HIGH RISE SERVICES
WATER
Third year B.Arch _SEM VI: Architectural Building Services (ABS)
WATER SUPPLY
• In the early days, a tank was placed on top of the tall buildings
and a few constant speed pumps were required so that the
water could be supplied to the upper floors.
• However, roof tank incurred some challenges, such as the need
of a super huge tank to cater a large population, and hygienic
issues in which birds often nest near the tank although it’s
covered up.
• Eventually, in 1950s, community began to innovate and came
up with the idea to replace the roof tank with a tank on the floor
level but still it required some pumps to keep it operated. This
system is costly to install yet consume a large amount of energy
in order to provide a required constant pressure.
• With the chronological improvements and innovations, booster
systems are used in today’s high-rise buildings.
WATER SUPPLY
BUILDING DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM:
• Water is conveyed from the street mains to the individual
building, and then to the taps and other fixtures.
• The supply from the main line to the individual is made through
the house service connection.
• Water supply network in a building comprises/include of
o Tapping of water from the main supply line
o Water meter & Non-return valve
o Underground storage tank
o Pump & Non-return valve
o Overhead Storage tank
o Connection to individual unit (toilet, kitchen)
WATER SUPPLY
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF VARIED WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS
WATER SUPPLY
REQUIREMENTS OF GOOD DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
• Water quality should not get deteriorated in the distribution
pipes.
• It should be capable of supplying water at all the intended
places with sufficient pressure head.
• It should be capable of supplying the requisite amount of water
during fire fighting.
• The layout should be such that no consumer would be without
water
• Supply, during the repair of any section of the system.
• All the distribution pipes should be preferably laid one metre
away or above the sewer lines.
• It should be fairly water-tight as to keep losses due to leakage
to the minimum.
WATER SUPPLY
URBAN DISTRIBUTION
• A sustainable urban water supply network covers all the
activities related to provision of portable water.
• To achieve a sustainable water supply network, new sources of
water are needed to be developed. A sustainable water supply
network must monitor the freshwater consumption rate and the
waste-water generation rate.
• Many of the urban water supply networks in developing
countries face problems related to population increase and
environmental pollution.
WATER SUPPLY
STORAGE of water becomes essential when:
• After complete purification of water, water has to be stored in
big underground reservoirs.
• In case of intermittent supply, water is always stored in homes
for use at the time of non-supply hours.
• Water closets, urinals, are also not flushed through the water
distribution system directly, but through storages made in the
form of flushing tanks of definite capacities.
• Water may be stored for flushing of the sewer lines.
• For high-rise buildings, separate pumps are provided to pump
water from ground storage to overhead storage tanks, which
controls the suppliers to the various stories of the building.
• Important for fire-fighting.
WATER SUPPLY
Water supply system in buildings can be classified as
• DIRECT SYSTEMS
(Also called)
o Up-Feed water distribution system
o Main pressure system
• INDIRECT SYSTEMS
(Also called)
o Down Feed system
o Cistern Feed system,
o Gravity Feed system,
o Elevated water tank system
WATER SUPPLY
DIRECT SYSTEMS:
• Supply of water is given directly to
various floors with required
pressure for sufficient hours
• This is only useful for the building
which is not more than two floors
• Separate connections to be
provided for domestic and non-
domestic requirements
• When an up-feed distribution system is desired, but the city
water pressure is not sufficient to provide adequate water
pressure.
• The water pressure may be boosted to desired levels by the
installation of a packaged, domestic water-booster pump
system.
WATER SUPPLY
INDIRECT SYSTEMS:
• It is used generally when the
pressure in the mains is not
sufficient
• The water is pumped directly to
the overhear storage tank and
from there the water is supplied
to different floors by gravity.
Sometimes both the systems are
used together
• For buildings more than 8 to 10
stories high, water can be
pumped to one or more
elevated storage tanks
• From which pipes convey the
water downward to plumbing
fixtures and water heaters.
WATER SUPPLY
INDIRECT SYSTEMS:
• Tall buildings may be divided
into zones, each of which is
served by a separate down-
feed system.
• The first few stories may be
supplied by an up-feed system
under pressure from a public
main. Each zone has at its top
its own storage tank, supplied
from its own set of pumps in
the basement.
WATER SUPPLY
INDIRECT SYSTEMS:
• Water in the lower portion of
the tank often is reserved for
fire-fighting purposes.
