Building Drainage

Book excerpt: Good drainage contributes to the delivery of sustainable, innovative and resilient buildings, and is essential for our health and wellbeing. However, designers and architects can often leave drainage to be implemented by specialists in isolation of other design considerations, resulting in costly changes, rework and repairs, operational discomfort and poor user experiences that could have been avoided. Written for building designers and allied professionals, homeowners and managers as well as the general public, Building Drainage promotes an integrative and collaborative approach. Key principles and components of drainage design are presented in an accessible manner with many UK examples where the underlying information and knowledge can be applied internationally. coverage includes waste and foul water drainage systems and the benefits of integrated water management (IWM) approach, where 'waste' becomes a valuable resource; surface and rainwater drainage; water and energy efficiency through wastewater recycling and reuse, and heat recovery. After reading this book you will understand the mostly invisible, or unperceived, yet vital aspects of functional drainage design and their interaction with the architecture of the building as well as the local and global environments.