-restrictive guild-craft tradition passed down through journeymen's clubs and friendly societies,...the other the aggressive-expansionist drive to unite all 'labouring men and women' for a 'different order of things'...

”

Recent historical research by Bob James in Craft, Trade or Mystery (2001) puts forward the view that trade unions are part of a broader movement of benefit societies, which includes medieval guilds, Freemasons, Oddfellows, friendly societies, and other fraternal organizations.

The 18th century economist Adam Smith noted the imbalance in the rights of workers in regards to owners (or "masters"). In The Wealth of Nations, Book I, chapter 8, Smith wrote:

“

We rarely hear, it has been said, of the combinations of masters, though frequently of those of workmen. But whoever imagines, upon this account, that masters rarely combine, is as ignorant of the world as of the subject. Masters are always and everywhere in a sort of tacit, but constant and uniform combination, not to raise the wages of labour above their actual rate... When workers combine, masters... never cease to call aloud for the assistance of the civil magistrate, and the rigorous execution of those laws which have been enacted with so much severity against the combinations of servants, labourers, and journeymen.

”

As Smith noted, unions were illegal for many years in most countries (and Smith argued that schemes to fix wages or prices, by employees or employers, should be). There were severe penalties for attempting to organize unions, up to and including execution. Despite this, unions were formed and began to acquire political power, eventually resulting in a body of labor law that not only legalized organizing efforts, but codified the relationship between employers and those employees organized into unions. Even after the legitimization of trade unions there was opposition, as the case of the Tolpuddle Martyrs shows.

The right to join a trade union is mentioned in article 23, subsection 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which also states in article 20, subsection 2 that "No one may be compelled to belong to an association". Prohibiting a person from joining or forming a union, as well as forcing a person to do the same (e.g. "closed shops" or "union shops", see below), whether by a government or by a business, is generally considered a human rights abuse. Similar allegations can be leveled if an employer discriminates based on trade union membership. Attempts by an employer, often with the help of outside agencies, to prevent union membership amongst their staff is known as union busting.

[edit] 19th century unionism

The National Labor Union was the first national union in the United States. It was created in 1866 and included many types of workers. This union did not accomplish any significant gains. After this union crumbled, the Knights of Labor became the leading countrywide union in the 1860s. This union did not include Chinese, and partially included blacks and women.

The Knights of Labor was founded in the United States in 1869. Eventually over 700,000 workers joined the Knights. They opposed child labor and demanded the eight-hour day. They hoped their union would give workers “a proper share of the wealth they create,” more free time, and generally more benefits of society. They also tried to set up companies owned by the workers themselves. Although the Knights were against strikes, some radical members went on strike anyway when the railroads cut wages in 1884. After they won the fight, membership in the Knights boomed to 700,000, but then, at the time of the Haymarket Massacre, a fearful public opinion grouped them with anarchists and Communists, and membership then rapidly declined.

The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was founded by Samuel Gompers. By 1904, AFL-affiliated unions had a membership of over 1.4 million nationwide. Under Gompers's leadership, the AFL advocated an approach known as "business" or "pure and simple" unionism, which emphasized collective bargaining to reach its goals. Demands were centered around improvements to the immediate work environment, like better wages, hours and working conditions.

In France, Germany, and other European countries, socialist parties and anarchists played a prominent role in forming and building up trade unions, especially from the 1870s onwards. This stood in contrast to the British experience, where moderate New Model Unions dominated the union movement from the mid-nineteenth century and where trade unionism was stronger than the political labour movement until the formation and growth of the Labour Party in the early years of the twentieth century.

[edit] Unions today

[edit] Structure and politics

Union structures, politics, and legal status vary greatly from country to country. For specific country details see below.

A rally of the trade union UNISON in Oxford during a strike on 2006-03-28.

Unions may organize a particular section of skilled workers (craft unionism), a cross-section of workers from various trades (general unionism), or attempt to organize all workers within a particular industry (industrial unionism). These unions are often divided into "locals", and united in national federations. These federations themselves will affiliate with Internationals, such as the International Trade Union Confederation.

