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PLUMBING CONNECTION
SUMMER 2015
PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES
T
he Plumbing Code of Australia
(NCC Volume 3) now provides
hydraulic consultants and
plumbers with the opportunity to
deliver a performance based outcome
to projects in a similar manner to
which Fire Engineering outcomes are
applied to projects.
There are often design situations
which standards or other referenced
documents may not have envisaged.
Alternatively, a practitioner may see
a new or innovative way of designing
a plumbing or drainage solution
that provides important benefits.
If the practitioner wants to use an
alternative approach, they have
the opportunity to do so – on the
understanding that their proposal
must achieve the Performance
Requirements of the PCA. This
is referred to as the ‘Alternative
Solutions’ approach.
Sellick Consultants recently
prepared a performance based
alternative solution for a significant
project in Canberra, Australia –
Manhattan on the Park.
The project consisted of 330
residential apartments in Canberra
city with associated car parking
and tenant facilities such as a gym,
swimming pool, BBQs and the like.
Sellick Consultants was engaged by
the Developer for Civil Engineering
and Hydraulic Services Engineering
Consultancies.
“Relevant standards had not kept up
with water conservation implementation
so we used the provision in the NCC
Volume 3 to undertake a performance
outcome for sizing of drainage on the
Manhattan project,” national director
hydraulic services Sellick Consultants
Brad Williams says.
THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS ALLOWED SELLICK CONSULTANTS TO COLLABORATE
WITH WORLD LEADING ACADEMICS TO DELIVER THE FIRST ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION UNDER THE NATIONAL
CONSTRUCTION CODE IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL.
Canberra’s Manhattan on the Park.
ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS
“The client wanted to demonstrate
that water conservation implemented
as a mandatory requirement by council
did not necessitate amplification of
existing offsite sewer network, and
the existing network was adequate to
cater for reduced flows due to water
conserving fixtures and fittings.”
Sellick Consultants, with the support
of academics from Heriot Watt
University (HWU), Edinburgh Scotland,
that the use of low flow fixtures,
tapware and appliances could support
a reduction of the sanitary drainage
and therefore avoid an upgrade of
offsite infrastructure at an estimated
additional cost to the developer of
$500,000.
Given this was the first alternative
solution to be put forward in the ACT,
the local authorities were vigilant.
They wanted to ensure that all steps
were being undertaken to prove that
the reduction in pipe size would have
no detrimental effect on the future
operation of the sanitary drainage
network within the building.
Sellick Consultants had to prepare
a formal engineering brief outlining
variances from the deemed to satisfy
Australian Standards and had to brief
all stakeholders on the proposals
put forward on the project for formal
acceptance.
“Initial reluctance by the
local Authorities to support our