GB2317626A

GB2317626A - Waste pipe installations in buildings

Info

Publication number: GB2317626A
Application number: GB9620089A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dennis Michael Kostenko; Terence Ronald Mellors
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-09-26
Filing date: 1996-09-26
Publication date: 1998-04-01
Anticipated expiration: 2016-09-26
Also published as: GB2317626B; GB9620089D0

Abstract

A waste pipe block (10), for incorporating into a building wall, includes a waste pipe (20) extending therethrough for subsequently coupling waste pipe systems within the building to waste pipe systems outside the building. The waste pipe block preferably matches standard brick gauges in order to avoid disruption to the course of bricks. The pipe (20) can be fitted into a conduit embedded in the block, or can be set directly in to the block itself. The ends of the pipe may be male or female fittings, and may extend from, or be recessed in, the blocks. The end faces of the blocks can be textured or provided with a mesh face, and the blocks can have drip channels (38).

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO WASTE PIPE INSTALLATION IN BUILDINGS The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for installing waste pipe systems into buildings and in particular to installing such systems through building walls. The invention relates to both commercial and residential buildings.

It is conventional building practice to install waste pipe systems after construction of the building wails. Typically, waste pipe systems include feeder waste pipes originating within the building, for example in bathrooms, kitchen, utility rooms and the like, and these feeder pipes must pass through the external walls of the building before connection to a down pipe or soil stack affixed to the outer wall of the building.

Typically, the external walls are of known cavity-type construction with outer and inner walls separated by a cavity of standard thickness.

The installation of waste pipe systems after construction of the building walls is expedient from the point of view of scheduling labour, in that brick-laying skills and plumbing skills are not required at the same time. However, it does present disadvantages in that it is necessary for the brickwork of the building walls to be chopped out or drilled through in order to install the waste pipe systems. This is a difficult task and results in irregular or oversized holes through which the waste pipes must be placed. This task is also often carried out in places which have restricted access inside the building, or which are well above ground level on an outer wall of the building and therefore has clear disadvantages and dangers.

Frequently, a whole brick, or half brick must be completely removed leaving a rectangular shaped aperture through which a circular cross-section waste pipe will pass. An additional complication is that the inner and outer walls of cavity walls are typically constructed of different materials having different unit sizes, eg. brick and breeze block. Thus removal of one brick in an outer wall would correspond to only partial brick removal on the inner wall.

Drilling the walls is not usually convenient since drills of an appropriate waste pipe diameter are expensive and not normally available on a building site. Even where a drill is used, breakage of bricks is common, thereby still leaving an irregular aperture.

Thus, after installation of the waste pipe system, it is necessary to make good the irregular or inappropriately shaped hole around the pipe.

This is an awkward task both inside and outside the building and difficult to effect tidily. In addition, this requires the carrying of sand and cement material by the plumber which is inconvenient, or requires the return of a builder to make good around the hole which again complicates the scheduling of labour. Making good around the holes is further complicated by the fact that it is not generally possible to effect this remedial activity until after complete assembly of the waste pipe system: however, once the waste pipe system is in place, it tends to obscure access to the parts of the walls requiring remedial work.

Failure to timely and properly make good the holes for the plumbing can cause undesirable ingress of water, insects or rodents into the building or cavity wall.

Where waste pipes are being installed through a building wall, connection of internal and external waste pipes generally requires cooperation of two persons in order to satisfactorily align and connect the systems on both sides of the wall simultaneously without disturbing pipework already installed. This, too, is not always convenient from the point of view of scheduling labour.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for installing waste pipe systems through building walls.

In a general aspect, the present invention provides a buidling block or brick for incorporation into a building wall, which building block has, affixed therein and passing therethrough, a pipe adapted to convey waste fluids therethrough. In one embodiment, the pipe is adapted for direct connection to standard waste pipe fittings. In another embodiment, the block is adapted to be incorporated into both walls of a cavity wall construction.

According to one aspect, the present invention provides a waste pipe block for installation into a building wall, the waste pipe block comprising: a plurality of walls together defining a block volume of substantially rectangular cross-section; a pipe extending through the block between opposing first and second end faces; said pipe being adapted to convey fluids through the block and further adapted to be coupled to waste pipe fittings at each end thereof.

According to another aspect, the present invention comprises a method of installing a waste pipe system through a building wall, the method including the steps of: during construction of the building wall, including within brickwork of the wall a waste pipe block according to the foregoing paragraph; after construction of the building wall, attaching waste pipe systems to both sides of the waste pipe block.