In many countries, a union may acquire the status of a "juristic person" (an artificial legal entity), with a mandate to negotiate with employers for the workers it represents. In such cases, unions have certain legal rights, most importantly the right to engage in collective bargaining with the employer (or employers) over wages, working hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. The inability of the parties to reach an agreement may lead to industrial action, culminating in either strike action or management lockout, or binding arbitration. In extreme cases, violent or illegal activities may develop around these events.

In other circumstances, unions may not have the legal right to represent workers, or the right may be in question. This lack of status can range from non-recognition of a union to political or criminal prosecution of union activists and members, with many cases of violence and deaths having been recorded both historically and contemporarily.^[5][6]

Unions may also engage in broader political or social struggle. Social Unionism encompasses many unions that use their organizational strength to advocate for social policies and legislation favorable to their members or to workers in general. As well, unions in some countries are closely aligned with political parties.

Unions are also delineated by the service model and the organizing model. The service model union focuses more on maintaining worker rights, providing services, and resolving disputes. Alternately, the organizing model typically involves full-time union organizers, who work by building up confidence, strong networks, and leaders within the workforce; and confrontational campaigns involving large numbers of union members. Many unions are a blend of these two philosophies, and the definitions of the models themselves are still debated.

Although their political structure and autonomy varies widely, union leaderships are usually formed through democratic elections.

Some research, such as that conducted by the ACIRRT,^[7] argues that unionized workers enjoy better conditions and wages than those who are not unionized.

[edit] Shop types

Companies that employ workers with a union generally operate on one of several models:

• A closed shop (US) employs only people who are already union members. The compulsory hiring hall is an example of a closed shop — in this case the employer must recruit directly from the union.
• A union shop (US) or a closed shop (UK) employs non-union workers as well, but sets a time limit within which new employees must join a union.
• An agency shop requires non-union workers to pay a fee to the union for its services in negotiating their contract. This is sometimes called the Rand formula. In certain situations involving state public employees in the United States, such as California, "fair share laws" make it easy to require these sorts of payments.
• An open shop does not discriminate based on union membership in employing or keeping workers. Where a union is active, the open shop allows workers to be employed who do not contribute to a union or the collective bargaining process. In the United States, state level right-to-work laws mandate the open shop in some states.

Trade Union Information

A trade union or labor union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages, hours, and working conditions, forming a cartel of labour. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members (rank and file members) and negotiates labour contracts with employers. This may include the negotiation of wages, work rules, complaint procedures, rules governing hiring, firing and promotion of workers, benefits, workplace safety and policies. The agreements negotiated by the union leaders are binding on the rank and file members and the employer and in some cases on other non-member workers.

Most unions claim a right of exclusivity. The union has the authority to determine who may be a member of the union and who may not. Most unions assert a right to mandate that only its members, and no others, may be permitted to work at certain jobs^{[citation needed]}. Furthermore, the union contract is exclusive with regard to the employer, an employer is generally not permitted to seek out the services of another labor union or hire another competing labor union even if he or she is dissatisfied with the performance of the current labor union.

These organizations may comprise individual workers, professionals, past workers, or the unemployed. The most common, but by no means only, purpose of these organizations is "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment"^[1]

Over the last three hundred years, many trade unions have developed into a number of forms, influenced by differing political and economic regimes. The immediate objectives and activities of trade unions vary, but may include:

• Provision of benefits to members: Early trade unions, like Friendly Societies, often provided a range of benefits to insure members against unemployment, ill health, old age and funeral expenses. In many developed countries, these functions have been assumed by the state; however, the provision of professional training, legal advice and representation for members is still an important benefit of trade union membership.
• Collective bargaining: Where trade unions are able to operate openly and are recognized by employers, they may negotiate with employers over wages and working conditions.
• Industrial action: Trade unions may enforce strikes or resistance to lockouts in furtherance of particular goals.
• Political activity: Trade unions may promote legislation favorable to the interests of their members or workers as a whole. To this end they may pursue campaigns, undertake lobbying, or financially support individual candidates or parties (such as the Labour Party in Britain) for public office.

