Building Utilities – Key Vocabulary

Professional Regulatory Board of Architecture (PRBoA) — Building Utilities Orientation

• Scope covers six (6) utility domains to be mastered by architecture students and examinees:

  • Sanitary & Plumbing Systems & Equipment

  • Mechanical Systems (HVAC, conveyors, etc.)

  • Electrical & Other Power Systems

  • Acoustics & Illumination

  • Disaster-Prevention, Fire-Protection & Security Systems

  • Communication & High-Tech Systems

• Learning resources

  • National Plumbing Code of the Philippines (NPCP)

  • National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP — P.D. 1096 & IRR)

  • Fire Code of the Philippines

  • Philippine Electrical Code (PEC)

  • PSME Handbook, Ching’s Visual Dictionary, Rule 10 of NBCP, etc.

• Modular sequence (0 to 7) with recurring pattern:

  1. Orientation/Discussion (PPT + video)

  2. Assignment (terminology + drawings)

  3. Research work (site-based enrichment)

  4. Quiz (MS-Word file, 15–25 items)

Sanitary & Plumbing Systems

0 | Orientation + Basic Terminologies (NPCP Ch. 2)

• GENERAL TERMS: Plumbing, Plumbing Appliance, Plumbing Appurtenance, Plumbing Fixture, Plumbing System

• ADMIN: Administrative Authority, Plumbing Official, Master Plumber, NAMPAP

• BUILDING/METRIC: Floor Area, Storey, Height of Building, Alley, Court, Shaft, Chase, Confined vs. Unconfined Space, Combustible Construction

• SYSTEMIC: Alter/Alteration, Roughing-In, Common, Cross-Connection

1 | Water Source, Water Storage, Water Supply

• 1.1 Water Source → Contamination (High Hazard) vs. Pollution (Low Hazard); Potable, Ground, Surface, Treatment

• 1.2 Water Storage

• 1.3 Supply & Distribution vocabulary

  • Water Main, Corporation Cock, Gooseneck, Service Pipe, Water-Distributing Pipe, Branch, Fixture Branch, Horizontal vs. Vertical Pipe, Branch Interval, Fixture Supply, Riser

  • Bibb/Faucet/Spigot; Effective Opening; Flood Level Rim; Critical Level (C!\text{-}L); Static vs. Residual Pressure

• Research: Angat Dam, La Mesa Watershed, Bangui Windmills, Laguna Geothermal, Maria Cristina Falls

2 | Water Distribution Systems

• Cold-water: Indirect Up-feed/Down-feed; Direct Up-feed

• Pumps & Lifts: Piston vs. Centrifugal; Air Chamber for pulsation control

• Tall-building strategies: Air-Pressure vs. Overhead-Feed

• Domestic Hot-Water:

  • Storage: Range Boiler, Storage Tank

  • Distribution: Up-feed & Gravity Return vs. Overhead Feed & Gravity Return

  • Heating devices: Gas, LPG automatic, Electric (thermostat), Solar

• Valving & Regulation: Gate, Globe, Angle, Check (Swing/Lift), Backwater, Foot, Safety/Pressure-Relief, Ball, Cut-off; Backflow, Back-siphonage, Backflow-Preventer; Boiler Blow-off

• Research: Hot-Water devices, centrifugal pump action for high-rise

3 | Plumbing Roughing-In & Fixtures

• Pipe materials: ABS, PB, PE, PVC, Brass, Copper, CI, Galv. Steel, CPVC, AC Pipe

• Definitions: Pipe vs. Tube; Nominal Internal Diameter (NID); IPS; Invert; Developed Length; Dead End; Hubless; Shielded Coupling; Oakum & Calking; Blank vs. Blind Flange

• Joints: Soldered (<427^\circ C), Brazed (>449^\circ C), Welded, Slip

• Fittings: Tailpiece, Return Bend, Tee, Plug, Clean-out, Ferrule, Cap, Offset/Double, Tapped Tee, Wye, Siamese, Standpipe (Wet, Automatic, Manual, Dry)

• Research: New plastic trends, nominal lengths & diameters

4 | Plumbing Fixtures (Classification)

1. Soil Fixtures — Water Closet types: Siphon Jet, Siphon Vortex, Reverse Trap, Wash-Down, Blow-Out; Urinals (Trough, Wall-hung, Pedestal, Stall); Service/SLOP Sink

2. Sinks — Kitchen, Scullery (Pot), Pantry, Laundry Tub

3. Bathing — Lavatory (above/on/under-counter, pedestal), Bathtubs (built-in), Bidet/Sitz/Foot, Whirlpool, Showers (enclosure, telephone, massage, rain, hydrotherapy)

