DCB20053- PLUMBING SERVICES

Topic4: DRAINAGE SYSTEM

Subtopic: Know several term related to drainage system
&
Apply principle of manhole
 DEFINITION
1. Building drainage system - All piping provided for carrying waste water, sewage, or other
drainage from the building to the street sewer or place of disposal (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of
Architecture and Construction, 2003).

2. The British Standard code of practice BS 8301.1985 gives the following definitions:

A drain conveys sewage or surface water from within a single curtilage,

A sewer conveys from more than one curtilage.

 Manhole
• Manholes are specified for sanitary sewers and storm sewers at pipe intersections and
at locations necessary to provide access to the sewer. Manholes are not installed in
traffic lanes if such an installation can be avoided.
• Manholes normally build:
Where drains change direction or gradient (slope)
Where drains join one another (at junctions)
At the head of every sewer, and
At least every 100m if the drain is installed in a straight line
• All chambers are provided with some form of cover located
at ground level and when positioned internally within a
building it should be bolted down with a greased double
seal incorporated to prevent the passage of odours.
• Manhole are deeper than 750mm and large enough for a
person to climb into them to examine the drain. The local
authority usually builds manholes to gain access to
sewerage pipes.
• When a chamber is constructed in brickwork or concrete its
wall thickness should be adequate to resist any external
pressures caused by the surrounding ground; in all cases it
should be at least 200mm thick.
• The base of the chamber should be benched up to allow
any rising water flow back into the channel.
• In chambers over 1m deep step irons or a ladder will need
to be included.
 Types of Manhole
Brick manhole
Brick manhole provide greater resistance against chemical
attack than Portland cement based materials do, and thus hold
up better when exposed to chemical waste.
Grade MS—Brick intended for use in manholes and catch
basins not requiring high degrees of abrasive resistance but
where a high and uniform degree of resistance to frost action
and disintegration is needed when the brick may be frozen when
permeated with water.
Grade MM—Brick intended for use in manholes not requiring
high degrees of abrasive resistance but where a moderate and
non uniform degree of resistance to frost action and
disintegration is needed when the brick may be permeated with
water.
 Concrete Manholes

Have been around for many years and are produced for the
domestic market as well as large sewer systems.
Rectangle sections as small as 600x450x150mm (length x
width x depth) can be easily carried by one person)
Concrete is also used on large construction projects such
as motorway and airport sites where specialist manhole
shuttering is installed and the concrete is poured on site to
form the chamber in situ.
 Preformed Plastic
Manholes
Preformed plastic manholes make the
construction of a domestic chamber very
simple.
They come in three components the manhole
base, the riser pieces (manhole rings) and the
cover and frame.
These chambers is they are easy to assemble
and its easy to achieve a water-tight
construction.
The components are lightweight and the
raising pieces are a doddle to cut to achieve
the correct height.
 Rod eyes
A rodding eye is a removable cover on the opening within a drain pipe that helps
remove an obstruction by drain rods. It is also called a "cleaning eye" or "access eye."
A rodding eye can also be defined as a pipe fitting that provides access for cleaning and
inspection.
 Factors Considered in Manhole Placement
i. The actual position of the building

ii. The size of the building

iii. The main focus of the vent pipe (pipe ventilation)

iv. Manhole distance from the vent pipe (pipe ventilation)

 Manhole sizing
Must be large enough for the maintenance work.
The minimum size of 600 mm wide and 450 mm long
Manhole size dependent:
1. Manhole depth
2. Number of branch pipes that go into the manhole.
3. Manhole depth depending on the distance and slope manhole.
4. The slope depends on pipe size used.
100mm - 1:60 (gully traps to manhole)
100mm - 1: 60n (toilet to manhole) - WC
150mm - 1:80 (from manhole to manhole)
5. The distance between the equipment into the manhole should not exceed 10m and from manhole to manhole should not
exceed 30m.
6. Interceptor trap installed in the last chamber prior to the public sewers.
 Manhole sizing
Table 1 Manhole size and depth

Table 2 Manhole slope

 Important information in sizing manhole

Formula:
Manhole depth = slope × distance
Thus,
Depth MH2 = manhole depth + depth MH1
Calculation Example - question
Calculation Example - Answer
Calculation Example - Answer
 Types of Drainage System – Combined System