• Generally, also, the tank is
partitioned to provide
independent, side-by-side
chambers, each with identical
piping and controls.
• During hours of low demand, a
chamber can be emptied,
cleaned, and repaired, if
necessary, while the other
chamber supplies water as
needed.
WATER SUPPLY
COMPARISON BETWEEN DIRECT & INDIRECT SYSTEMS OF WATER SUPPLY
DIRECT SUPPLY INDIRECT SUPPLY
Less pipework, smaller or no More pipework, large water
water tank storage tank
No storage to satisfy peak Water storage to meet peak
demand period demand
Risk of Contamination & Less risk of adverse effects by
pressure fluctuation of mains water mains
Not feasible for high rise Can be used in high rise
buildings due to insufficient buildings
mains pressure
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
• Since water doesn’t flow uphill, high rise buildings depend on
pumps to “lift” the water to the upper floors.
• A typical municipal water system doesn’t have enough “head”
(the pressure that pushes water up) to do the job by itself.
• Depending on the design of the building, there may be
mechanical or plumbing rooms on different levels with pressure
tanks in each to regulate the water supply pressure to each
system
• Decreasing overpressure when pumps are running, and to
maintain pressure when the pumps cycle off.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
• Water is a heavy liquid, so the pumping system simply has to be
capable of making heavy lifts to get the water to the top floor
of a high rise building under enough pressure for the plumbing,
fire sprinkler, and air conditioning systems to work properly.
• When you consider that pushing the water up one foot requires
0.43 pounds of pressure, (1 m = ~1 kPa) a 500 ft (150 m) tall
building would require 215 pounds (~150 kPa) of pressure,
which is higher than the rated strength of most pipes.
• This is why pumps must be installed at intervals to lift the water,
or high pressure pipe systems
• A high pressure pump must be used with pressure reducing
valves located at the supply to each floor.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
SYSTEMS FOR BOOSTING WATER PRESSURE
Pressure- boosting systems can be of several different types:
A. Pumping from a ground level or basement gravity tank to a
gravity roof tank
B. Installation of booster pump sets consisting of multiple staged
pumps or variable speed pumps that draw water directly
from a gravity storage tank or the public water main.
C. Pumping from a gravity storage tank or public water main
into a hydro pneumatic pressure tank that uses captive air
pressure to provide adequate drinking-water supply pressure.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
A. 1. GRAVITY SYSTEMS:
• This is the most common of the distribution systems adopted by
various types of buildings.
• The system comprises pumping water to one or more overhead
tanks placed at the top most location of the hydraulic zone.
• Water collected in the overhead tank is distributed to the
various parts of the building by a set of pipes located generally
on the terrace.
• From the tank, gravity ensured a natural downwards flow and
sufficient pressure.
• Roof tanks allow the users to have both water pressure and
water supply in situations where there is no electrical power. In
this model the some upper floors require a separate booster
system in order to create sufficient pressure.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
ROOF TANKS/OVERHEAD TANK
DISTRIBTUION:
• Roof tanks ensure both water pressure
and water supply in case of power
failure.
• This solution requires pressure reduction
valves on each floor in order to avoid
undesired high static pressures at the
tap, which creates unacceptable
noise while tapping.
• In this model the upper six floors require
a separate booster system in order to
create sufficient pressure.
• The static pressure there is too low due
to the insufficient geometric height to
the roof tank.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
ROOF TANKS
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Mature technology Water is pumped past
where it’s required
Only one discharge from Insufficient pressure on the
booster set to top uppermost floors
Space saving Excessive pressure on the
lowest floors
Less sensitive to electricity Pressure reduction valves
fall out have to be fitted
Need for higher pressure
grade of pipe work
Space requirement for tank
Risk of microbiological
growth in roof tank
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
SINGLE BOOSTER SYSTEM
• A water tank is placed in front
of the pump system and filled
with water from the mains.
• This allows the capacity of the
mains to be lower than
the building’s peak demand,
ensuring constant pressure even
in peak flow situations.
• The break tank is filled with
water during low consumption
periods and ensures a uniform
water supply to the booster
pumps at all times.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
SINGLE BOOSTER SYSTEM
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
No space required for High Static pressure booster
boosters on upper levels pump system
Only one (or few) riser pipe(s) Pressure relief valves have to
in the building be fitted
High Operational costs
High pressure graded pipes
and booster sets
Sensitivity to electricity fall outs
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
A. 2. INTERMEDIATE TANK SYSTEM DESIGN
• In this system whole building is divided into number of zones.
