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Case Studies: Value Engineering in Corporate and Commercial Settings
In commercial spaces, such as distilleries, corporate high-rises, and busy kitchens, plumbing solutions need to deliver long-term durability and performance. The unique demands of these environments require plumbing engineers and contractors to fully evaluate the suitability of both cast iron and plastic pipe and fittings.
Charlotte Pipe and Foundry is committed to helping plumbing professionals identify the optimal material for each job and application. A few educational resources the company offers on the topic include:
In this article, we review how plumbing engineers and contractors have approached value-driven material choices for demanding commercial plumbing systems with the help of these resources. For a look at other value engineering scenarios from a health care and hospitality perspective, read our article on the topic.
Achieving Uniform Excellence for a New York City Skyscraper
As the fourth-largest high-rise in Manhattan, One Vanderbilt Office Tower required a robust and reliable plumbing system. Enter Charlotte Pipe’s lineup of cast iron soil pipe and fittings. Engineers at JB&B specified service, extra-heavy, and hubless cast iron for the 1,401-foot-tall building thanks to their collective sustainability, uniformity, and longevity.
The network of cast iron piping helps make the 73-story tower one of the greenest building projects, as Charlotte Pipe’s cast iron materials are made from almost 100% recycled content and are fully recyclable after their long service lives. Additionally, occupants using the 1.3 million square feet of office space aren’t subjected to potential plumbing noise thanks to cast iron’s natural sound-draining density.
Ensuring Temperature Stability for a Texas Commercial Kitchen
Commercial kitchens are one setting where the maximum working temperature of piping materials is put to the test every day. Inside a Fredericksburg, Texas, kitchen, the plumbing designers at Keener Engineering Services used Charlotte Pipe’s Checklist for Cast Iron to PVC VE Discussion file to identify the benefits of cast iron for the application. Considering the extreme temperatures waste piping can experience in commercial kitchen settings, cast iron became the clear choice.
Although model plumbing codes may restrict the temperature of discharge into sanitary plumbing lines to 140 F, applications such as commercial kitchens can exceed these guidelines. PVC has a maximum working temperature of 140 F, while cast iron with neoprene gaskets can accommodate a maximum temperature of 212 F — something plumbing engineers should thoroughly consider when PVC might be substituted.
Tackling Corrosive Drainage for a Fort Worth Whiskey Distillery
Makers of TX Blended Whiskey and TX Straight Bourbon, TX Whiskey Distillery in Fort Worth, Texas, needed a drainage system that could handle high-temperature, highly corrosive material. Engineers at Summit Consultants Inc. specified Charlotte Pipe’s ChemDrain® CPVC pipe and fittings over traditional cast iron and PVC due to ChemDrain’s corrosion resistance, ease of installation, and code compliance.
Within certain temperature ranges, CPVC is inert to most acids, bases, salts, and organic media such as aliphatic hydrocarbons. Charlotte Pipe’s one-step ChemDrain solvent cement is specially formulated to enhance resistance to hypochlorites, mineral acids, and other corrosive materials.
To help select the right material for your commercial building project, download Charlotte Pipe’s Value Engineering Considerations brochure.