• Key fixture parts & concepts: Bidet, Latrine, Ball Cock, Ball Joint, Flush Tank/Valve, Flushometer Tank/Valve

• Private vs. Public use; Swimming Pool

• Research: Energy-saving fixtures, flushometer operation

5 | Drainage & Sewerage Systems

• Components: House Sewer, House Drain, Soil Pipe, Waste Pipe, Storm Drainage

• Traps: 2\,\text{in.} Common Seal vs. 4\,\text{in.} Deep Seal; Permissible (P-Trap, Drum, Grease) vs. Objectionable (Full S, Bag, Mechanically-sealed)

• Venting hierarchy:

  1. Stack Vent (Main Soil/Waste Vent)

  2. Vent Stack (Main Vent)

  • Auxiliary: Individual/Back, Relief/Yoke, Common/Unit/Dual, Loop/Circuit, Branch, Group, Dry, Wet, Combination Waste-Vent

• Key drainage terms: Pitch/Slope, Fixture Unit, Plumbing Unit, Leader, Downspout, Catch Basin, Flashing, Clarifier, Grease/Sand Interceptors, Air Gap vs. Air Break, Indirect Waste, Receptor, Special Waste, Siphonage vs. Vacuum

• Research: Sizing of House Drain/Sewer (DFU) & Water Distribution (WSFU)

6 | Waste Disposal, Treatment & Recycling

• Public sewers classification: Sanitary (Intercepting/Trunk-line vs. Tributary), Storm

• Private systems: Septic Tank, Cesspool, Privy, Seepage Pit, Leaching Bed

• Terminology: Primary & Secondary Branch, Lateral, Manhole; Sewage vs. Sewerage, Industrial vs. Domestic Sewage; Holding-tank (Class 5) systems

• Municipal treatment — Activated Sludge (10-step), Trickling/Sprinkling filters

• Research: Building-scale sewage treatment plants

Electrical & Other Power Systems

0 | Introduction & Permit Requirements

• Electricity = flow of electrons; two classes: Electrodynamic (AC) vs. Electrostatic (DC)

• Electrical Permit requires:

  1. Signed & sealed Working Drawings (Lighting Layout, Power Layout, Load Schedule, Riser Diagram, Site/Vicinity)

  2. Electrical Analysis by Professional Electrical Engineer (PEE)

1 | Principles of Electricity

• Current (I): flow of electrons

• Direct Current: constant direction; battery, DC supply; two sub-forms — continuous & pulsating

• Alternating Current: cyclical reversal; 60\,\text{Hz} in PH; single-phase 230 V or three-phase

• Electric Circuit: closed vs. open; series vs. parallel

• Ohm’s Law I=\tfrac{V}{R},\;V=IR,\;R=\tfrac{V}{I}

• Units: Volt (EMF), Ampere (current), Ohm (resistance), Watt W = VI

• Devices: Alternator (AC generator), Generator, Motor, Battery (primary/secondary), Watt-hour Meter

• National grid flow: Generating Station → Transmission Lines → Sub-station → Circuits → Tap Lines → Transformers → Service Drop/Entrance

2 | System Categories

1. Wiring & Raceways — conductors (Au, Ag, Cu); insulators (thermoplastics TH/TW/THW); raceways metallic & non-metallic

2. Power-Handling Equipment — Transformers (outdoor H-frame, cluster, pad; indoor dry, askarel, oil); Switchgear/Switchboard; Main & Distribution Panelboards; Service Switches; Circuit Protective Devices (Fuses: plug, cartridge, knife-blade | Circuit Breakers)

3. Utilization Equipment — Lighting fixtures/luminaires, switches (single, 3-way, gang), convenience outlets (CO), branch circuits (lighting, small appliance, individual)

3 | Wires, Cables & Temperature Codes

• Thermoplastic codes: THHN, THHW, THW/THW-2, THWN/THWN-2, TW, XHH, XHHW/XHHW-2 with rated 60–90^\circ C limits and environment (dry/wet)

• Specialized: FMC/MC/AC (BX), NM/NMC (Romex), MI, SNM, SE/USE, UF, FC, FCC

4 | Raceways & Conduits

• Floor Raceway: Conventional underfloor, Cellular metal, Cellular concrete

• Ceiling Raceway: Tray Cable, Busbar, Cablebus

• Conduit families: RMC (RSC, IMC, EMT), Flexible Metal, Rigid/ Flexible Non-metallic