• One intermediate tank is introduced as break tank only or this
intermediate tank can serve the floor below.
• There is one tank at mid height of building and one tank at roof.
• So working and design of gravity system and intermediate tank
system is same but intermediate tank system has one extra tank
at mid height.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
ZONE DIVIDED SYSTEM
• The supply system is split into
several zones supplying a
maximum of 12 floors each.
• This ensures adequate water
pressure on all floors without
using pressure relief valves.
• The minimum pressure on the
upper floor in each zone is kept
at 1.5 - 2 bar.
• The maximum pressure on the
lowest floor in each zone does
not exceed 4 - 4.5 bar.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
ZONE DIVIDED DIRECT BOOSTING SYSTEM
• When a booster system is
connected directly to the water
mains it is called direct boosting.
• This type of system may also be
used in buildings in excess of
10 stories by proper zoning and
the use of pressure-reducing
valves at each zone.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
ZONE DIVIDED SYSTEM
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Only the required water More riser pipes in the building
pressure is supplied
No space required for High pressure-graded pipes
boosters on upper levels and boosters sets
Less vulnerable in the event of Sensitive to electricity fall-outs
pump failure
No pressure reduction valves
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
SERIES CONNECTED SYSTEM
• This system with intermediate break tanks draw on several
other systems, utilizing centrally-placed break tanks to supply
both the taps in its own boosting zone and all the zones
above it.
• With this system, a building is divided into smaller and more
manageable pressure zones of 12 floors each. Every zone is
then served by its own booster set.
• No pressure reduction valves are required and in case of
electrical breakdown the tanks will be able to supply
pressure and water for up to 12 hours.
• However, the tanks take up valuable space within the
building, reducing the room available for revenue
generation.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
SERIES CONNECTED SYSTEM
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Low Cost operation High initial investment
Low pressure in each zone Booster sets and tanks require
space on service floors
Manageable pressure zones Lost potential revenue
generating space
High resilience
Low power consumption of
pumps and reduces load
power grid
Less sensitive to electricity fall
out
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
PUMPS
• Pumps in water supply system are necessary for pulling
in and lifting water to higher level and boosting the
pressure in the distribution network.
• Pumps are available in various types according to
capacity and duty.
• The selection for capacity of pump depends on the
depth of water on the suction side and the pumping
head on the delivery side as well as the quantity of
water.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
PUMPS
• Pumps work on electrical energy or diesel
• The components are: casting, internal main part, inlet,
outlet, electrical connection.
• Working principle, three basic types:
o Air lift pumps
o Centrifugal pumps
o Displacement pumps
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
• CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS
• Contain a rotating impeller with
blades which impact high
velocity of water to discharge
• They are suitable for high
discharge (more quantity), but
less efficient for lifting high.
• Widely used for multistage VOLUTE TYPE
booster pumping in city water
supply and also in multistoried
buildings
• Two types are available:
o Volute type
o Turbine type
TURBINE TYPE
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
AIR LIFT PUMPS
• Compressed air is used to lift water from deep
wells (upto 60 m deep) where water contains
mud, silt, debris, highly acidic/alkaline in nature.
AIR LIFT PUMPS
DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
• Work on principle of vacuum suction
• They are suitable for high discharge under high head & also
costlier
• Two types are found: reciprocating type and rotary (cam or
gear) type
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
Other types of pumps:
BOOSTER PUMP: Domestic pump used to boost the pressure in the
waterline
JET PUMP: combination of centrifugal & ejector pump
SUBMERSIBLE PUMP: a type of centrifugal pump, motor is also
submerged in water, suitable where lowest point of pumping
water is beyond the reach.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
B. WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER PUMPS
• Booster pumps are used in applications where the
normal system water pressure is low and needs to be
increased.
• Water Pressure Booster Pump Sets come in use from the
smallest ones for domestic use to very big ones for water
transmission pipelines. Applications include domestic use,
residential/commercial high rise buildings, irrigation
boosters, boosters for transmission lines etc.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER PUMPS
COMMON PUMP TYPES:
• Horizontal End Suction
Centrifugal Pump: An end
suction pump is the most basic
type of centrifugal pump
typically designed with a
casing. The suction is present on END SUCTION CENTRIFUGAL PUMP
one end and the discharge is
placed at the top.
• Vertical Multistage Centrifugal
Pump: Multistage pumps are
defined as pumps in which the
fluid flows through several
impellers fitted in series.
