Drying of the clay area. Drainage of clay soil - the secrets of drainage. Organization of the surface system

In some places, groundwater comes close enough to the surface of the earth. Another problem can be heavy rainfall and water generated during snowmelt. Excessive moisture causes the death of crops, destroys the foundation of the house and household buildings. The solution to the problem will allow the creation of a do-it-yourself drainage system. This is a labor-intensive process in which a significant amount of land work is performed.

All work can be in vain if you do not create a drainage system on the site in time

It is desirable to deal with the arrangement of drainage at the stage of development of a summer cottage or garden plot. At the same time, it is necessary to collect information about the state of the land, professional hydrogeological studies and a system design are needed. However, most gardeners bypass this stage and create drainage in their small area on their own, based on a specific situation.

What water should be drained?

There are several sources of moisture entering the site, and a different approach is important to eliminate the influence of each of them. They are characterized by their own characteristics and require different actions to drain water.

ground water

Such waters have a pronounced seasonal character and appear in spring. Groundwater has a source of inflow and an outflow zone. They are more common in sandy soil.

The fact of the presence of groundwater can be established using wells. It is important to note the level of infiltrated moisture during drilling and compare it with the steady state level after a certain time after its appearance.

The drainage system must be installed when the groundwater level is 0.5 m below the foundation. In a different situation, there is a threat of gradual destruction of the foundation and an obstacle to the normal development of plants. It is necessary to create a system of channels and drainage pipes mounted at a depth of 25-35cm. below groundwater level. In this option, moisture will be removed to the lowlands, and waterlogging of the soil can be prevented.

Control well drilling

surface water

Clay soils are one of the reasons for excess water in the garden. Such soils are dense, do not pass moisture well. After rainy days, snow melting, water stagnation is observed on clay lands. Puddles interfere with normal movement around the site, the soil slips underfoot, and the roots of plants are deprived of air exchange. Drying, it becomes covered with a crust, which is not easy to loosen and dig.

Upper level waters

Verkhovodka - waters that, after being absorbed by the soil, encounter an obstacle in the form of a viscous layer of clay, which delays further penetration. This situation occurs on the ground with highly placed water-resistant layers, which usually indicates construction errors. They are evidenced by situations when, as a result of rain, puddles remain on the site and in the dug channels for a long time, after a certain time after construction is completed, moisture appears on the walls of the basement.

To drain the perch, you will have to equip the drainage of the garden plot with your own hands (the best solution is a system of drainage channels). Backfilling the foundation with clay, followed by tamping, will protect the foundation from upper-level waters. Next, a blind area is made, wider than the backfill, and storm drains are diverted. During work, it is important to exclude the formation of pockets where water could stagnate.

Scheme of the concrete blind area

On an inclined site, it is advisable to equip terraces and concrete retaining walls, along which it is important to place drainage ditches. To resist the top water in the dachas located below the others will allow adding soil, since there is nowhere else to dump wastewater. An alternative is to draw drainage through neighbors' gardens or along a common road to a reservoir.

Budget options for protection against excess moisture

If it is possible to do without the expensive arrangement of the drainage system, you can try other measures:

organization of the blind area;
organization of storm sewers;
arrangement of upland ditches;
foundation waterproofing.

It makes sense to place the upland ditch on a slope, next to the site. It is located higher, "intercepts" the water, takes it to the gutter or pond.

Waterproofing is carried out at the foundation construction stage, laying a layer of modern waterproofing material on top of the foundation. Additionally, the inner surface of the walls of the lower floor and basement is treated with penetrating waterproofing.

Storm sewers will not allow water to destroy the foundation of the house

Types of drainage

If none of the budget options suits or does not lead to the desired effect, you will have to arrange the drainage of the site with your own hands. According to the principle of creation, it is local and general. Local drainage solves specific problems (drainage of basement floors, building foundations). The general one is created when the entire territory of the site or its waterlogged part is drained.