Artistic Applications

 

http://kostasvoyatzis.wordpress.com/?s=pipe

 

designer’s own words:
The concept is to design a radiator in analogy with neon signs, a radiator in the shape of a piece of writing. The project developes a font (including all the letters in the alphabet) in which letters becomes modules to create customized radiators composing a sentence. The letters-modules are designed in a way in which any word or sentence may be composed. To create a continuous tube, the spaces between words are designed as dashes that have also the function of the wall brackets. In the first and final letters a module that connects the radiator to the pipework is attached, this modules have a valve. The radiator beyond beeing a functional and ornamental piece, becomes also a communication element. The company may propose a range of already done sentences or let the custumer order its own radiator with a personal sentence.

 

 

The Cover Tiles Concept concept came from the idea of exposing the insides of the wall on an aesthetic way. The pipes, connections and water taps which are normally enclosed in the wall are now all visible on the outside. They show the way waterlines run under the tiles and how the raw technical system of water lines, taps, showerhead and connections work and look.

The Cover Tiles Collection exists out of 7 different 15 x 15 ceramic tiles; Straight tiles, straight tiles with hook, curved tiles, wall plate tiles, water tap tiles, showerhead tiles and flat tiles tocomplete the collection. The tiles are available in the glaze colours matt black and glossy white and can also be custom made produced in several colours according wish.

 

dasparkhotel is conceived and implemented primarily as a hospitality tool.

It is constructed from repurposed, incredibly robust drain pipes.

The external simplicity surrounds an unexpectedly comfortable interior - full headroom, double bed, storage, light, power, woolly blanket and light cotton sleeping bag. All other hotelery devices (Toilets, showers, minibar, cafe, etc) are supplied by the surrounding public space.
From May through October
the simultaneously functional and comfortable concrete sleep-pipes offer the chance to experience a place in a totally new way.
Personal door code
Upon booking you will receive a code to allow entry to your personal suite. For the period of your stay dasparkhotel remains your all hours access safety zone - the charger for your personal energy reserves.

The chance to safely store your luggage and recharge portable electronic devices allows complete freedom of movement.

Infrastructure
Because we obtain sanitation, breakfast and other hotel facilities from existing public infrastructure, it is possible for us to work with the very simple, user-friendly “pay as you wish” system. A night in dasparkhotel costs just as much as you can afford or want to pay.
Costs
We see “pay as you wish” as a system where customers leave a Euro amount that they can afford and with which they wish to support our project.
Reservations
Reservations can be made at www.dasparkhotel.net/reservation at any time.

 

 

 

and..here comes the SAM

“”A samovar is a water heating container, mostly made of brass, with a pipe and built-in brazier inside.”-such a definition we could find in Explanatory Dictionary of the Live Great Russian Language by V. Dal.
For Russian existence and for the entire lifestyle samovar meant more than just a water heater. For Russian people it was a peculiar symbol of hearth and home, coziness and friendly communication. During the 19th and 20th centuries samovar turned into a symbol of Russian way of life, a central object of tea ceremony, which in the 19th century was considered as a part of the national cultural tradition.

The technology:
The pipe construction allows an effective use of heat-producing value of a charcoal, distributing it homogeneously.
Double body with a thermal insulation is safe in use. The low temperature on the upper shell allows the use of non conventional materials for refinishing of a body, such as wood or leather.
A complicated form of a internal reservoir gives a unique method of water preparation, which is typical for samovars. Because of a natural convection, the liquid intensively circulates, mixes up and homogeneously and gradually warms up. The efficiency of a samovar is no less than 70%.
The high volume and the construction allow preserving the water warm for a long time and providing a possibility for a leisured conversation without a necessity to add water to the samovar.
The traditional samovars aren’t for everybody. Sam is beyond fashion. It is a bright, memorable object in which such elements as bio design and hi-tech are combined in harmony. Being so extraordinary, it executes samovar’s function properly.