This system uses a single drain to convey both

foul water from sanitary appliances and
rainwater from roofs and other surfaces to a
shared sewer.
This system has the cheapest layout as it
requires only one set of pipes, and during heavy
rainfall both house drains and sewers are
thoroughly flushed out.
There is a further disadvantage: in storms and
periods of very heavy rainfall.
Flooding and subsequent surcharging of the
drains has been known to occur.
 Types of Drainage System – Separate System
This system requires the use of two sewers one carrying foul water
to the treatment works, the other carrying surface water (which
requires no treatment) to the nearest water course of river.
It is expensive to install, but from the local authorities’ point of view
it is the most economical to operate because the volume of
sewage to be treated is far smaller than the discharge from a
combined system.
The biggest danger is that cross-connections may accidentally be
made, i.e. foul water may be connected to a surface water drain.
There is little chance of flooding at times of heavy rainfall, but the
foul water sewers are not flushed periodically with relatively pure
water as in combined systems.
It is the most commonly employed method of waste water disposal
in new towns and urban areas, especially where large housing
estates have been built, as plumbing arrangements and sewage
plants, which may already be overloaded, have only to cope with
foul water.
 Types of Drainage System – Partially Separate System
This system probably originated when towns began to grow
in size and local authorities found it necessary to try to
reduce the loading on the combined system, which in most
cases had hitherto been employed. This is something of a
compromise between the previously mentioned systems.
It requires two sewers, one carrying water from paved
areas and part of the roof, the other carrying foul water and
water from the remainder of the roof.
Some authorities permit the water falling on the front part of
the premises to be discharged into the surface water
sewer, water from other parts of the roof and paved yards
at the rear of the premises being discharged into the foul
water sewer.
The disadvantage of this system are similar to those of the
combined system, but to a lesser degree.
COMPARISON SEPARATE & COMBINED
DRAINAGE SYSTEM
 Characteristics and uses of
material for drainage pipe
Concrete Pipe PVC (polyvinyl chloride plastic) Pipe
•Concrete sewer and drainage pipes are sturdy •PVC pipes are used in a number of drainage
and durable. operations.
•One major benefit of concrete pipes is that they •PVC pipes are useful in both small and large-
are both the conduit and the pipe itself. scale operations, from creating irrigation systems
for gardens and small farms to municipal sewage
•Another benefit of concrete is that it does not projects.
burn.
•PVC pipes are commonly available in diameters
of 3, 4, and 6 inches, and are thus significantly
smaller than the competition and more
appropriate for residential use.
 Characteristics and Uses of Material for Drainage Pipe

Cast Iron Pipe

Clay pipe
•Cast iron soil pipe is one of the most common materials for drain
•Vitrified clayware is much stronger than the plastic equivalents, and is less waste & vent systems and provides several key benefits. One of its
susceptible to deformation when buried; therefore, clayware relies less on most important features is its strength.
the competence of the granular bedding material to withstand external
loading. •Cast iron pipe is also rigid, so deflection of the pipe wall is almost
non existent. This piping system is also completely fireproof and
•Clay pipes can often be laid directly into a trimmed and formed trench will not support a fire or burn away.
(known as Class D bedding)
•Cast iron has also been shown to be the longest lasting pipe. It
•Disadvantages are clayware is heavy and needs to be cut with special pipe has been in use since the 1500’s, so it has a long track record.
cutters or a power-saw.
•Cast iron also has been shown to transmit the lowest amount of
•Clayware is relatively fragile, and care must be taken during handling to noise compared to other piping systems, making it the quietest
avoid accidental breakages. pipe. Cast iron soil pipe is priced relatively higher than other
materials, such as ABS/DWV plastic pipe.
•However, the slightly high cost reference to cast iron soil pipe
compared to other materials might be justified by the noise
reduction when using cast iron.
 Characteristics and Uses of Material for Drainage Pipe
Pitch Fibre Pipe Asbestos Cement Pipe
Have a low water absorption, usually not more than 1 Asbestos cement pipe is corrosion resistant and does
percent by weight. not rust or rot.
They are resistant to hot water; they must withstand Has a smooth interior surface hat is a favorable
immersion in boiling water for 6 hours without friction factor.
disintegration or delamination.
Comes in sizes from 3-36 inches in diameter for
They have a high crushing strength, ranging from pressures of 50 to 200 psi and in lengths of 5, 10 and
16.3kN/m length for 50mm pipes to 19.2 kN/m for 13 feet.
150mm.
Light in weight, cement asbestos pipe is easy to
They have a good resistant to paraffin; there must be handle.
no reduction in their crushing strength after 10 days
immersion in paraffin.
They have a very smooth bore.
Advantages: may be laid without any concrete bed or
hunching, in bad weather, very resistant to breakage in
handling.
 Regulation Related to Building Drainage

