What is the purpose of drainage infrastructure?

Drainage is a complex of engineering communications, thanks to which ground, as well as melt and rain moisture, does not linger on the site, which reduces the risk of waterlogging of the area. It will naturally move away from the foundations, which will prevent the soil from moving and squeezing the building out due to frost heaving.

Point, or local, drainage allows you to divert water from any specific areas. It is installed, for example, under roof drains, in the area where taps are installed for watering or washing the car.

The linear design is focused on removing moisture from large areas of the local area. In this case, various trays and channels are used, supplemented with sand traps, protective gratings, etc.

deep construction

A more effective way to drain the site and protect it from the accumulation of excess moisture is to install a set of discharge pipes. They are laid with an inclination towards the well or collector.

Installation of pipes can be carried out at a depth of up to 1.5 m, i.e. will be below the base of the foundation. So you can ensure high-quality groundwater drainage. Therefore, they are laid not only along the perimeter of buildings, but also in the middle of the site in a herringbone pattern towards the well in increments of 10-20 m.

If the house is on a slope, then it is easier to equip such a system compared to the situation when the building is located on a flat area. In this case, it is necessary to vary the depth of the trenches, creating a slope of 10-30 mm per 1 m of the pipe.

But for long drains, a large height difference occurs, which significantly disrupts the design. In this case, it is recommended to use several wells:

• Swivel — are installed at the junction of pipes and serve to clean the entire system.
• Water intake — used to collect moisture, followed by forced pumping.
• Absorption — with a depth of more than 2 m with the possibility of removing excess water through the bottom into sandy or sandy loamy soil. At the bottom of such a well, a filter layer is created from sand, gravel, crushed stone.

In the photo of the drainage system, equipped in summer cottages, you can see the specifics and differences between the proposed two technologies.

Arrangement of surface drainage

Despite the fact that this option does not require complex engineering calculations, the drainage scheme for the site should still be. This option is universal when draining small areas. It is recommended to prepare a track built by a herringbone. The distance between the drains depends on the characteristics of the soil. For example, for clay soils it is less, for sandy soils it is more.

In the process of carrying out the work, a groove is dug up to a depth of 350 mm. If communications are placed in sandy soil, then the width of the trench will be the same. For clay soils and loams, a wider base is required — up to 450 mm. It is necessary to equip one central conduit, where all the side pipes should be directed.

The water inlet must be installed at the bottom of the site. The dimensions of the pit for the well are determined by the size of the tank. If you plan to install on sandy soil, then the option with a filter well is suitable.

In order for the drainage of water from the site to be most effective, the slope must be strictly observed. To check, a good pressure of water is passed through the trench. If it passes quickly and without delay in the connecting blocks of drains, then the structure is built correctly. In case of delays, the grooves must be corrected for the slope.

The ditch or their system must be covered with a film or tarpaulin. The geotextile used, for example, should not only cover the bottom, but also go onto the slopes. The insulating material must be securely fixed with nails, and reinforced with spacers on the walls.

The bottom of the trench should be covered with a layer of wood chips of 100 mm, and then with fine gravel, crushed stone or previously removed soil. The groove can also be concreted, but this method is more laborious and costly. Installing drain pipes and storm drains will improve the quality of the entire drainage system.

Deep drainage construction

If you want to know how to make drainage on a site that protects your country house from flooding as much as possible, then you need to study in detail the technology for arranging a deep structure. It is especially needed in areas with high groundwater levels. The technology under consideration will help to ideally drain the land, while maintaining the external presentability of the landscape.

At the initial stage, a plan is created with lines drawing the locations of the pipes. The direction of withdrawal is from the slope. The depth of laying pipes is determined by the type of soil — for a sandy type, a trench digs 1 m, and for dense soil, 0.5 m is enough.

Take into account the ambient temperature in winter. Indeed, in prolonged frosty weather, there is a risk of a pipe rupture with water residues, and soil movements can easily crush them.

Drainage of a site with a high level of groundwater will become more reliable and durable if perforated plastic pipes are used. Additionally, they should be covered with textiles for better insulation.

The width of the trenches is more than 300 mm. All pipes are reduced to a common system that provides moisture discharge to a single point. It is necessary to provide a slope of 20-40 mm per 1 m of the pipe.

At the lower point of the territory, a receiving well is equipped. If the arrangement area is small, then accumulative and filtering types of receivers are applicable. Vast areas with clay soils and loams are equipped with storage wells up to 1000 liters in volume.

The bottom of the trenches is covered with fine gravel, and geofabric is laid on top of it. It is important to ensure that the material overlaps the slopes and pegs. Crushed stone, medium in fraction, should be poured from above. And only then should the pipe be installed. Its diameter must be at least 110 mm.

Where the drain turns, manholes should be installed, the dimensions of which depend on the predicted volume of moving water. The pipe is joined to the mounting hole using a coupling with pre-treatment with a sealant.

This technology is also used when attaching the drain to the well pipe. This is the only way you will be able to make good drainage in your summer cottage. Don’t forget to test the system!

On the laid pipe are laid in layers:

• fine gravel;
• geotextile;
• career sand;
• priming.

Excessive accumulation of water in the soil in the country can spoil all the impressions of the rest. Therefore, homeowners should be extremely careful about installing a drainage system that allows them to drain sedimentary and groundwater in a timely manner and in full.

It’s not easy to do this, but it’s necessary. So you protect the foundation of the house and the fertile layer of soil in the garden.

Photo of drainage on the site