SANITARY DRAINAGE AND

VENT SYSTEM DESIGN

EXAMPLE
● The following example conveys a typical design approach for the four-story
apartment building.
● A review of the drawings for the apartments (in Appendix A) shows that each floor
contains two bathroom groups and two kitchen sinks.
● Assume the project will be connected to a community sewer. In this project, it is
assumed that there will be two plumbing stacks, one for each tier of apartments.
1. The first step is to sketch an isometric drawing of the drainage piping. The stack is
located on the plan as shown in Figure 14.12. The vertical stack is then sketched as
shown in Figure 14.13, and beginning at the top floor, the fixture branch and the
connection at each fixture. Next, the other three floors are sketched as shown in
Figure 14.14. The vent stack is added from a point just below the bottom fixture
branch to a point above the top fixture and the building drain (See Figure 14.15).
2. Next, the minimum trap size for each fixture is selected from Table 14.1 and the trap
size noted on the schematic pipe layout, as shown in Figure 14.16. Assume the
kitchen sink has a small P.O. (plumbing outlet) plug.
3. The fixture branch is the first drainage pipe to be sized. The first portion of the
branch to be sized is from the fixture farthest from the stack to the next fixture, as
shown in Figure 14.17. Begin by determining the fixture units that this short piece of
pipe will serve from Figure 14.17. In this problem, the branch serves a bathtub with a
fixture unit value of 2, based on Table 14.1.
 4. Next, select the branch size to serve the bathtub from Table 14.2. In this case, the
horizontal fixture branch size is being selected, so go to that column (Table 14.2). Go
down the column until the fixture-unit number is the same as or more than the amount
being served—in this case, 3 DFU, which is greater than the 2 DFU value of the bathtub.
Now, move horizontally to the left and select the minimum pipe size required. In this case,
a 11 ⁄2 in or 38 (40) mm. Now, note the information accumulated in tabular form as
shown:
DFU Pipe Size

No. 1 tub 2 1½ in (38 or 40 mm)

For all fixtures, there is a maximum horizontal distance between the fixture trap and a
vent. The distance depends on the pipe size being used. In this case, the plumbing code states
that this distance is 5 ft (1.5 m).
5. DFU. The section of pipe that serves the lavatory and kitchen sink must be sized.
From Table 14.1, the number of fixture units for the kitchen sink being served is 2
DFU and for the lavatory, 1 DFU, for a total of 3 DFU. Referring to Table 14.2, the
minimum pipe size is 1½ in or 38 mm. The maximum horizontal distance from
fixture trap to vent is limited to 5 ft (1.5 m). The accumulated information is listed as
follows.

DFU Pipe Size

No. 2 sink/lav. to branch 3 1½ in (38 or 40 mm)

6. The section of branch marked No 3 serves the tub, kitchen sink, and lavatory. From
Table 14.1:

Bathtub 2 DFU

Kitchen sink 2 DFU

Lavatory 1 DFU

Total 5 DFU

From Table 14.2 the pipe size is 2 in or 50 mm. Add this information to the tabular
form.

DFU Pipe Size

No. 3 sink, lav., & tub 5 2 in (50 mm)

7. Now, the last section (No. 4) is calculated and tabulated. At this point, the branch
services all of the fixtures, which are a fixture group and a kitchen sink. From Table
14.1, the fixture units are:

1 bathroom group 6 DFU From Table 14.2, the pipe size is 2½ in

or 65 mm, but since the pipe cannot be
1 kitchen sink 2 DFU smaller than the largest fixture trap, a
3-in or 75-mm pipe is required (water
Total 8 DFU
closet, 3-in or 75-mm trap).