• Condulet types: LB, LL, LR, C, T, F, SE, L

5 | Lighting Technology

• Lamp families

  1. Incandescent / Halogen — <20\,lm/W, full spectrum; reflector (spot, flood)

  2. Fluorescent (CFL, straight, circular) — \approx 90\,lm/W, long life; color temps: Warm White, Cool White

  3. High-Intensity Discharge

  • Mercury Vapor (blue-green)

  • Metal Halide (warmer, retail/sports)

  • High-Pressure Sodium (yellow; street-lighting)

  • Low-Pressure Sodium (deep yellow; highest efficacy)

  1. Solid-State (LED) — high efficacy, long life

• Photometric basics

  • Candlepower/Candela (cd) — intensity

  • Lumen (lm) — flux; 1\,lm = 1\,cd·sr

  • Illuminance: Foot-candle E=\dfrac{\text{lumens}}{\text{ft}^2}, Lux \dfrac{\text{lumens}}{\text{m}^2}

  • Luminance: Foot-Lambert (brightness)

  • Reflectance, Transmittance, Absorptance; Specular vs. Diffuse reflection

• Lighting distribution types — Indirect, Semi-indirect, General Diffuse / Direct-Indirect, Semi-direct, Direct

• Three Functional Layers: General, Task (Local), Accent; plus daylight integration

Mechanical Systems (Vertical & Horizontal Transportation)

Elevators

• Types: Electric (traction) vs. Hydraulic (plunger) vs. Machine-Room-Less (MRL)

• Electric traction machines:

  1. Gearless (high-rise)

  2. Geared (mid-rise)

• Major components (electric): Car, Hoist Cables (4–6), Drive Machine, Counterweights (≈40 % rated load), Guide Rails/Shoes, Hoistway, Penthouse (machine room), Pit, Control Panel

• Safety & control parts: Governor, Secondary Sheave, Compensating Chain, Buffer, Limit Switches, Operating devices

• Hydraulic: Car, Plunger/Jack, Spring Buffer (<200\,fpm), Guide Rails/Shoes, Machine Room, Pit, Control system; auxiliaries — Gate Valve, Motor-Pump Unit, Controller

• Special lifts: Dumbwaiter (≤500\,lb, 9 ft² cab); Freight/Cargo elevators

Escalators & Moving Walks

• Major parts: Truss, Sprockets, Drive Machine, Balustrade, Handrails, Endless Belt, Tracks, Safety brakes & stop buttons

• Layouts: Criss-cross, Parallel; Moving Walk = Travelator; Moving Ramp

HVAC — Air-Conditioning Systems

• Room units: WACU (window) & Split/Multi-split (ACCU outdoor + AHU indoor)

  • Core cycle parts: Evaporator Coil, Blower, Condenser Coil, Fan, Expansion Valve, Compressor, Refrigerant (Freon)

• Building systems

  • VAV (thermostat controlled, duct + tonner) vs. CAV (constant, cooling tower)

  • Centralized plant → AHUs/FCUs → ductwork → diffusers/registers

• Passive vs. Active cooling: 2.70\,m vs. 2.40\,m floor-to-ceiling heights

• Air Curtain (door-mounted) for thermal barrier & insect control

Acoustics & Illumination (Psycho-Physics)

Sound Fundamentals

• Sound = longitudinal pressure wave

• Pitch/Frequency (Hz); Audible range 20–20{,}000\,Hz; Speech 300–3{,}000\,Hz

• Levels: Decibel (dB); Sound Pressure (Pa), Lp; Sound Power Lw; Loudness (subjective)

• Vibration isolation → spring + damper model

• Reverberation: multiple reflections prolonging sound

Reflection, Diffusion, Diffraction

• Reflector geometries: Concave (focusing), Flat (tilted), Convex (diffusing)

• Echo vs. Flutter Echo (parallel surfaces)

• Absorption vs. Isolation: NRC (noise reduction coefficient), SAC (absorption coefficient), STC (transmission class), TL (loss)

Ethical / Practical Implications

• Correct sizing (DFU/WSFU) prevents water wastage & health hazards

• Backflow prevention safeguards potable supply — mandated by NPCP

• Electrical over-current protection avoids fire; compliance with PEC ampacity tables

• Elevator MRL reduces building footprint & energy; must include redundancy & emergency rescue plan

• Daylighting + LED retrofits slash carbon footprint

• Acoustic design fosters occupant wellness; poor NRC/STC leads to stress & productivity loss