one branch instead of several branches

[alizafari1]

As you see in the picture, we have a GRP pressurized fire water header line with a couple of branches that diverge from it to distribute water to different users. In our project the designer has used separate pipe for each line of mentioned users. I think we can diverge one branch from the header (instead of three branches in the picture) and diverge it to three branches near the destination. By doing this, we can greatly reduce the costs of excavation, material and construction. Is it technically possible or not. If it's not, please clarify the criteria.

 

[Yuze]

what does GRP mean?
I think you are right. You can use one bigger size piping as a main instead of three small branches.

 

[zdas04]

GRP is "Glass Reinforced Plastic", i.e. "fiberglass".

The water really doesn't care where it is segregated as long as you get your pipe sizes right. There weren't pipe sizes on the drawing, but let's pretend that all three lines were 4-inch. If you simply look at flow area (a reasonable first approximation in water flow) then 3 4-inch pipes have the same flow area as a mythical 7-inch pipe. I would do my hydraulics calcs with a single 8-inch. If there was enough safety margin in the 4-inch decision (e.g., the hydraulics worked out to needing 3.1 inch so the designer rounded up to 4-inch) then you might find that 6-inch would be fine.

David