DFU Pipe Size

No. 4 bathroom and sink 8 3 in (75 mm)

8. With all branch sizes tabulated (Table 14.5), transfer the sizes to the isometric sketch,
as shown in Figure 14.18. Because each floor is exactly the same, all of the branch
sizes are the same, and all floors are noted on the isometric drawing. If any of the
branches were different, the same procedure would be followed to determine the pipe
sizes in these different branches.
9. The stack size is selected next. Because the stack handles human waste, it is a soil
stack. The stack must be selected and sized for the total fixture units that it must
handle. As noted on the sketch in Figure 14.19, each floor has a total of 8 DFU, for
an overall total of 32 DFU.
Based on 32 DFU for the entire stack, the minimum stack size from Table 14.2 would
be 2 ½ in, except that the stack must be at least as large as the fixture branch: in this
design, it would be 3 in. Note the stack size on the sketch as shown in Figure 14.20
and tabulated in Table 14.6.
In metric (SI) units, based on 32 DFU, for the entire stack, the minimum size from
the chart would be 65 mm, except that the stack must be at least as large as the
fixture branch— in this design, 75 mm. Note the stack size on the sketch as shown in
Figure 14.20, and tabulated in Table 14.6.
10. The vent stack is sized next, using the table in Table 14.4. It is necessary to know the
maximum size of the soil stack (left column) and the fixture units connected to the
vent stack; the maximum length of vent stack is noted in feet. The soil stack has
already been sized, and the DFU have been totaled as 32 for this stack. The
developed length of the vent stack is the length of pipe required from the lowest point
where it connects with the soil stack to the point where it terminates outside the
building, as illustrated in Figure 14.21.
The next step is to determine the size and location of the main (vent) stack. The code
requires that every building “shall have at least one main stack.” This main stack
must be sized to handle the total fixture units on the system.
 In this exercise, the developed length is about 52 ft. To size the stack use Table
14.4, find the soil stack size (4 in) and then move horizontally to the right to the fixture-
unit column. There are three listings for a 4-in stack, all with different fixture-unit values.
In this case, there are 64 DFU, which means the listing of 100 DFU must be used. Now
move to the right; the next number represents the developed length of vent in the design;
in this case, 52 ft. In the table, it is more than 35, so the 100 DFU column is used. From
the 100 DFU, move vertically up to read a vent size of 2½ in.
The plumbing code states that the main vent and vent stack shall be sized in
accordance with the table “and be not less than 3 in in diameter.” In addition, it states that
the size of the vent stack must not be reduced all the way through the roof. So in this
design, the minimum vent stack size of 3 in is selected.
In metric (SI) units, the developed length is about 15.9 m. To size the stack, find the soil
stack size (100 mm) and move horizontally to the right to check the fixture unit column.
At this point, note that there are three listings for a 100 mm soil stack, all with different
fixture-unit values. In this case there are 64 DFU, which means the listing of 100 DFU
must be used. Now move to the right; the next number represents the developed length of
vent in the design—in this case, 15.9 m. In the table it is more than 11 m, so the 30 m
column is used. From the 30 m, move vertically up to read a vent size of 65 mm.
The plumbing code states that the main vent and vent stack shall be sized in accordance
with the table “and be not less than 75 mm in diameter.” In addition, it states that the size
of the vent stack must not be reduced all the way through the roof. So in this design, the
minimum vent stack size of 75 mm is selected.
 Code requirements also stipulate that the vent stack must terminate no less than 6 in
(150 mm) above the roof (Figure 14.22), and if the roof is to be used for other than
weather protection (for example, as a terrace or balcony), the vent stack must run at least 5
ft (1.5 m) above the roof. Most codes require at least a 3-in (75-mm) vent through the
roof.
11. The next step in the design is to size the building drain. The building drain must be
sized for the total amount of DFU connected to the point at which the main vent is
connected.
In this exercise, there are two stacks serving the building, which means that the two
stacks must be connected to the building drain. A sketch similar to Figure 14.23 helps
to prevent any confusion or the possibility that a stack maybe forgotten. On the
sketch, and in tabular form, list the accumulated fixture units.
Next, the slope of the drain must be determined and noted on the sketch; in this case,
a 1 ⁄8-in slope per ft (10.4 mm per m) is selected. Building drain sizes are found in
Table 14.3. In this design, the main vent is considered to be the end vent, as noted in
Figure 14.24, so the entire building drain must be sized for 64 DFU.