UNIVERSITY OF MALAWI

THE POLYTECHNIC

FACULTY OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT

DEPARTMENT OF LAND ECONOMY AND PHYSICAL PLANNING

PROGRAM: QUANTITY SURVEYING

PROGRAM CODE: BQS-2

SUBMITTED TO: MR C PUMA

SUBMITTED BY: SHEENA THUMA (BQS/19/SS/015), SONILE JERE (BQS/19/SS/005),

MALUMBO CHAVULA (BQS/19/SS/002), FRANCIS SANENA (BQS/19/SS/014)

COURSE : ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND SERVICES

ASSIGNMENT TITLE: ASSIGNMENT 1: GROUP ASSIGNMENT

COURSE CODE: ARC-ESS-221

DUE DATE : 30th July 2021

Question 1
A building should provide an environment within which people feel comfortable and are able
to work, live and thrive. Building services are systems that are installed to make buildings
comfortable, functional, efficient and safe (Chadderton, 2007). Some of the building services
that need to be considered in a 5 storey apartment are energy supply (gas, electricity),
ventilation and air condition, lighting, water drainage and plumbing and escalators and lifts.
A. Ventilation and air conditioning
Ventilation is the process of circulating and replacing air in the room or internal space.
Ventilation is important because it removes stale air in the building and replaces it with fresh
(Hall and Greeno, 2011). 1t also reduces the accumulation of moisture, odor and other gases
hence improving comfort. The 5 storey apartment requires hybrid ventilation, a combination
of natural and mechanical ventilation. This is because increase in altitude results in increase
in pressure making natural ventilation ineffective.
According to McMullan (1998), natural ventilation is achieved through stack effect and air
pressure difference. Stack effect occurs due to differences in air density. When cool air flows
into the building, the warm air rises and cool air settles at the bottom. This process creates a
cooling effect. Air pressure differences also causes ventilation in buildings. Wind passing the
walls of a building create a slight vacuum in the building. This causes air to enter into the
building through the windward side where it circulates around the building and exists through
the leeward side.
Mechanical ventilation uses fans and air conditioners. Air conditioners control moisture
content, heat as well as the purity of air in building in order to improve the comfort of
occupants (McMullan, 1998). Power driven fans are used to move air in a desired direction.
Mechanical ventilation helps to deliver a controlled volume of air at a controlled temperature
and speed.

Maintenance of heating, ventilation and air conditioning

1. Check exhaust fans to see if they are functioning properly. This is because they
improve indoor air quality by removing odors in bathrooms and kitchens
2. Clean air filters and vents. This is to ensure that the air entering the apartment is free
of contaminants. Air filters must also be changed regularly
3. Make sure the right ventilation system is installed. In this case hybrid ventilation
should be installed as it corresponds with the design of the structure.
4. Inspect ventilation systems regularly to ensure that they are in a good condition.

B. Water supply, Drainage and Plumbing

Water supply system is a network of engineering hydraulic and hydrologic components that
ensures water at the necessary and expected quality, quantity and pressure. Water supply
systems are divided into hot and cold water supply. Water is supplied from the mains to the
building through direct or indirect water supply. Direct water supply water transfers from the
main reservoirs directly to the point of usage. This system is only useful building which are
not more than two floors hence not recommended for this apartment. On the other hand,
indirect water supply is ideal for the 5 storey residential apartment. In this system water is
pumped directly to storage tanks and from there the water is supplied to different floors by
gravity. According to Greeno and Hall (2011), this system provides an adequate emergency
storage in case of a water main failure.
Plumbing drainage system consists of pipes which take out human waste and fecal matter as
well as waste water from laundry and cooking. They are two types of artificial drainage
surface drainage and subsurface drainage.
Maintenance of water supply, plumbing and drainage
 1. Inspecting equipment for wear, tear and replace if necessary
2. Cleaning and greasing movable parts of equipment

C. Lifts or Elevators
A lift or elevator is a form of vertical transportation of people and goods between floors or
levels. It is mandatory for a 5 storey building to have a lift as it will ensure easy vertical
circulation for wheel chair and other non-ambulant building occupants. Lifts are also used for
firefighting and evacuation purposes. The working principle of an elevator is similar to that
of a pulley system. The elevator is a metal box connected to a tough metal rope. The tough
metal rope passes through sheaves on the elevator in the engine room. The sheaves are used
for strongly clutching the metal rope. This system is operated by a motor. When the switch is
on the motor is activated and the elevator goes up and down.