MULTISTAGE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER PUMPS
COMMON PUMP TYPES:
• Water Transfer Pump Sets (or
Water Lifting Pumps) are
designed to transfer water
between tanks.
WATER TRANSFER PUMPS
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
C. HYDRO PNEUMATIC SYSTEM
• Is a modernization of the older
gravity tank method of water
supply.
• Its main purpose is to control or
boost a limited supply pressure to
a higher or more uniform value
so that a continuous and
satisfactory water supply will be
available at all fixtures within the
system.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
HYDRO PNEUMATIC SYSTEM: WORKING PRINCIPLE
• Hydro-pneumatic water pumping system works on very simple
principle i.e., air-pressurized water tank
• Water is kept reserved during normal flow requirement in plant
• This reserved water is supplied in plant when there is an instant
increase in demand of flow.
• This provides adequate time to the idle pump to achieve its full
capacity.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
HYDRO PNEUMATIC SYSTEM:
WORKING PRINCIPLE
• In the diagram shown
aside, only M3 pump
(highlighted in red) is
running.
• It shows that M3 is providing Towards
Building
sufficient flow that meets
the requirement of building.
• Now suppose requirement
increases suddenly and we
have to start another
pump.
• The newly started pump will
take some time to achieve
its full speed and deliver full
flow.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
HYDRO PNEUMATIC SYSTEM:
WORKING PRINCIPLE
• This will lead to fluctuation
in flow, that may cause
failure in constant supply of Towards
water. Building
• To avoid this, we have one
air-pressurized chamber
(highlighted in yellow) filled
with water.
• Now, this chamber will
make up the flow until
newly started pump gets its
full speed.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
HYDRO PNEUMATIC SYSTEM:
WORKING PRINCIPLE
• M2 pump (highlighted in
yellow) starts instantly by
Manual/Automated Towards
Control panel. Building
• The pressurized tank is
emptying and providing
surplus water to the plant.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
HYDRO PNEUMATIC SYSTEM:
WORKING PRINCIPLE
• Meanwhile the air
compressor (highlighted in
red) will also start to Towards
maintain air pressure in the Building
tank.
• If still the requirement is
higher then M1 will also
start.
• Once the flow is achieved,
tank will maintain its level
by positive pressure of
pumps.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
HYDRO PNEUMATIC SYSTEM
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Does not have to be elevated Inside corrosion of tank & piping is
possible due to addition of air in the
tank
Can be located anywhere in the Pumps of higher head are required
building
Can save valuable space by being Higher initial and operating costs than
located outside the building gravity system due to pressure vessel
type tank, higher head pumps and
more
sophisticated controls
It is not exposed to the outer May take valuable space in the
elements basement or other area.
WATER SUPPLY IN HIGH RISES
VALVES:
• Valves are the controlling devices in water supply system
• It regulates the flow of water
• It also controls the direction of flow
• Different types of valves are available according to
materials, purposes, sizes etc.
• Major components of valves are:
o Casting/body: made of brass, gun metal, cast iron, stainless
steel, HDPE (high-density polythene)
o Moving part: the spindle: made of gun metal, stainless steel
o Sealant: acts like gate below spindle for closing or opening.
ADDED TOPICS OR KEYWORDS ASKED
SERVICE FLOOR
• The floor of a building where service equipment, utility lines and
various machinery are located.
• A service floor can be located in the basement, on the top
floor or in the middle portion of a building.
• Some buildings have several such floors.
• Service floors contain heating, water, sewage pipes, air ducts,
power supply mains and equipment, air conditioning and
ventilation equipment, elevator engine rooms, rooms for various
equipment and supplementary uses.
• Service floors are found in multi-storey residential, hotels,
hospitals & public buildings and in plants of electronic and
radio engineering industries which more technical equipment
and require careful regulation of the temperature, humidity
and air circulation.
• The height of the Service floor shall be maximum than 2.1 m
slab to slab.
ADDED TOPICS OR KEYWORDS ASKED
FIRE CHECK FLOOR
• High Rise building having height more than 70 m. shall be
provided with fire check floor (entire floor) at every 70 m. level.
• Height of the fire check floor shall not be more than 1.8 m.
• The periphery of the fire check floor shall not be enclosed.
• Fire drenchers shall be provided at the periphery of each of the
fire check floor externally
• Fire check floor shall be not used for any other purposes.
