Pluvia premiere at the airport Syphonic roof drainage system

Almost 30 million people take off or land at Zurich Airport every year. While they are travelling all over the world, the Geberit Pluvia roof drainage system remains in place. It has been proving its efficiency there since 1985.

The sky is shrouded in an endless grey and the rain pelts relentlessly against the windows. At times like these, many travellers long for the sun and the beach. Airports like the one in Zurich are mobility hubs and at the same time gateways to sunnier climes. While travellers escape the dreary weather, the airport is literally left out in the rain.

Syphonic drainage against rain 

Bird's eye view of Terminal B at Zurich Airport (early 1980s) (© Swissair)

This is where Geberit Pluvia comes into play. In 1985, Zurich Airport was one of the first major projects to utilise the then revolutionary roof drainage system.

Pluvia shows what it can do on the flat roofs of Terminals A and B: Rainwater is literally sucked off the roof by the syphonic system. This means fewer pipes and smaller pipe diameters than with conventional solutions. There is also no need to install the pipes with a slope.

All this makes the installation much more flexible. In addition, the system is self-cleaning thanks to the high flow velocity.

Already introduced in 1979 

Interior photo from the 1980s of Terminal B at Zurich-Kloten Airport (© ETH-Bibliothek Zürich)

Zurich Airport undergoes a massive expansion in the 1980s. A new terminal, a new control tower and a new multi-storey car park are built. This is necessary: passenger numbers rise to almost 10 million and aircraft movements to 200,000 per year.

When the system is installed at Zurich Airport, it already bears the name Pluvia. However, Geberit had already introduced the product six years earlier - under the name “UV drainage system“. The German abbreviation UV stands for “negative pressure, complete filling“.

The technology comes from Scandinavia and is constantly being refined by Geberit. The original copper inlet pot was replaced by a plastic version and installation was greatly simplified.

Pluvia sets new standards 

Today, Geberit Pluvia is still the leader in roof drainage. Thanks to its innovative technology, high reliability and simple installation, it remains the preferred choice for architects and engineers. Whether in airports, museums or sports arenas, Pluvia has proven itself as a reliable system worldwide.

Facts 

Geberit Know-how

Geberit products used in the project