John Lansing
@pipedreaming.bsky.social
Plumbing, building codes, engineering design guides, water and nutrient cycle, architecture, embodied carbon, development, cities, and the international variations of them all
Very rarely in the building codes/ standards world will you see a map with this stark of a contrast.
January 12, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Very rarely in the building codes/ standards world will you see a map with this stark of a contrast.
Reposted by John Lansing
So these new restrooms won't need water or sewage connections. I wonder if they're going to be like the Throne Labs set up that Caltrain's been adding recently.
January 11, 2026 at 7:32 AM
So these new restrooms won't need water or sewage connections. I wonder if they're going to be like the Throne Labs set up that Caltrain's been adding recently.
I’m guessing the plan is use
existing mass-produced portable restrooms, common at construction sites and temporary event spaces.
existing mass-produced portable restrooms, common at construction sites and temporary event spaces.
January 11, 2026 at 7:56 AM
I’m guessing the plan is use
existing mass-produced portable restrooms, common at construction sites and temporary event spaces.
existing mass-produced portable restrooms, common at construction sites and temporary event spaces.
Here’s the impact of negative pressure on the water seal of a trap. Air is being pulled from the indoor air side of the trap into the drainage system.
January 11, 2026 at 5:16 AM
Here’s the impact of negative pressure on the water seal of a trap. Air is being pulled from the indoor air side of the trap into the drainage system.
Denmark also has some of the highest Legionnaires’ disease cases in Europe, a disease with the primary source of infection being domestic hot water systems and cooling towers in buildings.
January 8, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Denmark also has some of the highest Legionnaires’ disease cases in Europe, a disease with the primary source of infection being domestic hot water systems and cooling towers in buildings.
The drains for washing machines in Asia connect into the floor rather than the wall, using special floor drain adapters like this.
January 7, 2026 at 6:25 AM
The drains for washing machines in Asia connect into the floor rather than the wall, using special floor drain adapters like this.
Vent piping is more important than fire escapes, according to this article printed in the NYT in 1875, just a few years before NYC mandated trap venting for all new construction.
PROTECTION FROM SEWER-GAS. (Published 1875)
www.nytimes.com
January 6, 2026 at 7:17 PM
Vent piping is more important than fire escapes, according to this article printed in the NYT in 1875, just a few years before NYC mandated trap venting for all new construction.
Move over Costco Condos, we’re doing Library Lodges
January 6, 2026 at 4:50 AM
Move over Costco Condos, we’re doing Library Lodges
Constantly baffled by the BIM and rendering skills of Brazilian plumbing (Hidrossanitário) engineers.
PROJETO ARQUITETÔNICO E HIDROSSANITÁRIO | REVIT + ENSCAPE #shorts #revit #enscape #engenharia
YouTube video by Erik Cavalcanti | BIM
m.youtube.com
January 4, 2026 at 9:41 PM
Constantly baffled by the BIM and rendering skills of Brazilian plumbing (Hidrossanitário) engineers.
Detergent foam restricts the drainage induced airflow that balances pressure differentials in drainage piping, making trap seal failure more likely (and often very visible). This issue is most common at kitchen sinks, floor drains, bathtubs, and washing machines but can happen at anywhere.
Retorno de Espuma no Vaso Sanitário
YouTube video by Conexão Hidráulica
m.youtube.com
January 4, 2026 at 9:18 PM
Detergent foam restricts the drainage induced airflow that balances pressure differentials in drainage piping, making trap seal failure more likely (and often very visible). This issue is most common at kitchen sinks, floor drains, bathtubs, and washing machines but can happen at anywhere.
Reposted by John Lansing
Elizabeth Denby’s Europe Re-housed (1938) tracks similar standardization efforts in Western Europe during this time period.
Special attention is made to Sweden’s standardization of construction types, materials, installation.
Special attention is made to Sweden’s standardization of construction types, materials, installation.
January 4, 2026 at 7:17 PM
Elizabeth Denby’s Europe Re-housed (1938) tracks similar standardization efforts in Western Europe during this time period.
Special attention is made to Sweden’s standardization of construction types, materials, installation.
Special attention is made to Sweden’s standardization of construction types, materials, installation.
8 years before the Great Depression, the Department of Commerce created a building and housing division within the National Bureau of Standards to solve issues with high labor and material costs, obstructive building codes and zoning regulations. Affordability solutions are right there waiting.
Schumer: "Rubio I just heard in your interview said they're doing what's good for the American people. If they want to do what's good for the American people, it should not be some escapade in Venezuela. It should be focusing on lowering the cost of living that Americans are struggling with."
January 4, 2026 at 5:37 PM
8 years before the Great Depression, the Department of Commerce created a building and housing division within the National Bureau of Standards to solve issues with high labor and material costs, obstructive building codes and zoning regulations. Affordability solutions are right there waiting.
