Ipswich Grammar Boarding House

Project Overview

Calibarium MEP was engaged to deliver a comprehensive MEP estimation package for a new multi-storey boarding house at an established educational institution in Ipswich, Queensland. The project encompassed full hydraulic services design quantification, including hot and cold water reticulation, sanitary drainage, stormwater management, civil external works, and an extensive fire protection system featuring both sprinkler and hydrant networks across all building levels.

Our team performed meticulous quantity take-offs across five distinct building levels (Undercroft, Lower Ground, Ground, Level 1 and Level 2), capturing every pipe run, fixture, valve and fitting with precision.

Hydraulic Services

• 121 isolation valves (20 mm) allocated per level
• 40 thermostatic mixing valves for tempered water compliance
• 5 × 8 kW heat pumps with 5 × 800 L DHW coil tanks for centralised hot water
• Potable water pump duplex system with control panel and pressure vessel
• 3 ZIP HydroTap filtered boiling / chilled water units

Sanitary Drainage

• 546 linear metres of 100 mm sewer pipe (primary soil stack)
• 40 mm – 150 mm waste and soil piping across five levels
• 55 clean-out to surface points for maintenance access
• 47 tundish connections for backflow protection
• Vent piping 65 mm – 225 mm (100+ lm combined)

Stormwater & Civil

• Stormwater drainage 100 mm – 225 mm (295+ lm total)
• 218 linear metres of 150 mm downpipes across the roof
• 20,000 L retention tank and 15,000 L detention tank
• 2 × 69,000 L irrigation tanks for landscape water re-use
• Civil stormwater 375 mm and 225 mm trunk lines (133 lm)

Fire Protection Systems

The fire protection scope was one of the most comprehensive aspects of this project: a full wet-pipe sprinkler system and hydrant network across all five levels.

Our Approach

• Level-by-level quantification: each of the five levels estimated independently for granular cost transparency.
• Riser and drop calculations: vertical runs separated for accurate structural coordination.
• Multi-discipline integration: plumbing, fire, civil stormwater and hot water plant within one coordinated package.
• Standards compliance: benchmarked to AS/NZS 3500, AS 2118 and AS 2419.
• Sustainable water management: rainwater harvesting with 138,000 L of irrigation capacity, retention / detention and treatment filtration.

Outcome & Impact

Calibarium MEP delivered a meticulously detailed estimation package that enabled the main contractor to procure materials with confidence and plan installation sequencing across the multi-level building. The fire safety quantification, spanning nearly 700 sprinkler heads and over 1,500 linear metres of fire-rated piping, demonstrated our deep expertise in complex fire protection design for educational occupancies.

Disciplines in Scope