Plumbing should always be looked at in the VE process, if for no other reason than there are a lot of units of pipe in a project. There are lots of places in a DWV system where value can be captured, but there are applications where what looks like value can mask risks that you might not want to take.
Because of financial realities, value engineering can often mean the difference between a project being shelved or a building being built. This creates tremendous pressure for VE practitioners to lower the first cost of any project. Often, this is a reasonable thing to do. The danger is that, when pushed too far, cost-cutting can add unacceptable risk, lower the value of the building and hide expenses in the total cost of ownership. That's what happened with the largest building project in recent NCAA history, the T. Boone Pickens Stadium at Oklahoma State University.
The Facts
In 2011, two years after the Stadium opened, a break in a plastic drain pipe was found. An inspection of the rest of the system revealed 15 other breaks. The football team was forced to abandon the facility for five months while contractors jackhammered thorough concrete floors to fix the problems.
Litigation was eventually settled in February 2015, for $700,000. The biggest portion of the settlement ($400,000) was paid by the firm that did the architectural, engineering and design work. The manufacturer of the water heaters used in the renovations, agreed to pay $125,000 of the settlement. This suggests that the maximum working temperature of PVC was exceeded, leading to collapse and failure. Unfortunately, this avoidable mistake is more common than it should be.
The Take-Aways
PVC can be used successfully below ground, but it requires careful installation and soil prep per ASTM D2321. Further, if its maximum working temperature will be exceeded, it can't be used. PVC is only a value when it doesn't fail. To make value engineering DWV systems easier to understand, we have prepared a downloadable brochure and handy checklist.
At Charlotte Pipe, we make both PVC and Cast Iron pipe. We are proud of the products that we make with both materials, but it doesn't do anybody any good when a fine material is used in the wrong application. If you have any questions about value engineering DWV systems -- even if you aren't using our pipe -- please call Charlotte’s Technical Services Department at 800-438-6091.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Autodesk 2010 Certification Now Available for Design Professionals
Autodesk, Inc., (Nasdaq: ADSK), today announced that design and engineering professionals can become Autodesk Certified in AutoCAD 2010, Autodesk Inventor 2010, Autodesk Revit Architecture 2010, and AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 software. Becoming Autodesk Certified allows professionals, and companies boasting Autodesk Certified employees, to validate their industry skills and knowledge, demonstrate expertise and gain credibility.
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, CH2M Hill, AECOM top BD+C's ranking of the 75 largest federal government design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 Federal Government Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
AGC: Construction unemployment reaches 19.2%
Unemployment in the construction sector climbed to a “horrendous” 19.2 percent (not-seasonally adjusted) as an additional 59,000 construction workers lost their jobs in May according to new federal data, said construction economist Ken Simonson today.
| Aug 11, 2010
Gensler, HOK, HDR among the nation's leading reconstruction design firms, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 100 Reconstruction Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Gensler, Arup, HOK among the largest office sector design firms
A ranking of the Top 100 Office Design firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Gensler among eight teams named finalists in 'classroom of the future' design competition
Eight teams were recognized today as finalists of the 2009 Open Architecture Challenge: Classroom. Finalists submitted designs ranging from an outdoor classroom for children in inner-city Chicago, learning spaces for the children of salt pan workers in India, safe spaces for youth in Bogota, Colombia and a bamboo classroom in the Himalayan mountains.
| Aug 11, 2010
AECOM, WATG top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 75 largest hotel design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 Hotel Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Parsons Brinckerhoff, Dewberry among nation's largest multifamily design firms, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 75 Multifamily Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit /giants
| Aug 11, 2010
USGBC’s Greenbuild 2009 brings global ideas to local main streets
Save the planet with indigenous knowledge. Make permanent water part of your life. Dive deep water for clues to environmental success. Connect site selection to successful creative concepting. Explore the unknown with Discovery Channel’s best known guide. These are but a few of the big ideas participants can connect to at USGBC’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, taking place on November 11-13, 2009 in Phoenix, Ariz.