Impact of positive pressure on a water seal (shallow trap vs deep trap). The bubbles are air from the sanitary drainage system entering the indoor space.
January 4, 2026 at 12:28 AM
Impact of positive pressure on a water seal (shallow trap vs deep trap). The bubbles are air from the sanitary drainage system entering the indoor space.
I somehow missed this update from last year.
China releases new national standards for residential buildings
China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on Monday released new national standards for residential projects, aiming to meet the people's demand for improved living quality.
english.www.gov.cn
January 3, 2026 at 3:18 AM
I somehow missed this update from last year.
Reposted by John Lansing
Correction: I picked an incorrect photo example for the commentary here since this is zinc steel not stainless steel but the photo itself is still super cool.
January 2, 2026 at 8:33 PM
Correction: I picked an incorrect photo example for the commentary here since this is zinc steel not stainless steel but the photo itself is still super cool.
Stainless steel drainage piping, as you can see here on the exterior of the building, is incredibly rare in US plumbing installations, except for the occasional commercial kitchen. It’s common in Northern Europe and is much lighter weight than cast-iron and durable to corrosion.
They blew up or ripped apart a cigarette vending machine in Rostock. Never seen that before
January 2, 2026 at 7:24 PM
Stainless steel drainage piping, as you can see here on the exterior of the building, is incredibly rare in US plumbing installations, except for the occasional commercial kitchen. It’s common in Northern Europe and is much lighter weight than cast-iron and durable to corrosion.
Earlier this year, I descended into the bowels of the Barbican to take a look at the bespoke plumbing system for kitchen sink drainage, known as the Garchey.
January 2, 2026 at 3:11 AM
Earlier this year, I descended into the bowels of the Barbican to take a look at the bespoke plumbing system for kitchen sink drainage, known as the Garchey.
Reposted by John Lansing
Economies of scale are real. Replacing the current patchwork of standards with a single set of rigorous, science-based rules to protect people's health and safety in new buildings would do a lot to help end the housing shortage.
Prefab would take off if we had uniform building regulations vs a regional hodge-podge which clearly gives the advantage to local specialists. And I mean local specialists like Weyerhauser which sells engineered products nationally through a hodge-podge of regional regs
January 2, 2026 at 12:04 AM
Economies of scale are real. Replacing the current patchwork of standards with a single set of rigorous, science-based rules to protect people's health and safety in new buildings would do a lot to help end the housing shortage.
CIBSE released ‘TM70 Tall Building Drainage Design’ at a special event in London, which includes detailed design guidance for single stack drainage configurations, informed by simulation tools developed at Heriot-Watt University. This is the most scientifically informed guidance to date.
January 1, 2026 at 12:30 AM
CIBSE released ‘TM70 Tall Building Drainage Design’ at a special event in London, which includes detailed design guidance for single stack drainage configurations, informed by simulation tools developed at Heriot-Watt University. This is the most scientifically informed guidance to date.
In an unlikely turn of events, I managed to convince the voting members of the UPC technical committee to accept my proposal, reversing the limits imposed on circuit venting. This will likely trickle down to California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Minnesota, Maine, Austin, Houston, and more.
December 31, 2025 at 5:57 AM
In an unlikely turn of events, I managed to convince the voting members of the UPC technical committee to accept my proposal, reversing the limits imposed on circuit venting. This will likely trickle down to California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Minnesota, Maine, Austin, Houston, and more.
The cultural, political, and ideological value that China places on solar is matched by production capacity. I don’t think the massive energy transition we’re seeing would have been possible otherwise.
“Over the past decade, while the United States ramped up fossil fuel exports, China has focused on dominating renewables. Today, Chinese companies make so many of the world’s solar panels, electric vehicles and batteries that they are slashing prices and scrambling to find buyers.” Gift link:
Cheap Solar Is Transforming Lives and Economies Across Africa
www.nytimes.com
December 31, 2025 at 4:00 AM
The cultural, political, and ideological value that China places on solar is matched by production capacity. I don’t think the massive energy transition we’re seeing would have been possible otherwise.
Apartment buildings, even small ones, are required to have industrial level backflow preventers to protect the public water system from contamination. Meanwhile, products that can create ideal conditions for cross-contamination of water supply with sewage are being used in single family homes.
The Best Tool I Never Knew Existed
YouTube video by Break It Yourself
m.youtube.com
December 30, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Apartment buildings, even small ones, are required to have industrial level backflow preventers to protect the public water system from contamination. Meanwhile, products that can create ideal conditions for cross-contamination of water supply with sewage are being used in single family homes.
Elevated trains are incredible
December 28, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Elevated trains are incredible
Housing costs in cities are now pushing prehistoric sharks into the suburbs.
The prehistoric shark found in a suburban town in Scotland
The fossil was so complete experts could see remains of the last meal it ate, 330 million years after it died.
www.bbc.com
December 28, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Housing costs in cities are now pushing prehistoric sharks into the suburbs.