Appendix II – Plumbing Fixtures, Water Supply and Waste Line Impacts on Acoustical Environment

Notify your plumbing consultant that achieving appropriate acoustical performance in classrooms is a primary goal of the project.  The basic concepts behind designing a plumbing system that does not contribute to acoustical problems in learning spaces are simple.

First, do not run supply or waste lines near learning spaces – confine them to areas above corridor ceilings.

Second, limit water pressure to minimums necessary for appropriate system function to reduce noise associated with water movement and turbidity.

Third, do not locate restrooms near learning spaces. Select locations which are central and convenient but where walls are not shared with classrooms. Avoid plumbing walls/chases shared with a classroom wall.

Addtionally:

-Select pipe materials, valves and plumbing equipment based on their low operating noise.

-Isolate plumbing lines from structure and wall surfaces, and wrap all lines with attenuating material then enclose in hard wall chases where possible.

-Use pipe flexible hangers and water hammer arresters.

Following are the specific requirements of which your plumbing consultant must be made aware to ensure that your goal of an appropriate acoustical environment is met in all learning spaces.

1. Locate restrooms away from classrooms to the greatest extent possible.

2. Only run piping above corridor ceilings, not above learning spaces.

3. Select cast iron for waste pipes over plastic where feasible. Plastic piping may require special care to ensure quiet operation and should be wrapped with one or more layers of sound attenuating material, or wrap all plastic waste pipe with sound absorbing material and “box in” with GWB.

4. Do not allow plumbing lines to contact structural components or wall surfaces. Isolate water piping using foam rubber wrapping, or resilient clamps and hangers.

5. When it is necessary for a plumbing wall chase to be adjacent to a learning space, the chase wall should employ an isolation wall construction detail, including double stud (1” gap minimum between rows) construction. There should be two layers of gypsum board on the classroom side and sound absorbing batts in both stud cavities.

Plumbing chase adjacent to learning space detail

6. Reduce pressure of supply water as much as possible and employ trapped air water hammer arrestors for supply lines serving flush or solenoid valve fixtures to reduce water hammer noise.

7. Use water siphon jet fixtures instead of blowout fixtures.

8. Inspect all plumbing installations for conformance to the noise control features before closing the walls.

Advertisement