Case Studies - IKEA
A typical siphonic roof drainage
system stack. The vertical stack can
be thought of as the “pump” that
induces flow. A siphonic system
can have a reduction in pipe size
in the vertical stack to control flow
and system pressures.Demographics of Paramus, IKEA
The IKEA Home Furnishings Store in Paramus, NJ represents the first siphonic system installed in the United States. In a value engineering exercise, it was determined that siphonic roof drainage would be less expensive and the plumbing engineer’s traditional design was replaced with an engineered siphonic design. The traditional design consisted of twelve stacks each ten to twelve inches in diameter. The siphonic system consisted of only six stacks ranging from six to eight inches in size resulting in a substantial savings in pipe and fittings.
Siphonic roof drainage manifold
installed above a ceiling. The manifold
offsets easily around building
elements such as an elevator shaft,
structural steel, fire protection
piping, and ventilation.Demographics of New Haven, IKEA
IKEA Home Furnishings selected an abandoned industrial site in New Haven for this siphonic installation. The site is best described as a brownfield and the reuse of such sites is beneficial not only to the economy but also to the environment. The challenge presented by building on such a site is the cost associated with handling and treating excavated soil that may be contaminated by prior industrial activities. In addition, construction difficulties were compounded by the fact that the water table was quite high. If traditional roof drainage were used for this project, rather deep trenching would have been required. The use of siphonic roof drainage for this store eliminated hundreds of feet of trenching and minimized the depth of trenching that was necessary. The use of siphonic roof drainage made the construction of a big-box structure on a brownfield site far more economical. The use of siphonic roof drainage in this instance supports not only economic development, but also environmental preservation by “recycling” real estate.
Horizontal manifold of a siphonic
drain system in a warehouse.
drain branch ties into the manifold
with a 45° lateral. This system
level and parallel to the structure.
The overhead installation eliminates
roof drainage leaders at columns
under slab trenching.Demographics
of Atlanta, IKEA
The IKEA Home Furnishing store in Atlanta, Georgia is located in the 138 acre Atlantic Station land redevelopment site. This site was once the home to the Atlanta Steel Hoop Company. The construction of the IKEA store on this site posed two problems. First, the placement of over 230,000 square feet of roof surface on the site would have increased the site runoff rate and quantity to the culvert, which by current standards is aged and non-compliant with environmental regulations. Second, the connection to the culvert was problematic from a civil engineering perspective. The engineering solutions included underground detention tanks and pumps that were reportedly estimated at almost one million dollars in excess of initial construction estimates.
However, there was a regional storm water retention pond near the site. Unfortunately, the configuration of the site and position of the building made access to this storm drainage system impossible by traditional gravity methods. The implementation of siphonic roof drainage, on the other hand, did make it possible to drain the roof to the rear of the building where storm drainage piping could be installed below the delivery access road and off the site towards the retention pond.
Not only did IKEA realize savings with the use of siphonic roof drainage inside the building, but the company saved nearly one million dollars in site infrastructure costs, avoided a lengthy permitting process and contributed to the overall environmental revitalization of the area.