Types of implementation of drainage systems

Several schemes of drainage systems have been developed on the territory of the site:

Ring. Drainage pipes form a closed loop around the site, the house. They are laid 25-35 cm below the groundwater level. The scheme is rarely used due to the complexity of implementation (often a serious depth is required for the location of the drainage system).
Wall. It helps to divert water from the walls, so it is settled at a distance of 1.5-2.5 m from them. At the same time, the drain is located 5-10 cm below the level of rubble under the floor of the basement.
Systematic. Developed and evenly distributed network of drainage canals throughout the territory. Drains are laid with a certain, pre-calculated step.
Beam. It consists of a system of channels and drains, combined into a common system, resembling a Christmas tree in appearance. Installed to prevent flooding.
Plast. It removes the top water and is used in conjunction with the wall drainage system when creating a slab foundation. Reservoir drainage - layers of non-metallic materials poured into the pit, and waterproofing. Reinforcement is laid on top of them, and then the foundation is poured.

Mounting methods

The type of drainage system is determined individually, based on the tasks to be solved at the site. The way to install them is as follows:

Closed. Excess water through special holes enters the drainage pipes, through which it is discharged into a storage well or reservoir. This outlet is well suited for soils with a high content of sand that pass water well.
Open. On the territory of the site (or around), channels with walls at an angle of 20-30º are carefully dug out, ceramic or concrete catchment trays are laid in them. To protect against debris brought by the wind, the ditches are covered with gratings. To prevent the canal walls from crumbling, their slopes are strengthened with stones or plants are planted.
Zasypnoy. It is applied on loamy soils and territories with viscous clay soils. Drainage pipes with holes are laid in deep ditches, where a backfill of sand and gravel is arranged, collecting water from closely spaced dense soils. The amount of backfill depends on the degree of moisture impermeability of local soils. The worse they conduct water, the more powerful the backfill.

The drainage system of the site is created taking into account the slope of the terrain and other indicators

Do-it-yourself drainage on the site is a network of interconnected channels located in the territory that needs to be protected from excess moisture. Special plastic pipes have holes 1.5-5mm through which excess moisture enters from the soil. The pipes are wrapped in several filter layers, the amount of which depends on the composition of the soil. For clay soils, pipes with three layers of filter textiles are used.

The diameter of plastic pipes for private houses is up to 100mm, with the removal of significant amounts of moisture - up to 150mm. In the places of their connection and rotation, revision wells are installed. Such elements make it easier to clean when clogged and allow you to observe the system. Water flows into a single catchment well or discharge point (reservoir, ravine). A special collector well can be replaced by a concrete ring where pipes are led out. In such a case, it is important to provide a ring cover to prevent debris from entering.

Drainage pipes

Pipes for the drainage system can be purchased ready-made or made by hand. If there is no financial opportunity to buy these drainage components, plastic bottles will help out. They are durable, so the system based on them will last at least 50 years. When creating a pipe, a hole is cut in the back of the bottle, where the neck of the next bottle is inserted. In another version, the bottles are simply stacked one behind the other with tightly closed corks.

Laying of drainage pipes is carried out according to the scheme, taking into account the slope of the site

From the many bottles made in this way, a closed drainage system is formed, which creates an air cushion in the trench. Sand is pre-filled at the bottom of the trench. For the system to work, several pipes made in a similar way should be placed side by side. From above, it is advisable to cover the rows of pipes from bottles with geotextiles. Water passes through the gaps between adjacent bottles.

You can create a drainage pipe from a sewer. To make holes in it for the penetration of moisture will allow the "Bulgarian". Cuts 10-20 cm long are made in the pipe, distributing the holes evenly over the surface.

It is important to provide a certain number of cuts so that the sewer pipe does not lose strength. The width of the holes should be up to 5 mm, the distance between them should not exceed 50 cm.

A drill will also allow you to make holes. It is important to ensure that their diameter is less than the fraction of crushed stone being poured (otherwise it will fall into the pipe). The distance between the holes is up to 10 cm.

slope

The collected water flows easily by gravity with a properly selected slope of the drainage system. Its minimum value is 2mm per linear meter of pipe, the maximum is 5mm. With shallow drainage, the slope is set to 1-3 cm per 1 meter. At a high speed of water movement, small particles of soil are sucked in, which causes silting of pipes.

Drainage of the site will allow all plants to develop normally

Changing the standard slope is possible in the following situations:

an increase in the slope is carried out when it is necessary to divert a large volume of water per unit of time without increasing the diameter of the drain;
reducing the slope is advisable if it is necessary to avoid backwater when laying pipes below groundwater.

Drain installation

Preparation for the installation of drainage around the garden house requires digging trenches of given dimensions with approximate observance of the slope. The bottom of the trenches is leveled, covered with a layer of coarse-grained river sand (about 100 mm), and carefully compacted.