The above is an illustration of a lift or an elevator

Maintenance for lifts and escalators
1. Regularly inspect the parts of a lift or tear and wear
2. The elevator floors should be cleans on daily basis
3. Service the elevator regularly for example door operating equipment
4. Avoid overloading the lifts
 D. Energy supply ( Gas and Electricity)
According to McMullan (1983), the supply of electricity is essential for creating and
controlling the environment in a building. Heating, cooling, ventilating and lighting systems
uses electricity for its energy. The electricity supply for most building is gained from the
national supply grid. It is then distributed throughout the building using wiring systems or an
electrical distribution system. The electricity supply systems consists of units which create
high voltage transmission to transport electricity to large distances in order to provide service
to buildings. The system of distribution also consists of sub-stations that connect all
components of a district. When a building is completed the owner is supposed to connect the
building to a national grid via a service line. Gas supply may include commercial gas and
guaranteed of oxygen. The gas supply is delivered in closed ring and the loop system. These
systems ensure that gas supplies are not affected if any section of the gas pipeline is
destroyed.
Maintenance if energy supply
1. Inspect the pipeline and defects
2. Replace assets when damaged

E. Lighting
Lighting is important in infrastructure because it helps occupants to appreciate architecture in
spaces. It also brings about comfort as people are able to see things clearly. The 5 storey
building will use both natural and artificial lighting. Day lighting is achieved through
windows, skylights or light shelves. This is effective during the daytime and it also conserves
energy. Artificial lighting uses lamps and light fixtures (McMullan, 1983). Artificial lighting
is used when natural lighting is inadequate or when too much energy is require. Proper
lighting enhances task performance and improves appearance of a building.
Maintenance of lighting
1. Ensure that the windows and openings are big enough to increase day lighting
2. Clean fixtures during re-lamping
3. Inspect the facility to determine the condition of each lighting system and the
maintenance required
4. Use correct bulbs and ballasts
A SKETCH OF NATURAL AND ARTFICIAL LIGHTING

REFERENCES
Hall, F, & Greeno, R. (2011). Building Services Handbook (6th edition). Elsevier Limited.
McMullan, R. (1998). Environment Science in Building (4th edition). Macmillan Press
Limited.
McMullan, R. (1983). Environmental Science in Building. Macmillan Press Limited.
Chadderton, D.V (2007). Building Services Engineering. USA and Canada.
Supply and Distribution of Building services (7th July, 2021). Retrieved from
https://ukdiss.com/examples/building-services-distribution-supply.php .

Question 2
Waste is hazardous to human health and the natural environment; therefore, waste must be
managed to avoid negatively impacting the environment and its occupants (Pitchel, 2014).
Waste management is defined as the strategies and systems for correctly storing, collecting,
transporting, and disposing of the waste stream created by human activity, whereas waste
reduction is an effective approach of waste management (Pandey 2014). This waste is divided
into four categories: solid waste, hazardous waste, e-waste, and biodegradable waste (Letcher
& Vallero, 2019 ).
Waste management entails the managing waste from its source to the final disposal of the
waste, common disposal methods of waste management are landfills which mainly focuses on
burying waste in land, recycling which is the conversion of waste products into new ones,
composting that entails the biodegradation process of organic waste from kitchen waste and
incineration which is the combustion of waste materials, this focuses on heating materials at a
very high temperature to convert the materials to heat, gas and steam, E-waste such as phone
and computers are discarded this way (Letcher & Vallero, 2019).
While waste reduction involves reducing waste from the sources by avoiding the production of
waste and minimising waste by reusing products such as plastic and glass containers, repairing
broken items instead of buying new ones and using reusable products, the common principle
behind this is the 3-R phrase which is reduce, reuse and recycle (Pandey, 2014).
For example, in 2013 the Shoprite Group began an initiative to reduce plastic waste by
introducing recyclable plastic bags this initiative saved 11760 m3 landfill space. Below are
diagrams illustrating the differences between waste management and waste reduction.
Waste management (Hanieh et al 2013)

Waste reduction (Letcher & Vallero, 2019)

References
Hanieh, A-A., Hasan, A., AbdElali., & Krajnik, P. (2013). The role of resource efficiency in
enginnering education. Paper presented at the 11th Global conference on sustainable
manufacturing – innovative solutions. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260075785_The_Role_of_Resource_Efficiency_in
_Engineering_Education
Letcher, M.-T, & Vallero, D. -A (2019). Waste; a handbook for management. London, UK,
Academic Press.
Pandey, S. (2014). Waste to resources; a waste management handbook. New Delhi, India.
Pitchel, S. (2014). Waste management practices; Municipal, hazardous and industrial. Boca
Raton, USA. Taylor and Francis Group.
Question 3
The principle state that, the total energy of a small amount of an incompressible liquid flowing
from one point to another remain constant throughout the displacement (Hall & Greeno, 2011).
Raymond. Serway & Jewett Jr, (1998) argues that Bernoulli’s principle helps us to find the
relationship between pressure, density and velocity at every point of the fluid. When a fluid
flows into a narrow pipe its speed increases. This means that their kinetic energy also increases
and there is always pressure difference when the pipe changes its diameter. Below is an
equation that explains Bernoulli’s principle according to (Serway & Jewett Jr, 1998).

