ASPE Rock 'n' Rolls Cleveland

Staff -- Consulting-Specifying Engineer, 11/1/2004

Aisles were full and exhibitors were happy as the American Society of Plumbing Engineers biennial convention and engineered plumbing exposition took place on the shores of Lake Erie.

Some unusual products were on display, including a lavatory by Bradley that uses a photovoltaic power source to run the faucets by collecting power from fluorescent or incandescent lights.

Another was a brace-support system from Bar Industries to support wall-mounted toilets. In all seriousness, Carl Schultz, P.E., chief mechanical officer for URS, Columbus, Ohio, said this is an issue, especially for geriatric patients in hospitals.

Schultz, a speaker at the conference, joined CSE for a brief tour of the exposition and a discussion on notable trends in plumbing design. One hot topic is the use of siphonic drainage solvent systems, which Schultz believes will result in real cost savings by reducing physical piping. On the subject of piping, quite a bit of grooved interlocking piping was on display. Schultz had mixed feelings on the product. On the one hand, he was concerned about using it in applications where extreme temperature changes and expansion come into play. On the other hand, he said grooved pipe is good for long runs where expansion opportunities are desirable.

Various code changes were also on his mind. For example, he says on the positive side, there has been a relaxation of ventilation requirements that has helped reduce the number of smoke dampers required in a facility. On the negative side, however, particularly in lab design, a new ANSI standard has resulted in much stricter code interpretations of the use of manifolded duct systems for exhausting fume hoods.

Fire protection was also very notable and produced some interesting news on the sprinkler front. According to Matthew Kuwatch with Blazemaster, a producer of CPVC sprinkler piping, his sources say the Chicago City Council will approve a proposed ordinance mandating sprinklers. Additionally, he noted there's also a bill before Congress that will lower the depreciation time of sprinkler systems from five to three years, and may provide other tax credits, as well.