According to another aspect, the present invention provides a waste pipe block for installation into a building wall, the waste pipe block comprising: a plurality of walls together defining a block volume of substantially rectangular cross-section; a conduit extending through the block between opposing first and second end faces adapted to receive a waste pipe therethrough; said conduit including engagement means for engaging the pipe at each end, which engagement means include water tight seals to prevent passage of moisture through the block between the pipe and the conduit.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a waste pipe block according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional side view, through the pipe centreline, of a building cavity wall with a waste pipe block installed; Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional side view, through the pipe centreline, of a building cavity wall with a waste pipe block installed according to an alternative arrangement; Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional plan view, through the pipe centreline, of a waste pipe block incorporating a waste pipe manifold; Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional side view, through the pipe centreline, of a waste pipe block including a pipe connection cavity; Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional side view, through the pipe centreline, of a waste pipe block installed in a wall with cloaking plate; and Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional side view, through the pipe centreline, of a building cavity wall with a further embodiment of waste pipe block installed.

With reference to figure 1, there is shown a waste pipe block 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The waste pipe block 10 comprises four walls 11, 12, 13, 14 which define a substantially rectangular cross-section of the block, which extends longitudinally between a first end face 15 and a second end face 16.

Extending longitudinally through the block 10 is a waste pipe 20 (shown in dotted outline) which, in the embodiment shown in figure 1, projects out beyond the first end face 15 in order to provide a male coupling 22 which is adapted to co-operate with other standardized pipe fittings (not shown). The opposite end of the pipe 20 may similarly project out beyond the second end face 16.

The block 10 is preferably formed from a ceramic, synthetic or plastics material which is suitable for incorporation into a building wall as will be described in connection with figure 2. The pipe 10 is preferably formed from a plastics material suitable for conveying fluids therethrough, for example polypropylene.

The block is preferably of a suitable size so that it can be incorporated into a brick wall without substantially disturbing the course of bricks. For example, in one embodiment, the height of the block (distance between top and bottom walls 11, 13) is the same as a standard brick gauge height, eg. 65 mm, and the width of the block (distance between the side walls 12, 14) is the same as a standard brick gauge length, eg. 215 mm. The width of the block could also conveniently be a half-brick length. It will be understood that the size of the block may be varied according to the gauge of bricks being used, eg. metric or imperial.

With reference to figure 2, a waste pipe block 10 is shown incorporated into a cavity wall of a building, the cavity wall being of conventional construction including an outer brick wall 30 and an inner breeze block wall 31 with cavity 32 therebetween. In this illustration, the waste pipe block 10 dimensions correspond to standard breeze block gauge, eg. three brick heights, suitable for carrying large gauge waste pipe.

The length of the waste pipe block 10 (distance between the first and second end faces 15, 16) is preferably adapted to correspond to the total wall thickness, including the inner and outer walls 30, 31 and the cavity 32. The waste pipe block length may also allow for the thickness of plaster 34 on the inner wall, so that the first end face 15 lies flush with the outer surface of the brick wall 30 while the second end face 16 lies flush with the inside surface of the plastered inner wall 31. In this instance, the block 10 length is preferably approximately 250 mm.

In the arrangement shown in figure 3, the waste pipe block 10 length is slightly shorter than in figure 2, in order that the second end face 16 may be plastered over. In this case, the pipe 20 preferably projects beyond the second end face 16. A cloaking ring 36 may be used to provide a neat finish around the pipe after plastering and this cloaking ring may also form an integral part of the connection to an internal waste pipe system of the building.

Also illustrated in figure 3 is a water trap in the form of a groove 38 extending around the four walls 11-14 of the block to prevent water or moisture from traversing the cavity by running along any wall of the block. The groove could be replaced by a raised lip to achieve the same objective.

Referring again to figure 1, various other desirable features of the block will now be described. Spacing lugs 40 or wedges may be provided projecting from any or all of the walls 11-14 of the block 10. These spacing lugs 40 enable the block 10 to be positioned accurately within a course of bricks allowing for the mortar thickness between bricks. These spacing lugs 40 are particularly advantageous where a block 10 is introduced into a wall 30 after construction, as will be described hereinafter. The spacing lugs or wedges may be formed as an integral part of the block 10 as shown in the figure, or may be supplied as separate or detachable strips or wedges which can be inserted to position the block and/or to hold it in place while mortar sets. The spacing lugs or wedges may extend the full length of the block or may be shorter, for example, for insertion only at each end of the block.

The block 10 may include a single waste pipe 20, multiple waste pipes 20, or, of particular utility in plumbing toilet systems, may include a waste pipe 20 and an overflow pipe 24 as shown in figure 1.

With reference to figure 4, the waste pipe block may include a plurality of pipes 41, 42, 43 which are interconnected by a manifold 50.