The prepared sand is covered with geotextile, the fabric of which is lined along the walls of the trench. Next comes a layer of granite rubble 150-250mm high (on loams - 250mm, on sandy soils - 150mm). Its fraction depends on the diameter of the holes in the drainage pipes: for holes with a diameter of 1.5 mm, crushed stone of a fraction of 6-8 mm is taken, for others it is larger.

Crushed stone is carefully leveled to the required slope, compacted, after which a drainage pipe is laid on the formed “cushion”. It is covered with gravel in several layers, each of which is compacted (there must be at least 100 mm of gravel on top of the drainage system). The ends of the geotextile are wrapped so that the overlap is about 20 cm. It is covered with coarse sand to a height of 100-300 cm. A layer of "native" earth is placed on the compacted coating.

It is important to lay drainage from the lowest place in the territory where the collector well is previously installed. With a high level of surface and ground waters, water will accumulate in the equipped ditches, forming a fluid mixture in combination with clay.

Drainage can be done with a ceramic or PVC pipe. The scheme of the drainage system in these cases is similar

Getting into the well, it can provoke blockages. In addition, the accumulated water interferes with the laying of drains, since the ditches must be dry. Side pits with crushed stone will allow to temporarily divert water.

backfill materials

When arranging a drain, it is important to competently approach the selection of non-metallic materials that act as backfill. Crushed stone must be granite, or hard lime-free. Marble and dolomite (lime) are not used to create a drainage cushion, as they are affected by moisture. Crushed stone must be washed so that the pipes do not silt.

It is not a problem to order washed crushed stone of the desired type and fraction from manufacturers. However, how to determine whether the existing crushed stone is suitable for draining? It is enough to drop vinegar on it and determine whether a reaction occurs. When hissing and foam appear, such non-metallic material cannot be used (belongs to the calcareous group).

When selecting sand, a coarse-grained fraction with a size of 0.5-1 mm is preferred. To determine its purity, pour some of it with water, shake it up and evaluate the transparency of the liquid when the sand settles. Turbid water indicates that the sand needs to be washed. Many modern suppliers of non-metallic materials are ready to provide high-quality, pre-washed sand in any volume.

Properly equipped drainage on clay soil will significantly improve the condition of the land allotment, avoiding slush underfoot after snow melts and heavy rainfall. It will serve without repair for more than a dozen years, it will allow you to do gardening and gardening for your own pleasure. If desired, you can develop a landscape design that will disguise or advantageously beat the drainage system.

If you ask any experienced builder, developer, landscape designer about what needs to be done, first of all, on a site that has just been acquired and not yet built up, the answer will be unambiguous: the first is drainage, if there is a need for it. And this is almost always the case. The drainage of the site is always associated with a very large amount of excavation, so it is better to do them right away so that later you do not disturb the beautiful landscape that any good owners equip in their possessions.

Of course, the easiest way is to order site drainage services to specialists who will do everything quickly and correctly, using special equipment. However, this will always come at a cost. Perhaps the owners did not plan these expenses, perhaps they will violate the entire budget planned for the construction and arrangement of the site. In the proposed article, we propose to consider the question of how to do the drainage of the site with your own hands, as this will save a lot of money, and in most cases it is quite possible to do these works yourself.

Why is site drainage needed?

Looking through the estimates and price lists related to the drainage of the site, some developers begin to doubt the appropriateness of these activities. And the main argument is that earlier, in principle, no one "bothered" much on this. With such an argument for refusing to drain the site, it is worth noting that the quality and comfort of human life have greatly improved. After all, no one wants to live in dampness or in a house with earthen floors. No one wants to see cracks in their house, on the blind areas and paths that appeared after the next cold season. All homeowners want to improve their yard or, to put it in a modern and fashionable way, to make landscaping. After the rain, no one wants to "knead the mud" in stagnant puddles. If so, then drainage is definitely needed. You can do without it only in very rare cases. In which cases we will describe a little later.

Drainage? No, I haven't heard...

Drainage is nothing more than the removal of excess water from the surface of the site or from the depth of the soil. Why is site drainage needed?