𝑝𝑣12 𝑝𝑣12
𝑝1 + + 𝑝𝑔ℎ1 = 𝑝2 + + 𝑝𝑔ℎ2
2 2
The equation state that the sum of the terms above remains constant along the streamline. All
the terms above are pressures. The terms are static pressure/ pressure(P), the second is dynamic
pressure where p- density and v- velocity and the last one is hydraulic pressure where p-
pressure due to gravity, h- height above reference level. The principle explains well the change
in pressure in a pipe at a different diameter. We can driver the formula above to find the change
in pressure (McMulllan, 1998). The principle argues that when the tube or the pipe narrows,
the same volume occupies a greater length and kinetic energy is high in narrow tubes. Below
is venturi meter used to calculate fluid flow

𝐴1𝑉1
𝑉2 = (Conservation of mass)
𝐴2

According to (Hall & Greeno, 2011) In order to find point p1 or p2 in the diagram above we
can substitute the equation above in Bernoulli’s equation when calculating pressure and
velocity difference of the fluid
𝑝𝑣1 𝐴2 1
𝑝1 − 𝑝2 = [ − 1]
2 𝐴2 2
In conclusion, Bernoulli’s principle explains a lot about fluid movement. It is applied in a lot
of fluid movement.

REFERENCES
Hall, F., & Greeno, R. (2011). Building Science Handbook (6th ed.). Burlongtonn: Elsevier.
McMulllan, R. (1998). Enviromental Science In Building. London: McMillan press ltd.
Serway, R. A., & Jewett Jr, W. J. (1998). Physics For Scientist and Engineers (Vol. I).
Saunders College Publishing.

Question 4
Question 4
The two hot water service systems used in a residential house are, centralized hot water system
and decentralized/Local hot water system (Van-Norden, 2012).
Van-Norden, (2012) defines Centralized hot water system as the kind of heating system that
heats water in a central tank and transport it to various points of a residential house through an
addition pipe system. This system typically comprises of a boiler or hot water heater connected
to a big storage vessel through circulating pipes (Greeno & Hall, 2011). Secondary circulation
pipes are installed with the intention of distributing hot water to sanitary appliances such as a
water closet, bidet, urinal, slop sink, wash basin, sink, and bath tub. When the taps are turned
off, a pump installed in the secondary return pumps hot water. Pipes known as Dead legs link
the secondary flow to the tap (with at-most 5m length and 5mm diameter). As a result, while
waiting for hot water, cold water is wasted as little as possible in non-circulating pipes. Greeno
and Hall (2011).
Chatterton, (1990) explains that, Water heaters in local hot water are put directly where hot
water will be utilized (bathrooms, showers and washing machines). Water is heated in this
system by electricity or the combustion of a fuel such as gas in tiny storage or rapid water
heaters positioned at the point of use. The system is directly linked to the water mains. The
local hot water system is divided into two parts: immediate and storage heaters (Greeno & Half,
2011). When needed, the instantaneous system supplies a constant supply of water. When the
hot water tap is switched on, a storage water heater releases hot water from the tank's top. Van-
Norden (2012)

Question 5
Greeno and Hall, (2011) emphasises that in a high rising multi-story building floors are
required to be zoned (usually in groups of five to eight storeys) in-order to maintain the pressure
of hot water supply. In addition, head tanks are installed on the upper floors of each zone
purposely to improve the flow of hot water to the taps. Watermain supply pressure of 8-
12meters can supply a typical two-storey building, but higher buildings may need pressure
booster-systems (Chadderton,1990). Consequently, as construction professionals we propose
that this 3-storey building should generally be suppled directly from the pressure in the water
main.
In direct hot water system, a cold-water storage of cistern is installed on the upper part to
receive water from the rising main (Chadderton, 1990). Hot water in the boiler mixes with
water in the cylinder. This system is not used for hard water. it does not go in line with central
heating. All hot water passes through the boiler (Greeno & Hall, 2011). Moreover, the system
is based on the principles of gravity circulation, where movement of water is brought about by
convention currents. connection is taken from the cold-water storage to feed the cylinder at the
lowest point is connected to the cold-water storage in-order to be fed by cold water which can
be used for cooking, drinking and washing (the process is called COLD FEED). Primary return
makes water flowing down the cold feed into the cylinder to passes through the next lowest
connection to fill the boiler (Van-Norden, 2012). The boiler is at the lowest point in the system.
Greeno and Hal1 (2011) defines the indirect hot water system as a system that heats water via
a coil (heat exchanger) from the boiler. The hot water from the boiler (primary circulation)
doesn't come into direct contact with the hot water in the cylinder (secondary circulation) - this
water being used for washing and cooking. A vent is required on the hot water outlet pipe at
the top of the cylinder to allow for water expansion and prevent the cylinder becoming
pressurized when heated (Van-Norden, 2012). In indirect hot water system still reserves water
even if there is a cut off.

