USING NEW ZEALAND BUILDING CODE CLAUSE E1 SURFACE WATER TO SIZE GUTTERS AND DOWNPIPES

DESIGN
RIGHT Sizing gutters
and downpipes
We work through an example to show how to size gutters and downpipes using
TOM EDHOUSE,
BRANZ TECHNICAL New Zealand Building Code clause E1 Surface water.
ADVISOR
downpipe
3m

fall C fall 2.5 m

NEW ZEALAND BUILDING CODE clause E1 uses plan 5m

areas of the roof to find the appropriate down- fall 1.5 m
pipe and gutter sizes. Individual roof plan areas
contribute to the total roof plan area. roof pitch 45°

Work out the roof plan areas

When working out gutter sizes, clause E1 requires
A B
gutters to be divided into sections. A section is
fall fall
the length of gutter between a downpipe and the 11 m
adjacent high point on one side of that gutter.
We will use Figure 1 as an example.
downpipe

Total roof plan area =

88 + 10 = 98 m²
downpipe

Roof plan area for A = 2m 8m

2 × 2.5 = 5
10 m
4 × 8.5 = 34
1.5 × 0.75 = 1.125
Figure 1 An example of a roof with a total plan area of 98 m².
Total A = 5 + 34 – 1.125 = 37.875 m2
Sizing downpipes Areas A and B require 74 mm diameter downpipes
Roof plan area for B = Downpipes are sized for the areas that discharge and Area C requires a 63 mm diameter downpipe
7 × 4 = 28 into them. Usually, the size for the largest (see Figure 2). Therefore, 74 mm downpipes are
4×2=8 collection area on the roof is used to size adequate for A, B and C.
Total B = 28 + 8 = 36 m² downpipes throughout. Sizing gutters
Using clause E1 Table 5 (see Figure 2) at a roof In this example, the rainfall intensity is 100 mm
Roof plan area for C = pitch of 45° for this example: per hour.
7.5 × 2.5 = 18.75 ●● 63 mm diameter downpipes serve roof plans The cross-sectional area of each section of
2.5 × 1.25 = 3.125 up to 35 m² gutter is determined from clause E1 Figure 15
3.0 × 0.75 = 2.25 ●● 74 mm diameter downpipes serve roof plans for external gutters or Figure 16 for internal
Total C = 18.75 + 3.125 + 2.25 = 24.125 m² up to 50 m². gutters.

Build 152 — February/March 2016 — 35

 d by Table 5, inte gutter size
than that require /hr the required
mm diameter sp
here. exceeds 100 mm read
passage of a 50 by taking the value Amend 2
shall be increased by the ratio
Aug 1994
and multiplying it
from the figures es how to
aph 3.2.2 describ Amend 1
of “I”/100. Paragr Sep 1993
lue of “I”.
determine the va

Pitch and Area

for Given Roof
Table Downpipe Sizes
5: Paragraph 4.2.1
Roof pitch 45-55°
35-45°
(mm) 25-35°
Downpipe size 0-25°
al sizes) wnpipe (m )
2
(minimum intern served by the do
Plan area of roof 35
40
50 50
60 60
70 90 Amend 2
63 mm diameter 85 110
200 Aug 1994
130
74 mm diameter 155 250
35
290
100 mm diameter 350 40
60
50
Amend 1
Sep 1993
150 mm diameter 60 70
65
lar 80
65 x 50 rectangu 100 80
90
rec tan gu lar 90
10 0 x 50 110 105
lar 12 0
75 x 75 rectangu 150
lar
100 x 75 rectangu

WAT E R
SURFACE SING
G AND HOU
OF BUILDIN
D E PA R T M E N T
/A S1
Figure 2 New Zealand lu tio n E1 Code clause E1 Table 5.
ab le SoBuilding
42 Ac ce pt
10 Octob er 2011

r
ternal Gutte
nal Area of Ex
Cross-sectio
Figure 15: .2 and 5.1 .3
Paragraphs 5.1

Amend 1
Sep 1993

r
ternal Gutte
nal Area of In
Cross-sectio
Figure 16: .2 an d 5.1 .3
hs 5.1 E1 Figure 15.
Figure 3 New Zealand BuildingPa ragrap
Code clause

Gutters will be the same size for all the roof This is an external gutter, so using clause E1 In this case, the cross-sectional area of a
so use the largest plan area to work out the Figure 15, plot 38–40 m² plan area on the vertical section of gutter is approximately 7,000–8,000
appropriate size gutter. The largest plan area is axis. Then read off the gutter size for the roof mm², so a 125 × 70 mm gutter (8,750 mm²) will
area A at 38 m². pitch of 45° (see Figure 3). meet the requirements of E1.

36 — February/March 2016 — Build 152