 

 

ROD CHAIR
Putting up all components to graphical layout, and producing an appearance of line gathering. Easy to create a variation in form beyond that the shadow makes whole image to be light.
Rod chair
SIZE: w435mm d435mm sh435mm h=720mm(chair)
w435mm d435mm h435(stool)
MATERIAL : steel pipe

 

 

Rainpod is a stand alone rain collector.
Its three legs are made of local wood trunks which 
makes each unit unique and reduces transportation impact.
Its high placed tank delivers rainwater under pressure for 
easy watering, thanks to gravity.

Designer: David L'Hôte
Made in France

 

 

a typical standard flat square tile meets with a waterpipe. it has to give up its flatness, becoming 2,5 dimensional

to be able to cover the pipe. if the pipe curves, so does its cover. the resulting system can be applied in 2 different situations:

A) inside the house the pipe is part of the heating system : hot water circulates underneath the tiles, heating the bathroom.

shortlisted entry of designboom's competition 100% tiles exhibited in london in 2004.

design by gerhard abel from Austria

 

 

---

designer's own words:

The basic idea of looop is a loop. It only consists of a through-going pipe, which is devoured in itself. Due to the fact that the shape of the radiator isn´t extensive, you can put some clothes, for example socks, on it and dry it very fast. The pipe is 17 meters long and creates wherethrough a very big surface (approx. 1 m²). The heating element can be installed horizontal or also vertically on the wall. The Themostat is attached at the top corner, so you can adjust very easily and comfortably the amount of heat. It is also thinkable, that looop could be made out of ceramic and heated with electrical energ.

 

designer's own words:

It's the same old story of the hot water but in a different container. Connect the right number of units to satisfy your heating necessity. With the pipes let flow the water, with the brackets close the circuit, with both make the structure firm. Fasten the radiator on the wall or join two radiators from the back and make a warmer sculpture in the midle of your house. Connect by the rear pipe your radiator to the central heating, and enjoy your designed warm.

 

 

designer's own words:

Shower Curtain

 

The concept behind the 'shower curtain' is exactly that,

where the curtain becomes the shower. The curtain is

hung on a rail around the bath, and by using a pipe

attached to both taps, hot and cold water is mixed as

required and fed into an inlet at the base of the curtain.

The water pressure then pumps it through either

the higher channel, running around the top with outlets

pointing down, for washing ones hair, or the central

channel, running up and down, for an all over body wash.

 

materials:pvc

 

 

---

designer's own words:

a cube that floats from the floor wrap around with stainless steel pipe bend in a way that its flow never ending. there is no start or end no matter where you start. a simple and elegant design that plays with geomatric shapes and forms. practical yet stylish. modern contemporary design with classic use on pipe bending technology.

 

Basic Questions Schnobel Asked

I remember Jeff asking these questions as examples of what we need to know.

I don't know if it has been posted already.

Water Traps for waste water- made to hold water in the trap to keep from waste gases coming up from drain.

Waste Pipe Venting- this is to allow the waste water to fall down the waste pipe using gravity. Same reason why if you plug the end of a straw and lift it out of water, it holds the water in it. But, if you release your finger, the water falls out. So the venting is necessary to displace the air above the water when it is falling down the pipe.

LETS MAKE A NEW MEETING- Maybe Tuesday April 15th? Before or after class?

Planning for Pipes/Rough-In Plumbing

Planning for Pipes

The location of the water main or the well determines the direction from which the supply pipe will enter the building.  The location of the public sewer or the septic system establishes the approximate route for the building drain.  Once the basic routes for plumbing to enter and exit the building have been established, sleeves may be designed into the foundation to allow for their passage.

The framing of the building must be planned by the designer to accommodate plumbing.  Supply pipes and the smaller diameters of waste and vent pipe will fit within the stud or joist cavities, but special provisions must be made for the large drain pipes.  A toilet drain pipe, for example, must be in a particular location, must have a prescribed slope, and can be difficult to route through framing (particularly from upper floors).  

The clustering of plumbing features around a plumbing wall minimizes the amount of pipe that must be used and can make the plumber's job easier.  It is wise to locate the water heater  centrally so as to deliver hot water to each fixture as quickly as possible and to specify that vents be tied together in the attic to avoid multiple roof penetrations.

Rough-In Plumbing

With slab-on-grade construction, all subfloor piping must be in place before the slab foundation is poured.  In houses with a crawl space, the plumber should complete work in the crawl space before the subfloor sheathing has been installed.  Generally the waste pipes are installed first (because they are the largest and must slope properly to drain).  The plumber will drill holes in framing members for these pipes according to guidelines established by the building codes.  The pipes are then installed and glued together with fittings.  The plumber must also install supports for the pipes.  Supports consist of plastic pipe hangers or a combination of blocking and plumber's tape (a flexible galvanized metal strap with holes for fasteners).  Supply pipes (because they are much smaller and do not rely on gravity) can be routed through the framing without much planning.  Small holes are drilled for pipes to pass through members, and clamps are used to secure pipes running parallel to framing.  A variety of manufactured clips and brackets are used to hold the fixture end of the pipes in place.  Where pipes must pass close to the surface of the framing, a steel nailing plate must be installed on the face of the framing to prevent nails driven during the finish phase of construction from penetrating the pipes.

Supply & Wastewater Piping

Supply Piping 

Water enters the house through a single supply pipe (usually 1 or 3/4 inch inside diameter) that is buried deeply enough in the ground to prevent it from freezing.  The supply pipe is not reduced in size until it reaches the water heater, after which it may be divided into branch lines to supply plumbing features.  The water supply to individual fixtures consists of a pair of supply lines - one hot, one cold - usually of 1/2 inch diameter, depending on the number of fixtures that are fed by the same pair of pipes.  

Supply piping can consist of copper pipes with soldered fittings, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic pipes with glued fittings, or flexible cross-linked polyethylene plastic (PEX) tubing with crimped fittings.  Copper has been the standard of quality since the 1950's, but PVC, introduced in the 1970's, is seen by some to be an improvement because it is faster and safer to install (no flame to melt solder is required) and it is not corroded by minerals in the water.  PEX, the most recent introduction, is even simpler to install than PVC because it can bend like a garden hose, it is quieter with water running through it, and it can withstand expansion when freezing.

Supply piping should be wrapped in thermal insulation.  This usually takes the form of either a plastic foam jacketing or slit tubes of closed cell rubber, which are slipped over the pipes, or a wrapping of glass fiber insulation encased in a vapor-resistant foil or plastic film.  This insulation helps keep cold water cold in the pipes and hot water hot.  It helps conserve the energy used to heat the water.  In humid conditions, it prevents condensation of moisture on cold water pipes.  In milder climates, it can help water from freezing in the pipes.  In cold climates, it is best to design every building so that no supply pipes are located in exterior walls or unheated spaces.  If this is not possible and piping must run in crawl spaces, exterior walls, attics, or other unheated locations, it is imperative that the pipes be located on the warm side of the building insulation, next to the finish material.  

Wastewater Piping

Lines connected to toilets are at least 3 inches in diameter and are called drain piping or soil lines.  Lines free of solids, called waste piping, can be smaller - usually 1  1/2  or 2 inches in diameter.  The line at the base of the system that is the receptor for all drain and waste piping is the building drain.  At a distance of 2 feet beyond the foundation wall, the building drain becomes the building sewer.

The wastewater system contains noxious, flammable sewer gases.  These gases are kept out of the house by means of a P-trap at each fixture that seals the end of the pipe with water.  When wastewater is released from the fixture, it displaces water held in the trap.  A vent on the sewer side of each trap supplies air so that draining water cannot create a suction to pull water out of the trap.  The vent piping extends through the roof of the house.   A relatively new device, the air admittance valve (AAV), admits air to the wastewater system without venting through the roof.  These valves are installed in the DWV system inside the building and admit air whenever negative pressure occurs in the system.  The valve remains open until the system returns to zero pressure.  The use of AAVs in new construction can substitute for a considerable amount of  vent piping.  Clean-outs are required at strategic points in the system to allow reasonable access for the cleaning of clogged lines.  