This arrangement allows waste pipes within the building to be merged within the building wall so that two or more inlets 44, 45, 46 are fed to a single outlet 47. Unused inlets could be capped or plugged in known manner. In this arrangement, or in other arrangement described, the waste pipe block might be provided in a pre-capped or plugged state to maintain the building in a sealed condition until the waste pipe system is installed. The caps or plugs could be integrally formed with the pipe 20 with a frangible connection to the pipe so that they can readily be knocked out.

The ends of pipes 20, 44-47 may be terminated in a number of ways to suit the particular building application and waste pipe systems being used. The ends 51, 52 of the pipe may be either male or female fittings and may be adapted for connection to any one of a number of standard systems, such as push-fit or screw-fit rubber-sealed systems, or to solvent weld systems. The pipe ends 51, 52 may project beyond end faces 15, 16 as shown in figures 1 to 4 or, as shown in figure 5, may be recessed into cavities 53, 54 respectively to enable a concealed joint.

Although the pipe 20 is generally shown as passing through the waste pipe block 10 orthogonally to the first and second end faces 15, 16, it will be understood that the pipe 20 could pass through at an oblique angle, for example to enhance drainage therethrough.

The first or second end face 15, 16 for deployment on the inside wall of the building could be provided with a textured finish or mesh face to enhance plaster adhesion thereto. The first or second end face 15, 16 of the waste pipe block 10 for deployment on the outside wall of the building could be provided with a finish to give the appearance of brick, or be textured to enhance adhesion of exterior rendering.

With reference to figure 6, the waste pipe block could be provided with a rectangular cloaking plate 60 extending around the periphery of the end face 15, 16 which can be plastered or cemented into place by cement layer 61 to conceal the interface between the block 10 and the adjacent brickwork, mortar or plaster of wall 30 or 31. This function could also be provided by way of an integrally formed flange generally extending the area of the first or second end faces beyond the substantially rectangular cross-sectional area defined by the four walls 11-14. The cloaking plate 60 may alternatively be provided with an engagement means to couple it to the block 10, for example by friction fit against the walls 11-14 of the block 10, or by engagement of a biased lug with a detent (not shown).

With reference to figure 7, the waste pipe block could be provided with a rectangular cloaking plate 70 which extends around the periphery of the end face 16 having a flange 71 which covers the plaster to waste block interface. The body 73 of the cloaking plate 70 snaps into place in a recess 72 of the waste pipe block 10 as shown.

In use, the waste pipe block 10 is preferably incorporated into the building wall at the brick laying stage. Because the waste pipe block can be made to correspond to brick dimensions, it is easily incorporated without disruption to the brick course, and without breaking bricks into odd sizes. Even where there is mismatch between brick sizes, for example where the waste pipe block corresponds in size to an outer wall brick dimension, but not to an inner wall breeze block dimension, the bricklayers are more likely to have the appropriate skills and/or equipment for breaking bricks to the appropriate size and integrating the waste pipe block 10 into the wall than, for example, a plumber attempting to tackle the job retrospectively.

Wall fixing ties (not shown) may be provided extending outwards from any or all of the four walls 11-14 of the waste pipe block 10, and these can be incorporated into the surrounding mortar in known manner.

Where the waste pipe block 10 is adapted for flush fitting to a plastered inner surface of the inner wall 31, as shown in figure 2, the block is set in the wall to protrude beyond the inner wall inner surface by an appropriate plaster depth. Plastering may then conveniently be carried out either before or after installation of a waste pipe system and its connection to the waste pipe block 10.

Where the waste pipe block 10 is adapted for concealed fitting beneath the plaster 34 of an inner wall 31, as shown in figure 3, the block is set into the wall flush with both outer and inner surfaces. Plastering may then be carried out up to the protruding end of the pipe 20, possibly using the cloaking ring 36 to provide a neat finish after plastering.

The waste pipe block 10 is also advantageous for installation of a waste pipes in an existing wall. Drilling of large diameter holes in cavity walls is not an easy task and requires special drilling equipment not often available. The complete removal of an entire brick or half-brick is more easily achieved in practice, and the waste pipe block 10 may then be slid into place. In this mode of use, the spacing lugs or wedges 40 are particularly advantageous as they position the block 10 correctly in line with the course of bricks and allow pointing in of cement to be carried out above, below and around the block. The insertion of wedges to hold the block tightly in place is also advantageous in holding the block firmly while waste pipework is being assembled and attached to the pipe 20, thereby resisting movement of the block even where the block has not yet been cemented in place.

The cloaking plate 60 is also particularly advantageous when a block is being installed in an existing wall. The plate 60 can be used to temporarily cover gaps around the block which have not yet been made good, or may enable installation of the block 10 to effected tidily without requiring any remedial cementing or plastering to be carried out, by concealing any gaps around the block I wall interface.