First of all, in order to remove excess water or from the foundations of buildings and structures. The appearance of water in the area of \u200b\u200bthe base of the foundation can either provoke a movement of the soil - the house will “float”, which is typical for clay soils, or, in combination with freezing, frost heaving forces may appear that will create efforts to “squeeze” the house out of the ground.

Drainage is designed to remove water from basements and basements. No matter how effective waterproofing is, excess water will still seep through building structures. Basements without drainage can become damp and encourage the growth of mold and other fungi. In addition, precipitation in combination with the salts present in the soil very often form aggressive chemical compounds that adversely affect building materials.

Drainage will prevent the "squeezing out" of the septic tank at a high level of groundwater. Without drainage, a wastewater treatment system will not last long.
Drainage in conjunction with the system and around the buildings ensures that water is quickly removed, preventing it from seeping into the underground parts of the buildings.
Drainage prevents waterlogging of the soil. In areas equipped with well-planned and made drainage, water will not stagnate.
Waterlogged soil can cause rotting of the root parts of plants. Drainage prevents this and creates conditions for the growth of all garden, garden and ornamental plants.
With heavy precipitation in areas that have a slope, the fertile soil layer can be washed out by water flows. Drainage directs water flows into the drainage system, thereby preventing soil erosion.

Water erosion of fertile soil in the absence of drainage is a serious problem in agriculture

If the site is surrounded by a fence built on a strip foundation, then it can "seal" the natural ways of water drainage, creating conditions for waterlogging the soil. Drainage is designed to remove excess water from the perimeter of the site.
Drainage helps to avoid the formation of puddles on playgrounds, sidewalks and garden paths.

When Drainage Is Necessary Anyway

Consider those cases when drainage is needed in any case:

If the site is located on a flat area, then drainage is mandatory, since when a large amount of precipitation falls or snow melts, the water will simply have nowhere to go. According to the laws of physics, water always goes under the influence of gravity to a lower place, and on a flat landscape it will intensively soak the soil in a downward direction, which can lead to waterlogging. So, from a drainage point of view, it is beneficial for the site to have a slight slope.
If the site is located in a lowland, then its drainage is definitely needed, since water will drain from higher places to those below.
Strongly sloping sites also require drainage, as rapidly draining water will erode the top fertile soil layers. It is better to direct these flows into drainage channels or pipes. Then the main part of the water will go through them, preventing the soil layer from washing out.
If the site is dominated by clay and heavy loamy soils, then after precipitation or snow melt, water will often stagnate on them. Such soils prevent its penetration into the deep layers. Therefore, drainage is essential.
If the groundwater level (GWL) in the area is less than 1 meter, then drainage is indispensable.

If the buildings on the site have a heavily buried foundation, then it is likely that its sole will be in the zone of seasonal groundwater rise. Therefore, it is necessary to plan drainage at the stage of foundation work.
If a significant part of the site area is covered with artificial coverings made of concrete, paving stones or paving slabs, and if there are lawns equipped with an automatic irrigation system, then drainage is also needed.

From this impressive list, it becomes clear that drainage to one degree or another is necessary in most cases. But before you plan and do it, you need to study the site.

Studying the site for relief, soil type and groundwater level

Each site is individual in terms of relief, soil composition and groundwater level. Even two sites located nearby can be very different from each other, although there will still be a lot in common between them. Modern construction requirements suggest that the design of a house should begin only after geological and geodetic surveys have been carried out with the preparation of special reports that contain a lot of data, most of which are understandable only to specialists. If they are “translated” into the language of ordinary citizens who do not have education in the field of geology, hydrogeology and geodesy, then they can be listed as follows:

Topographic survey of the area where it is supposed. The photographs must show the cadastral boundaries of the site.
A characteristic of the relief, which should indicate what type of relief is present on the site (wavy or flat). If there are slopes, then their presence and direction are indicated, it is in their direction that water will flow. Attached is a topographic plan of the site indicating the contour lines of the relief.

Characteristics of the soil, what kind of soil it is and at what depth it lies on the site. To do this, experts drill exploratory wells in different places of the site, from where they take samples, which are then examined in the laboratory.
Physical and chemical properties of the soil. Its ability to be load-bearing for the planned house, as well as soil in combination with water, will affect concrete, metal and other building materials.
The presence and depth of groundwater, their seasonal fluctuations, taking into account exploration, archival and analytical data. It is also indicated in which soils water can appear and how they will affect the planned building structures.

