Water Conservation and Drainage

Home Postgraduate study Building, Planning and Urban Design Water Conservation and DrainageWater Conservation and DrainageHow to apply »DeliveryFull-time, Part-timeProgramme typeResearchStudy locationEdinburghEntry dateSeptemberOverviewResearchEntry requirementsFees & scholarships Overview Drainage research at Heriot-Watt University has an international reputation based upon its numerical modelling of the water and entrained airflows within building drainage and ventilation systems and its contribution to both industrial product development and national legislation in the area of building drainage design and water conservation. The team's findings have been the basis of major UK water conservation legislation and industrial projects to aid drainage design for low water use and economic vent system provision. Researchers are also active in numerical modelling of conventional and siphonic rainwater systems and more recently, in assessing the impact of climate change on these systems. ResearchResearch projects Air pressure in building drainage systems Based on extensive site and laboratory investigations, the academics have undertaken a fundamental re-assessment of the mechanisms determining air pressure transient propagation within building drainage vent systems leading to comprehensive system simulations. Propagation of positive transients within building drainage networks has been a source of concern for decades, and the group were responsible for the invention and development of a Positive Air Pressure Attenuator in conjunction with Studor Ltd. This device acts to absorb positive air pressure transients between their source and any branch connections where trap seals may be lost as a result of positive air pressure. In addition, the team is responsible, through EPSRC and industry funding, for the first non-invasive, non-destructive, remote access monitoring system to detect depleted trap seals...