Siphonic Roof Drainage - a PDH Online Course for Engineers, Architects and Surveyors

Siphonic Roof Drainage

John M. Rattenbury, P.E., CIPE, LEEDap

Course Outline

This twelve hour online course is intended to provide information on the background, operation and design of siphonic roof drainage systems. The course covers the underlying hydraulic theory and discusses recommended design steps to arrive at efficiently designed drainage systems. The course also covers various practical issues such as authority approvals, product specification and existing standards.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

Be able to lay out and dimension siphonic roof drainage systems;
Be knowledgeable of the background and history of siphonic roof drainage technology;
Understand the benefits of siphonic roof drainage;
Understand the differences between traditional drainage and engineered siphonic roof drainage;
Be knowledgeable of several myths and misconceptions;
Understand how siphonic roof drainage fits into existing model codes;
Be armed with information about the requirements for licensure;
Have a list of publications representing the existing body of knowledge;
Understand the fundamental hydraulic equations;
Understand the calculation of major energy losses;
Understand the calculation of minor energy losses;
Be knowledgeable of the concept of piping system curves;
Be knowledgeable of various terminology used in siphonic systems;
Be familiar with the configuration of siphonic roof drains;
Be knowledgeable of siphonic roof drain performance requirements;
Be familiar with siphonic roof drainage system flow patterns;
Be familiar with the selection of design rainfall intensity;
Be familiar with the pipe, fittings and components appropriate for siphonic systems;
Have recommendations for specification writing for siphonic systems;
Have a better understanding of the process of authority approval for siphonic systems;
See how siphonic roof drainage can be used for controlled flow systems;
Be knowledgeable about standardization of the technology;
Be familiar with the siphonic roof drainage market;
Be familiar with the academic study of multi-outlet siphonic systems;
Be familiar with the original utility patent filed with the USPTO;
Be familiar with the names of current research scientists in the field;
Be familiar with and recognize the current standards that apply to siphonic roof drainage;
Understand the aims and objectives of current research;
Be familiar with various laboratory apparatus used to test the functionality of siphonic roof drainage systems;
Be familiar with the behaviors of priming and de-priming in laboratory studies;
Be familiar with the effects to varying discharge conditions on the operation of siphonic systems;
Be familiar with the observed affects of air entrainment in laboratory studies;
Be introduced to numerical modeling of siphonic systems;
Be familiar with the effect of external loading on thermoplastic pipes;
Have an overview of previous relevant research; and
Be familiar with the performance testing methodology for siphonic roof drains.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for plumbing engineers.

Benefit to Attendees

Attendee of this course will be able to lay out and dimension siphonic roof drainage systems.

Course Introduction

This course is so far the only one of its kind. Siphonic roof drainage is easily one of the "hottest" new technologies to be introduced into the American plumbing engineering field. Siphonic roof drainage requires a certain level of technical analysis similar to engineered automatic sprinkler systems and other mechanical systems. This course provides training to the experiences plumbing engineer to impart the necessary knowledge for the layout and dimensioning of siphonic roof drainage systems. The course provider is the engineer who wrote the standards for the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). His intimate knowledge of these standards ensures that the student will have access to the relevant and important issues involved with practical application of this technology. He has actively practiced the design of siphonic systems for many years.

Course Content

The course content is in the following PDF file (737 KB):

Siphonic Roof Drainage

The following supplemental study materials are also in PDF format:

ArthurS Understanding Siphonic

BowlerR Design Considerations

WrightG Multioutlet Siphonic

Please click on the above underlined hypertexts to view, download or print the documents for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Course Summary

Related Links

For additional information related to this subject, please visit the following websites or web pages:

ANSI/ASME A112.6.9 "Siphonic Roof Drains"
ASTM F 2021 "Standard Guide for Design and Installation of Plastic Siphonic Roof Drainage Systems"
American Society of Plumbing Engineers

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.