The degree of heaving of soils, the possibility of landslides, subsidence, flooding and swelling.

The result of all these studies should be recommendations on the design and depth of the foundation, the degree of waterproofing, insulation, protection from aggressive chemical compounds, and drainage. It happens that on an impeccable-looking site, experts, in general, will not allow building such a house as the owners intended. For example, a house with a basement was planned, and a high GWL forces specialists to recommend not to do this, therefore, instead of the originally planned strip foundation with a basement, they will recommend a pile foundation without underground facilities. There is no reason not to trust both these studies and specialists, since they have indisputable tools in their hands - measurements, drilling, laboratory experiments, statistics and calculations.

Of course, geological and geodetic surveys are not done free of charge, and they are done at the expense of the developer and they are mandatory on a new site. This fact is often the subject of indignation of some owners, but it should be understood that this procedure will help save a lot of money during the construction and further operation of the house, as well as maintaining the site in good condition. Therefore, this seemingly unnecessary and expensive bureaucracy is necessary and very useful.

If the site is purchased with existing buildings that have been in operation for at least a few years, then you can also order geological and geodetic surveys, but you can do without them, and learn about groundwater, its seasonal rise and unpleasant impact on human life on other grounds. Of course, this will be with a certain degree of risk, but in most cases it works. What you should pay attention to?

First of all, this is communication with the former owners of the site. It is clear that it is not always in their interests to talk in detail about problems with flooding, but, nevertheless, you can always find out if any drainage measures have been taken. This will not be hidden for anything.
Inspection of the basement can also tell a lot about something. Regardless of whether cosmetic repairs were made there. If there is an increased level of humidity in the premises, then this will be immediately felt.

Getting to know your neighbors and interviewing them can be much more informative than talking to the former owners of the site and the house.
If there are wells or wells on your site and neighboring ones, then the water level in them will eloquently report on the GWL. Moreover, it is desirable to observe how the level changes in different seasons. Theoretically, the maximum water should rise in the spring after the snow has melted. In summer, if there were dry periods, the groundwater level should fall.
Plants growing on the site can also “tell” a lot to the owner. The presence of plants such as cattail, reeds, sedge, horse sorrel, nettle, hemlock, foxglove indicate that groundwater is at a level of no more than 2.5-3 meters. If even during a drought these plants continue their rapid growth, then this once again indicates the proximity of water. If licorice or wormwood grow on the site, then this is evidence that the water is at a safe depth.

Some sources speak of an old way of determining the level of groundwater, which was used by our ancestors before building a house. To do this, a piece of turf was removed in the area of interest and a shallow hole was dug, on the bottom of which a piece of wool was laid, an egg was placed on it, and covered with an inverted clay pot and the removed turf. After dawn and sunrise, the pot was removed and watched as the dew fell. If the egg and wool are in dew, then the water is shallow. If dew fell only on wool, then there is water, but it is at a safe depth. If both the egg and the wool are dry, then the water is very deep. It may seem that this method is akin to quackery or shamanism, but in fact it has an absolutely correct explanation, from the point of view of science.
The growth of bright grass on the site even during a drought, as well as the appearance of fog in the evening hours, indicates the proximity of groundwater.
The best way to independently determine the groundwater level at the site is to drill test wells. To do this, you can use a regular garden drill with extension cords. Drilling is best done during the highest rise of water, that is, in the spring after the snow melts. First of all, wells should be made at the construction site of a house or an existing building. The well should be drilled to the depth of the foundation plus 50 cm. If water begins to appear in the well immediately or after 1-2 days, this indicates that drainage measures are mandatory.

Beginner's Geologist's Kit - Garden Drill with Extension

If, after rain, puddles stagnate on the site, then this may indicate the proximity of groundwater, as well as the fact that the soil is clayey or heavy loamy, which prevents the water from going deep into the ground. In this case, drainage is also necessary. It will also be very useful to update the fertile soil to a lighter one, then there will be no problems with growing most garden and garden plants.

Even a very high level of groundwater in the area, although it is a big problem, is a problem that can be completely solved with the help of well-calculated and well-executed drainage. Let's give a good example - more than half of the territory of Holland lies below sea level, including the capital - the famous Amsterdam. The groundwater level in this country can be at a depth of several centimeters. Those who have been to Holland noticed that after rain there are puddles that do not soak into the ground, because they simply have nowhere to soak. Nevertheless, in this cozy country, the issue of draining the land is being solved with the help of a set of measures: dams, dams, polders, locks, canals. The Netherlands even has a special department - Watershap, which deals with flood protection. The abundance of many windmills in this country does not at all mean that they grind grain. Most mills are pumping water.