The present invention provides a number of other advantages.

There is no need to cut pipe lengths on site to pass through building walls and thus there will be no burrs or other damage to the ends of the pipe passing through the wall which could damage seals or the like causing water seepage into the cavity wall. The pipe through the wall can be immovable and connections to either side can be made independently without risk of pushing pipe systems through the wall to damage or displace fittings on the other side. The interface between the pipe and the wall is factory finished thus minimizing any risk of gaps or cavities through which water, insects or rodents might travel. The block may be manufactured for any size of wall, and may be used for single internal walls as well as external solid and cavity walls. The block can provide a convenient interface between two different types of waste pipe system, eg.

the exterior grade soil pipe stack systems, and the internal 32 or 40 mm polypropylene fittings.

Although the embodiments described above show a pipe 20 rigidly affixed or set directly into the body of the waste pipe block, it will be understood that a sleeve or block lining arrangement could surround the pipe 20 passing through the block. This would enable a pipe 20 which has become damaged to be removed from the waste pipe block 10 and replaced without requiring replacement of the entire block. In this case, the waste pipe block could provide a sleeve or conduit passing through the block with means for engaging the pipe at each end, which means include water tight seals to prevent passage of moisture through the block between the pipe 20 and the sleeve.

Although the waste pipe block 10 has been described above as comprising four solid walls 11-14 defining a cuboid block, it will be understood that the block could be manufactured generally having a plurality of walls which together define a block volume of the required substantially rectangular cross-section suitable for interfacing with the wall brickwork. For example, this could be achieved by providing top and bottom walls 11, 13 spaced apart from one another by vertical struts or a lattice. It will also be understood that the walls need not be continuous but could include a perforated or mesh structure to assist binding with mortar or could have indented or concave portions to provide an additional volume for receiving cement, eg. similar to a conventional brick profile having an indented top surface.

Claims

1. A waste pipe block for installation into a building wall, the waste pipe block comprising: a plurality of walls together defining a block volume of substantially rectangular cross-section; a pipe extending through the block between opposing first and second end faces; said pipe being adapted to convey fluids through the block and further adapted to be coupled to waste pipe fittings at each end thereof.

2. A waste pipe block according to claim 1 in which the substantially rectangular cross-section is of dimensions approximately equal to a standard brick gauge height and length.

3. A waste pipe block according to claim 1 in which the substantially rectangular cross-section is of dimensions approximately equal to a standard brick gauge height and half a standard brick gauge length.

4. A waste pipe block according to any one of claims 1 to 3 further including a plurality of pipes extending therethrough between the first and second end faces.

5. A waste pipe block according to any preceding claim further including a plurality of spacing lugs or wedges projecting from any or all of the four walls.

6. A waste pipe block according to any preceding claim further including a water trap extending at least partially around said block.

7. A waste pipe block according to any preceding claim in which one or both ends of said pipe are provided with standard male or female waste pipe fittings.

8. A waste pipe block according to any preceding claim in which one or both ends of the pipe are recessed behind the respective first or second end face.

9. A waste pipe block according to any preceding claim in which one or both ends of the pipe project beyond the respective first or second end face.

10. A waste pipe block according to any preceding claim in which the pipe extends through the block between the first and second end faces at an oblique angle.

11. A waste pipe block according to any preceding claim in which one of the first and second end faces includes a mesh for enhancing plaster adhesion to said end face.

12. A waste pipe block according to any preceding claim further including a cloaking plate or flange adapted to extend the area of said first or second end face beyond the substantially rectangular cross-sectional area of said defined block volume.

13. A waste pipe block according to claim 12 in which the cloaking plate is detachable.

14. A waste pipe block according to any preceding claim further including at least one wall fixing tie extending outward from said block.

15. A waste pipe block according to any preceding claim in which said pipe includes a manifold within said block connecting a plurality of pipe connections at the first end face of the block to a single pipe connection at the second end face of the block.

16. A waste pipe block for installation into a building wall, the waste pipe block comprising: a plurality of walls together defining a block volume of substantially rectangular cross-section; a conduit extending through the block between opposing first and second end faces adapted to receive a waste pipe therethrough; said conduit including engagement means for engaging the pipe at each end, which engagement means include water tight seals to prevent passage of moisture through the block between the pipe and the conduit.

17. A method of installing a waste pipe system through a building wall, the method including the steps of: during construction of the building wall, including within brickwork of the wall a waste pipe block according to claim 1; after construction of the building wall, attaching waste pipe systems to both sides of the waste pipe block.

18. A method according to claim 17 in which the waste pipe block is integrated into both the internal and external walls of a cavity wall.