The entire system, consisting of drain pipes, waste pipes, and vent pipes, is called a drain-waste-vent (DWV) system.  Materials for residential DWV systems generally consist of black ABS pipe (composed of an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer) that is glued a the fittings.  This pipe is the least expensive of all approved alternatives, and its only significant drawbacks are that it transmits the sound of draining water and expands and contracts considerably with thermal changes.  Other waste pipe materials include PVC pipe, used because of its lighter weight, and cast iron pipe, used because its mass makes it quieter than plastic.  All DWV components, including vents, must be sloped to drain.  All plastic pipes require special attention to thermal expansion and contraction.

Toxicity, and Reuse/Recyclability of Plumbing Materials

Toxicity of Materials Used for Pipes in Plumbing-

Copper -

¨ Corrosion process much slower than plastics or iron. Copper oxides much slower than other pipe materials. Therefore, copper is desired for supply lines.

¨ Copper is poisonous and can be washed out of waste, though ingesting small amounts are critical for mammal survive.

¨ Does not accumulate in the food chain.

¨ Humans exposed to high amounts of copper can cause irritation of mouth, nose, eyes, also vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, organ failure, even death.

¨ If the water in the copper pipe is acidic, then oxidation accelerated and copper seeps into water.

¨ An ingredient in wood impregnation, so that can’t be good

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) & ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) Plastics-

¨ PVC- persistent carcinogenic, can cause damage to liver, lungs, skin and joints; irritates inhalation routes; poisonous to water organisms.

¨ PVC- Corrodes quicker than copper through UV light exposure and oxidation, which in turn, can contaminate water- more toxic than copper. Often used for waste pipes.

¨ PVC- National Sanitation Foundation claims PVC pipes as non-toxic, odorless, and tasteless, and also lists PVC as a recommendation for drinking water.

¨ ABS- more toxic than PVC, oxidizes quicker from water and oxygen. PVC recommended over ABS, usually.

Cast-Iron

¨ Corrodes much faster than copper and PVC.

¨ Slightly toxic. Slightly more toxic if it has been galvanized (Zinc) to prevent corrosion.

¨ Almost all organisms require small amounts of iron for survival.

¨ Oxidation in pipes can affect the taste of water.

¨ More likely used for waste pipes, instead of PVC, because of iron being quieter.

Fired Clay

¨ No toxicity, an earth product. As long as it hasn’t been glazed or colored.

¨ Can be used for supply and waste pipes, though, due to thickness needed for pressure, usually used for waste pipes.

Ability for Reuse and/or Recyclabilty for Materials Used in Plumbing

Copper-

¨ Recyclable - nearly 100%, though surface treatments can cause complications.

¨ Oxidizes or corrodes very slowly.

¨ Energy wise, more suitable for reuse- very durable.

PVC (polyvinyl chloride)-

¨ Waste is very poisonous to environment- heavy metals, like cadmium, is used for a UV stabilizing additive.

¨ Possible to be recycled by melting down, though more additives are needed. Therefore, the life cycle is very short. Usually only recycled once, because of all the additives.

¨ Can be recycled into chlorine. When burnt, concentrated hydrochloric acid is formed. When exposed to UV light, hydrogen chloride is formed.

¨ It decomposes very slowly.

¨ Reuse is unlikely, since lifespan is 8-30 years, depending on exposure to light and oxygen.

ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene)-

¨ Not recyclable- too many additives.

¨ Oxides quicker than PVC, so even less reusable than PVC.

¨ Lifespan only 15 years, so reusability is unlikely.

Cast Iron-

¨ Nearly 100 % recyclable, though galvanization can cause complications.

¨ Oxides much quicker than copper, especially when exposed to water.

¨ Reuse is unlikely because of corrosion, If galvanized for corrosive protection, there is a possibility for reuse- though makes recyclabilty more difficult.

¨ When re-smelting iron, arsenic is produced, which can be used for impregnating wood.

Clay-

¨ Durability is very high, so reuse is very possible.

¨ Not recyclable, unless fired under 600 degrees Celsius, which is unlikely for pipes.