We do not call for a special purchase of a site with a high level of groundwater, on the contrary, this should be avoided by all possible means. And the example of Holland was given only so that readers could understand that there is a solution to any problem with groundwater. Moreover, in most of the territory of the former USSR, settlements and summer cottages are located in areas where the groundwater level is within acceptable limits, and you can cope with seasonal rises on your own.

Types of drainage systems

There are a great variety of drainage systems and their varieties. Moreover, in different sources, their classification systems may differ from each other. We will try to talk about the simplest, from a technical point of view, drainage systems, but at the same time effective ones that will help solve the problem of removing excess water from the site. Another argument in favor of simplicity is that the fewer elements any system has and the more time it can do without human intervention, the more reliable it will be.

Surface drainage

This type of drainage is the simplest, but, nevertheless, quite effective. It is intended mainly for the removal of water coming in the form of precipitation or snowmelt, as well as for the removal of excess water during any technological processes, for example, when washing cars or garden paths. Surface drainage is done in any case around buildings or other structures, sites, places of exit from the garage or yard. Surface drainage is of two main types:

Point drainage designed to collect and drain water from a specific place. This type of drainage is also called local drainage. The main locations for point drainage are under roof gutters, in pits in front of doors and garage doors, and at the locations of irrigation taps. And also point drainage, in addition to its direct purpose, can complement another type of surface drainage system.

Rain inlet - the main element of point surface drainage

Linear drainage needed to remove water from a larger area compared to a point. It is a collection trays and channels, mounted with a slope, equipped with various elements: sand traps (sand traps), protective grilles , performing a filtering, protective and decorative function. Trays and channels can be made from a variety of materials. First of all, it is plastic in the form of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), low-pressure polyethylene (HDPE). And also materials such as concrete or polymer concrete are widely used. Grates are most often used plastic, but in those areas where increased load is expected, stainless steel or even cast iron products can be used. Work on the organization of linear drainage requires concrete preparation of the base.

Obviously, any good surface drainage system almost always combines elements of point and linear. And all of them are combined into a common drainage system, which may also include another subsystem, which we will consider in the next section of our article.

rain gutter prices

storm water inlet

deep drainage

In most cases, surface drainage alone cannot be dispensed with. To qualitatively solve the problem, we need a different type of drainage - deep, which is a system of special drainage pipes (drains) , laid in those places where it is required to lower the level of groundwater or divert water from the protected area. Drains are laid with a slope to the side collector, well , artificial or natural reservoir on the site or beyond. Naturally, they are laid below the level of the base of the foundation of the protected building or along the perimeter of the site at a depth of 0.8-1.5 meters to lower the groundwater level to non-critical values. Drains can also be laid in the middle of the site with a certain interval, which is calculated by experts. Typically, the interval between the pipes is 10-20 meters, and they are laid in the form of a Christmas tree, directed to the main outlet pipe-collector. It all depends on the level of groundwater and their quantity.

When laying drains in trenches, it is imperative to use all the features of the site relief. Water will always move from a higher place to a lower one, so the drains are laid in the same way. It is much more difficult if the site is absolutely flat, then the pipes are given the desired slope by giving a certain level to the bottom of the trenches. It is customary to make a slope of 2 cm per 1 meter of pipe for clay and loamy soils and 3 cm per 1 meter for sandy soils. Obviously, with sufficiently long drains, it will be difficult to maintain the desired slope on a flat area, since the level difference will already be 20 or 30 cm per 10 meters of the pipe, so the necessary measure is the organization of several drainage wells that will be able to receive the required volume of water.

It should be noted that even with a smaller slope, water, even at 1 cm per 1 meter or less, will still, obeying the laws of physics, try to go below the level, but the flow rate will be less, and this can contribute to silting and clogging of drains. And any owner who has laid sewer or drainage pipes at least once in his life knows that it is much more difficult to maintain a very small slope than a larger one. Therefore, you should not be “embarrassed” in this matter and boldly set a slope of 3, 4 and even 5 cm per meter of the drainage pipe, if the length and the planned difference in the depth of the trench allow.