References
1.Greeno, R & Half F. 2011. Building services handbook:Incorporating Current Building
Regulations. Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann. London.

2.Chadderton, V. (1990) .Building Services Engineering(6th edition): Engineering services

withing buildings.Routledge. Milton Park Ambigon, UK.

3.Van-Norden, R. (2012) Building Technology and Design: Basic Principles in Building

Technology. Penguin Random house.London
Question 6
A septic tank is a below-ground waterproof tank made of concrete, plastic, or fiber-glass, with
an average dimension of 9 x 5 x 6 ft, or roughly 5.33 m3 in volume. The septic tank is designed
to perform the functions of liquid and solid separation, organic digestion, and storage (Tilley
,2014). Furthermore, the tank discharges partially filtered and clarified effluent to the drain
field for final treatment, drain fields are subsurface waste water disposal facilities that remove
contaminants and impurities from liquid (Tilley, 2014).
According to Tilley (2014), the construction of a concrete septic tank involves the excavation
of trench that is 1.83m deep.
The trench is dug, then then formwork is placed around the sides of the excavated surface with
steel reinforcement, these are placed to ensure that the walls are 4 inches thick.
A concrete floor is then cast on the base of the trench and a bed of sand is laid underneath the
concrete floor of the tank to allow some movements when the tank settles and moves on the
base . According to Tilley 2014 the floor is constructed to have a slight slope of 10 percent
towards the sludge outlet.
15 cm diameter PVC inlets and outlet pipes for the tank are then installed together with a 7.5cm
diameter ventilation pipe that allows gas to flow between the 2 chambers
Concrete is then poured into the formwork to form the walls of the tank, for the walls to be
made of good, hard concrete during the pouring the concrete is vibrated with a vibrator to
ensure that there are no cavities and airholes
After this the top of the tank is constructed from 15cm thick reinforced concrete slab, and the
top has two man holes that will be large enough to allow someone into the tank (Mrfixit,n.d.,
para 21)
Adegoke and Stenstorm (2019) explain that the design of a septic tank depends on the number
of users, volume of water entering the system, temperature, desired purpose of the treated
wastewater and the tank has to be well designed not to crack and contaminate the ground water.
Hall and Greeno 2011 state that built tanks are divided into two compartments with an overall
length of three times the breadth, Adegoke and Stenstorm (2019) justify this design feature by
stating that as this enhances the solid separation process.
The two compartments that have a 2- or 3- chamber configuration the last chamber provides
an outlet to the subsurface drainfield or any other treatment options. Septic tanks are designed
for buildings that are not connected to the city sewer system this is known as an onsite waste
water disposal system to dispose of the waste water (Tilley et al 2014).
Tilley (2014) further explains that a septic tank should have no less than two chambers, the
first chambers should be 50% of the total length and where there are only two chambers it
should be two thirds of the total length. Most of the solids settle out in the first chamber, the
two chambers are demarcated by a baffle whose core function is to prevent scum and solids
escaping with the effluent, the t shaped outlet pipe further reduces the scum and solids that are
discharged.
All the chambers of the tank have access ports for ease of accessibility during the maintenance
(Adegoke & Stenstorm, 2019). Septic tanks are also vented for controlled release of odorous
gases and harmful gases and a septic tank is located below the toilet so that waste uses the laws
of gravity to easily flow into and through the tank (Adegoke & Stenstom, 2019).
References
Adegoke, A. and Stenstrom, T. 2019. Septic Systems. In: J.B. Rose and B. Jiménez-Cisneros,
(eds) Global Water Pathogen Project. http://www.waterpathogens.org (J.R. Mihelcic and M.E.
Verbyla) (eds) Part 4 Management Of Risk from Excreta and Wastewater)
http://www.waterpathogens.org/book/septic-systems Michigan State University, E. Lansing,
MI, UNESCO. https://doi.org/10.14321/waterpathogens.59
Greeno, R., & Hall, f. (2011). Building Services Handbook (8th ed.). London: Routledge.

Mrfixit. (n.d.). retrieved from https://www.mrfixitbali.com/septic-sewage-and-

wastewater/septic-tank-design-and-construction-200.html

Tilley, E., Luthi, C., Reymond, P., & Zurbrugg, C. ( 2014). Compendium of sanitation systems
and technologies (2nd ed). Switzerland: Ewawag aquatic research