Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 3
≈SUBSTRUCTURE AND SUPERSTRUCTURE
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≈SUBSTRUCTURE AND SUPERSTRUCTURE
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Ghana app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Applied Technology
Class: SHS 3
Term: 1st Term
Week: 17
Grade code: 3.3.2.LI.5
Strand code: 3
Sub-strand code: 3
Content standard code: 3.3.2.CS.1
Indicator code: 3.3.2.LI.5
Theme: BUILDING CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY
Subtheme: ≈SUBSTRUCTURE AND SUPERSTRUCTURE
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Good day, class. Today, we are exploring a crucial part of any building project: how we safely get rid of waste. While we have studied the main parts of a building—the substructure (foundation) and superstructure (walls, roof)—a building is not truly functional without its services. These are like the veins and arteries of the building. One of the most important services is the waste disposal system. In Ghana, improper waste disposal leads to serious health problems like cholera and malaria, and environmental issues like choked gutters and polluted water bodies.
A. Types of Waste in a Building
First, let's understand what we are dealing with. Waste from a building is broadly categorised into two types: Liquid Waste: This is wastewater generated from daily activities. It is further divided into: Soil Waste (or Blackwater): Wastewater from water closets (WCs) that contains human excreta. It is highly infectious. Sullage (or Greywater): Wastewater from kitchens, bathrooms (showers, washbasins), and laundry areas. It contains soap, food particles, and grease but not human excreta. It is less infectious than soil waste. Solid Waste (or Refuse): This includes all solid materials discarded from a household or building. Examples: Food scraps (from kenkey, fufu, etc.), plastic packaging (water sachets, bottles), paper and cardboard, metal cans, glass bottles, and general household rubbish. B. Key Components of a Liquid Waste Disposal System
Before we discuss the installation sequence, let's identify the parts we will be working with. For a typical Ghanaian home that is not connected to a central sewer line, the system includes: Sanitary Fixtures: These are the appliances you use, e.g., Water Closet (WC), sink, shower, bath. Traps: A U-shaped bend in a pipe located beneath a fixture. It holds a small amount of water to create a "water seal" that prevents foul-smelling gases from the drain pipes from entering the room. Waste Pipe: A small-diameter pipe (usually 32mm-50mm) that carries sullage (greywater) from sinks, showers, and washbasins. Soil Pipe: A larger-diameter pipe (usually 100mm) that carries soil waste (blackwater) from the WC. Vent Pipe (or Vent Stack): A vertical pipe that extends to the roof, allowing sewer gases to escape and maintaining atmospheric pressure in the drainage system to prevent the siphoning of water from traps. Inspection Chamber / Manhole: A covered chamber built with concrete blocks or precast concrete rings, providing access to the underground drains for inspection, cleaning, and clearing blockages. They are placed at points where drains change direction, change gradient, or at junctions. Septic Tank: A large, underground, watertight container (usually made of concrete blocks or reinforced concrete) where solid waste settles and is broken down by anaerobic bacteria. The liquid effluent flows out for further treatment. Soakaway (or Soak Pit): A pit filled with hardcore (broken stones/rocks) into which the liquid effluent from the septic tank is discharged. The liquid then gradually "soaks away" into the surrounding soil. C. Schedule of Works for Liquid Waste (Sanitary Plumbing) Installation
This is the main focus. "Schedule of works" simply means the step-by-step procedure from start to finish. For a new residential building, the process is as follows: