Gulf Construction Online - Geberit takes a holistic approach

Manufacturers & Procurement

Due to the fixed connection technology, Geberit HDPE is suitable for prefabrication.

Geberit takes a holistic approach

01 March 2022

There is more to drainage than simply draining off water, says Geberit, which offers state-of-the-art technological solutions in the areas of hydraulics, fire protection and sound insulation, reliability and environmental properties.

The European leader in sanitary solutions invests a great deal into developing innovative products to ensure that its drainage technology can keep up with reality on the building site as well as ensuring high fire protection and meeting sound insulation requirements. Also, to ensure convenience and safety at all times, Geberit develops hydraulically optimised, innovative products and solutions, which fulfil the requirements for safe installations and save resources. This apart, the company – which has been applying ecodesign principles to its new product development processes since 2007 – is renowned for its environment-friendly and durable products.

“The fire protection and sound insulation of a drainage system are only ever as good as their weakest component. If you combine elements from different manufacturers, you risk compromises at the interfaces,” explains Louise Pitt, Marketing Manager, Gulf Representative Office of Geberit. “This also makes it more difficult to comply with current standards and regulations. Geberit, therefore, provides complete systems with a warranty and the necessary documentation for your project, thus ensuring a proven high degree of protection against the spread of fire through the discharge pipes. Furthermore, with the sound insulation expertise of Geberit, you can ensure that waste water noise is minimised in private houses, public buildings, hotels and business premises.”

Its focus on providing complete systems also applies to the waste fittings, which are the visible part of the waste water installation, which, together with the Geberit piping systems, form a homogeneous unit with simple interfaces. Geberit waste fittings also form perfect connections with the sanitary appliances.

Pluvia ... efficient and sustainable roof drainage for flat roofs.

“Regardless of whether the bathroom design needs to fulfil the highest expectations or barrier-free applications are required or the construction simply needs to be as space-saving as possible: Geberit has the right solution,” she says.

Empty traps or highly fluctuating water levels in the WC, as well as oversized systems or unnecessary ventilation ducts are all indications of inadequate planning or installation. This can result in user complaints and significant costs.

“Geberit anticipates these problems with its hydraulically optimised products that are the result of in-house research in the laboratory and on the computer. With the practical training of sanitary engineers and plumbers on Geberit drainage towers, the company contributes to knowledge transfer in the area of hydraulics,” Pitt says.

In addition to laboratories for sanitary technology and materials development, Geberit also operates a unique Building Technology and Acoustics Laboratory for testing components and entire drainage systems with respect to their hydraulics and acoustics. Thus, for example, the sound transmission of discharge stacks through several floors can be tested under realistic conditions. For fire protection, Geberit works closely with external testing laboratories. Both prototypes and series products are subjected to realistic fire tests. Country-specific fire protection requirements are thereby taken into account in full during product development.

Geberit’s piping systems stand for know-how in the field of sanitary technology. From the connection to the water supply through to the distribution on the floor to the consumers, all the way to the drainage of roofs and buildings into the public sewage system, Geberit says it offers systems that can be relied upon.

Geberit invests year after year in continually optimising existing systems and in developing new technologies and products,” Pitt claims.

Some of its key drainage solutions include Silent-db20, RS90 Plus, Geberit HDPE, Pluvia and Supertube.

Geberit’s Silent-db20 drainage system eliminates the problem of noisy drainage pipes.

Silent-db20

Geberit’s Silent-db20 drainage system eliminates the problem of noisy drainage pipes, which are a nuisance – be it in a residential estate, a hotel or a meeting room.

These sound and hydraulically optimised pipes and fittings are suitable not only for stacks but also for floor connections and ensure quiet and effective drainage in any building.

“With Geberit Silent-db20, practically any building drainage can be solved perfectly and without compromise. It is available in all standard pipe diameters between d56 and d160 and the assortment of fittings and accessories caters to virtually any need.

“The high inherent weight of Silent-db20 means that its natural vibrations are reduced and the sound is noticeably absorbed. The product design with special sound insulation ribs also reduces the noise on the impact zones,” Pitt points out.

The hydraulically optimised product geometry of the fittings enables a cost-effective dimensioning of the product with a high discharge rate. This creates new free spaces, as a space-saving configuration is also sufficient for the pipe ducts of the stacks.

In addition to the piping system with sound insulation, intelligent fastening and insulation technologies ensure that noise from waste water is kept to a minimum. The system pipe brackets for Geberit Silent-db20, the Geberit sound insulation mat Isol Flex, the insulation hose comprised of HDPE and the self-adhesive sealing tape complete the sound insulation system.

Geberit SuperTube used in drainage systems in high-rise projects offers a consistent discharge capacity of 12 litres per second.

RS90 Plus

Wall and ceiling openings as well as installation ducts can make it easier for fires in buildings to spread if they are not sealed in a proper, standard-compliant way. The Geberit fire protection sleeve RS90 Plus seals the pipe opening in case of fire and prevents smoke, fire and heat spreading to other rooms or parts of the building. The fire protection sleeve RS90 Plus can be used with all Geberit drainage systems.

Geberit HDPE

The Geberit HDPE drainage system withstands temperature extremes, pressure and aggressive media. The robust pipes are available in diameters ranging from d32 to d315, and the choice of fittings is fairly comprehensive.

“The polyethylene piping material is very light yet unbelievably tough, and the connection technologies guarantee permanent tightness and high tensile strength. The system includes detail-tested components and practical tools for the building site and workshop” Pitt notes.

Due to the fixed connection technology, Geberit HDPE is suitable for prefabrication and thereby cost-effective production of series.

Polyethylene is environment-friendly and is 100 per cent recyclable. No toxic emissions are released if processed correctly. Also, no problematic hydrochloric gases are created in the event of a fire, she adds.

Pluvia

Geberit provides efficient and sustainable roof drainage for flat roofs such as the Geberit Pluvia, which requires just half the number of roof outlets used in conventional drainage systems. It also offers impressively smaller pipe dimensions and can function with fewer connections to the sewage system. This allows Geberit to lower installation costs on one hand and reduce material consumption on the other. In turn, this has a positive effect on the carbon emissions in the field of transport and with regard to raw material and energy consumption in the production process.

Supertube

Geberit’s SuperTube technology used in drainage systems in high-rise projects offers a consistent discharge capacity of 12 litres per second with a pipe dimension of d110 without a parallel ventilation pipe. In comparison to conventional solutions, it offers shorter installation times and lower costs as well as significant material savings. This is reflected in a 50 per cent improvement in the carbon footprint.

The success of a product or technology goes hand in hand with its practicality at the building site and its economic efficiency. For this reason, the feedback and suggestions provided by plumbers from across the globe are taken into account for all new innovations and further developments at Geberit, which is the European market leader in the area of sanitary technology, particularly in the field of building drainage, Pitt concludes.