 Lay drains in straight lines. Keep any bends to a minimum and as slow as possible.
 Lay drains with even falls.
 Provide access to drains in the form of manholes, inspection chambers and rodding eyes at regular
intervals. You should always provide access at changes in direction, fall, size etc.
 Backfill drains with materials, such as pea gravel, that will provide adequate support.
 Protect pipes from damage if they are shallow or laid in heavily trafficked areas.
 Identify anticipated flows and provide pipes of sufficient size.
 Establish the condition and water tightness of any existing drains you want to reuse.
 Design Principle for Domestic Drainage
 The layout of the system should be as simple and direct as possible and the number of bends traps and manholes kept
to a minimum.
 The pipes should be laid in straight lines, from point to point.
 The pipes should be non-absorbent, durable, and smooth in bore and of adequate strength.
 The pipes should be adequately supported without restricting movement.
 Foul water drains should be well ventilated, to prevent the accumulation of foul gases and fluctuation of air pressure
within the pipe, which could lead to the unsealing of gully or W.C. traps.
 All the parts of the drainage system should be accessible for inspection and cleaning.
 The pipes should be laid to a self-cleansing gradient that will prevent the settlement of solid matter, which might lead
blockage. The minimum gradients are I in 80 for a100.mm diameter pipe serving 5—DO housing unit and 1 in 150 for
a150 mm diameter pipe serving .10—150 housing units S: For smaller flows and short Lengths of drainage, a gradient
of 1 in 40 may be used for a 100 mm diameter drain. Flatter gradients are possible when a high standard of
workmanship and supervision can be assured. These are 1 in 130 for a 100mm diameter pipe serving 5—20 housing
units and 1 in 200 for a 150 mm diameter pipe serving 10—150 housing units. These flatter gradients save a great deal
on excavation.
 Design Principle for Domestic Drainage

 The velocity of flow should not m/s which will prevent the stranding solid matter. A maximum
velocity of 2 m/s is acceptable, but the upper limit is not considered important and on
sloping sites the drain may be allowed to follow the fall of the land. Large diameter sewers,
however, require ramps to restrict the fall on sloping sites, to permit workmen to make
necessary inspections and repairs.
 A foul water drain should never run at more than 90 per cent of its capacity. This is
equivalent to running at a depth of flow equal to three-quarters of the bore. This maximum
discharge, together with adequate ventilation, will prevent the possibility of compression of
air in the drain, which could cause unsealing of traps. Surface water drains may be
designed to run at full bore.
 Pipes should not pass under a building unless absolutely necessary and pipes should not
be laid close to building foundations.
 Design Principle for Domestic Drainage
 Pipes should not pass near trees because of the possibility of damage by the roots.
 Where possible, flexible joints should be used and the Code of Practice on drainage recommends that pipes
under buildings should have flexible joints and means of access.
 Where pipes pass through walls, a relieving arch or lintel should be provided in the wall above the pipes to
prevent the wall load bearing on the pipe.
 Bends in pipes should have a large radius of between 215 and 750mm for 100mm diameter pipes and
between 225 and 900mm for 150 mm diameter pipes.
 Branch connections should be swept in the direction of flow.
 Drain pipes should be at least 900 mm below roads and at least 600 mm below fields and gardens.
 Clay pipes under roads should have their strength increased by surrounding them with 150 mm thickness of in
situ concrete. Flexible joints should be used and a 25 mm gap should be left at the joint to give flexibility at this
point (see Fig. 8.7). Alternatively, ductile iron pipes may be used with flexible joints.
Note: The BS Code of Practice 2005, 1968, ‘Sewerage’, recommends a minimum cover of not less than 1.2 m for
sewers under roads or footpaths.
DCB20053- PLUMBING SERVICES
Topic4: DRAINAGE SYSTEM
Subtopic: Inspection, Testing & maintenance of Drainage
System
 Regulation in Drainage Inspection Testing and
Maintenance of Drainage
Methods of testing drains may be found in BS 8301:1985 the code of practice for building drainage and BS
8005:1987 the British Standard for sewerage.
Drain must be capable of withstanding a suitable test for water tightness aster all the work is done, including
backfilling.
BS 8301 states that testing should be applied after laying and before backfilling or placing a concrete surround.
A test pressure of 1.5m head of water should be applied at the high end, but not more than 4.0m at the low end.
The head should hold steady for a minimum of 30 minutes with 2 hours being the usual requirement.
Water Test
Hydraulic Test / Water Test
Air Test
Air Test
 Ball Test

This consists of passing a purpose-

made steel ball through the drain.

The ball, which is just slightly under

size of the pipe, will roll along the drain
unaided, provided that the alignment
and gradient are correct and that there
are no obstructions inside the pipe.
 Smoke Test
Smoke testing is performed periodically and the
most efficient and cost effective .
The smoke testing helps to identify areas where
an authorized water is entering the sanitary sewer
system.
During the testing, a special non toxic smoke is
forced into the sewer lines . This smoke leaves no
residuals or stains and has no effect on plants or
animals.
Smoke testing forces smoke filled-air through a
drain line. The smoke under pressure will fill the
main line plus any connections and then follow the
path of any leak to the ground surface, quickly
revealing the source of the problem. Only enough
force to overcome atmospheric pressure is
required.
 Mirror Test

This is carried out using mirrors and a

light which is diverted by the angles
mirrors.
The setting up of this test which will
indicate to the operator any
obstruction inside the pipe or any
deviation in the alignment.
A true circle of light will be visible if
the system is correctly laid and
jointed.
Drain Maintenance