Continuing Education From Plumbing Systems & Design

Do you find it difficult to obtain continuing education units (CEUs)? Through this special series, ASPE can help you accumulate the CEUs required for maintaining your Certified in Plumbing Design (CPD) status or numerous regulatory-agency CE programs.

Click on the link below to find the latest CE article and exam. Reading the article and completing the accompanying form will allow you to apply to ASPE for CEU credit. For most people, this process will require approximately one hour. If you earn a grade of 90 percent or higher on the test, you will be notified that you have logged 0.1 CEU.

May/June 2007

Private Sewage Disposal Systems

The May/June 2007 continuing education article is "Private Sewage Disposal Systems," Chapter 21 of Engineered Plumbing Design II by A. Cal Laws, PE, CPD.

With the ever-increasing cost of land located in proximity to urban centers, more and more construction is being implemented in outlying areas. Sanitary sewers are not usually available in these remote locations and it becomes necessary for the plumbing engineer to design private sewage systems to handle the wastes from buildings. Where the concentration of population is not sufficient to economically justify the installation of public sewer systems, installation of a septic tank in conjunction with a subsurface soil absorption field has proven to be an exceptionally satisfactory method of sewage disposal. This chapter explains the different types of private sewage disposal systems for residential and commercial applications as well as criteria for their design and construction.

March/April 2007

Water System Design

January/February 2007

Vent Systems

November/December 2006

Animal-care Facility Piping Systems

The November/December 2006 continuing education article is "Animal-care Facility Piping Systems,” Chapter 7 of Pharmaceutical Facilities Plumbing Systemsby Michael Frankel. This chapter discusses the various piping systems uniquely associated with the physical care, health, and well being of laboratory animals. Included are utility systems for animal watering, water treatment, room and floor cleaning, equipment washing, cage flushing and drainage, and other specialized piping required for laboratory and experimental work within the facility.

September/October 2006

Automatic Sprinkler Systems

The September/October 2006 continuing education article is “Automatic Sprinkler Systems,” Chapter 8 of Fire Protection Systems by Justin Duncan. This chapter discusses the different types of sprinkler systems and where to use them; system design requirements including water pressure and temperature, piping, area limitations, drainage; sprinkler temperature ratings; installation parameters; and alarm systems. The information is based on NFPA 13: Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems. Factors to consider when selecting a sprinkler system, as well as care and maintenance tips, are included.

July/August 2006

Life-Safety Systems

Chapter 8 of Pharmaceutical Facilities Plumbing Systems by Michael Frankel. This chapter describes water-based emergency drench equipment and systems commonly used as a first-aid measure to mitigate the effects of such an accident. Also described are the breathing-air systems that supply air to personnel for escape and protection when they are exposed to either a toxic environment resulting from an accident or normal working conditions that make breathing the ambient air hazardous.

May/June 2006

Reflecting Pools and Fountains

Plumbing engineers, architects, and landscape architects all are involved in the creation of display fountains and reflecting pools. The architects are concerned with the overall aesthetics, whereas the engineers must be familiar with the available fountain equipment and the technical details of each component if they are to design systems that will achieve the desired display effects. The plumbing engineer should work closely with the architect and the landscape architect to achieve the desired display. In addition, the systems should be designed with provisions for cleaning, water treatment, and maintenance.

Custom fountains providing small or large water displays with almost any desired decorative effects are discussed in this chapter. Also included are the technical details of pool design, mechanical equipment, including spray systems, and operation and maintenance. The engineer must also be aware that the fountain is usually represented on a set of architectural drawings as an undefined space or a rendering. It is also usually the last item to be coordinated. What this means is that the engineer usually designs the fountain in its entirety, including the water effect and its influence on the surrounding area. Then, he needs to quickly (and accurately) select the nozzles, determine flow rates, select the equipment, try to get space for the equipment, and coordinate with the other disciplines involved, then coach contractors, who look upon a fountain as a glorified swimming pool.

March/April 2006

Plumbing Design for Health-Care Facilities

Health care facilities, nursing homes, medical schools, and medical laboratories require plumbing systems that are more complex than those for most other building types. The plumbing designer should work closely with the architect and facility staff and be involved in meetings and discussions in order to fully understand the plumbing requirements for any new or special medical equipment. The plumb­ing design must be coordinated with the civil, architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical designs to ensure that adequate provisions have been made for utility capacities, for the necessary clearances and space requirements of the piping systems and related plumbing equipment, and for compliance with applicable codes. Health care facilities may have different requirements or be exempt from some codes and standards, such as water and energy conservation codes and regulations regarding the physically challenged. The plumbing engineer should consult with the administrative authority in order to ensure conformance with local ordinances.

This chapter discusses the provisions that may be encoun­tered by the plumbing professional in the design of a health care facility, including the following: plumbing fixtures and related equipment, sanitary drainage system, water supply system, laboratory waste and vent systems, pure water systems, and medical gas systems.

January/February 2006

Medical Gas and Vacuum Systems

Health care is in a constant state of change, which forces the plumbing engineer to keep up with new technology to provide innovative approaches to the design of medical gas systems. In designing medical gas and vacuum systems, the goal is to provide a safe and sufficient flow at required pressures to the medical gas outlet or inlet terminals served. System design and layout should allow convenient access by the medical staff to outlet/inlet termi­nals, valves, and equipment during patient care or emergencies.

This section focuses on design parameters and current stan­dards required for the design of nonflammable medical gas and vacuum systems used in therapeutic and anesthetic care. The plumbing engineer must determine the needs of the health care staff by determining answers to the following fundamental design questions at the start of a proj­ect:

1. How many outlet/inlets are requested by staff?
2. How many outlet/inlets are required?
3. Based on current conditions, how often is the outlet/inlet used?
4. Based on current conditions, what is the average duration of use for each outlet/inlet?
5. What is the proper usage (diversity) factor to be used?

November/December 2005

Valves

Valves serve the purpose of controlling the fluids in building ser­vice piping. They come in many shapes, sizes, design types, and materials to accommodate different fluids, piping, pressure ranges, and types of service. Proper selection is important to ensure the most efficient, cost-effective, and long-lasting systems. No single valve is best for all services. This chapter is limited to manually operated valves that start, stop, and regulate flow and prevent its reversal.

September/October 2005

Jail and Prison Housing Units

The criteria used to design hot water systems for jail housing units differ from those used for prison housing units. This difference is due to the fact that the facilities are used for different purposes. Jails are used primarily to house people awaiting trial or serving short sentences. Prisons are used to house convicted criminals serving long prison terms. This difference affects the prisoners’ daily routines, which, in turn, determine when the facilities’ peak hot water demands occur.

The objective of this chapter is to help the designer under­stand and deal with the problems of designing water heating systems for jail and prison housing units. It is important that the designer recognize that each building is unique and work closely with the owner, architect, and government authorities to determine how a building will operate. A building’s opera­tion will affect when and for how long the peak hot water demand will occur.
The first part of this chapter discusses generally some of the design criteria and areas of special concern involved in designing jail and prison housing units. The second part gives two practical examples of sizing methodology, one for jails and one for prisons.