Designing water systems and installations - Hydraulic approach

After having applied the fundamental laws of fluid mechanics [ TBA2515 ], the design of water supply networks (including the supply of water intended for human consumption), and wastewater evacuation and treatment systems, must take into account the hydraulic approach and thus all the flow conditions inside the pipes, whether the supply is by gravity or by backflow. These conditions are directly impacted by flow rate, fluid velocity and pipe diameter, but are also conditioned by the resultant head losses; local losses caused by pipe fittings, elbows, divergents and convergents, and appliance controls; losses due to the geography of the network.

Pipe sizing, which depends on the pipe material, its type (cast iron, steel, polished cement, concrete, plastic) and the quality of its inner wall, is covered in article [TBA2517] .