Drainage wells are one of the most important components of deep drainage. They can be of three main types:

Rotary wells – suit where the drains make a turn or there is a connection of several elements. These elements are needed for the revision and cleaning of the drainage system, which must be done periodically. They can be as small in diameter, which will only allow cleaning and washing with a jet of water under pressure, but they can also be wide, which provide human access.

Water intake wells - their purpose is absolutely clear from their name. In those areas where it is not possible to divert water into the depths or beyond, it becomes necessary to collect water. These wells are designed for just that. Previously, they were mainly a structure made of cast-in-place concrete, concrete rings or bricks plastered with cement mortar. Now, plastic containers of various sizes are most often used, which are protected from clogging or silting with geotextiles and sprinkling of crushed stone or gravel. Water collected in a water intake well can be pumped out of the site using special submersible drainage pumps, can be pumped out and taken out by tankers, or can be settled in a well or pool for further irrigation.

absorption wells designed to drain water in the event that the terrain of the site does not allow moisture to be removed beyond its limits, but the underlying soil layers have good absorbency. These soils include sandy and sandy loam. Such wells are made of large diameters (about 1.5 meters) and depths (at least 2 meters). The well is filled with filter material in the form of sand, sand-gravel mixture, crushed stone, gravel, broken brick or slag. To prevent the ingress of eroded fertile soil or various blockages from above, the well is also covered with fertile soil. Naturally, the side walls and the bottom are protected by sprinkling. Water, falling into such a well, is filtered by its contents and goes deep into sandy or sandy loamy soils. The ability of such wells to remove water from the site may be limited, so they are arranged when the expected throughput should not exceed 1-1.5 m 3 per day.

Of the drainage systems, the main and most important is deep drainage, since it is it that provides the necessary water regime for both the site and all the buildings located on it. Any mistake in the design and installation of deep drainage can lead to very unpleasant consequences, which can lead to the death of plants, flooding of basements, destruction of house foundations, and uneven drainage of the site. That is why it is recommended not to neglect geological and geodetic studies and ordering a drainage system project from specialists. If it is possible to correct flaws in surface drainage without a strong violation of the landscape of the site, then with deep drainage everything is much more serious, the price of a mistake is too high.

Well prices

Overview of accessories for drainage systems

For self-execution of the drainage of the site and the buildings located on it, you need to find out what components will be required for this. Of the widest selection of them, we have tried to show the most used at the present time. If earlier the market was dominated by Western manufacturers, who, as monopolists, dictated high prices for their products, now a sufficient number of domestic enterprises offer their products, which are in no way inferior in quality.

Details for surface drainage

For point and linear surface drainage, the following parts can be used:

Name, manufacturer	Purpose and description
Tray drainage concrete 1000140125 mm with a steel stamped galvanized lattice. Production - Russia.	Designed for surface water drainage. Capacity 4.18 l/s, able to withstand loads up to 1.5 tons (A15).	880 rub.
Concrete drainage tray with cast-iron grate, dimensions 1000140125 mm. Production - Russia.	The purpose and throughput are the same as in the previous example. Able to withstand loads up to 25 tons (C250).	1480 rub.
Concrete drainage tray with steel galvanized mesh grid, dimensions 1000140125 mm. Production - Russia.	The purpose and throughput are the same. Able to withstand loads up to 12.5 tons (B125).	1610 rub.
Polymer concrete drainage tray 100014070 mm with plastic grating. Production - Russia.	The purpose is the same, the throughput is 1.9 l / s. Able to withstand loads up to 1.5 tons (A15). The material combines the advantages of plastic and concrete.	820 rub.
Polymer concrete drainage tray 100014070 mm with cast-iron grate. Production - Russia.	throughput is the same. Able to withstand up to 25 tons of load (C250).	1420 rub.
Polymer concrete drainage tray 100014070 mm with steel mesh grating. Production - Russia.	throughput is the same. Able to withstand up to 12.5 tons of load (B125).	1550 rub.
Tray plastic drainage 100014560 mm with a galvanized stamped lattice. Production - Russia.	Made from frost-resistant polypropylene. Throughput 1.8 l/sec. Able to withstand loads up to 1.5 tons (A15).	760 rub.
Plastic drainage tray 100014560 mm with cast-iron grate. Production - Russia.	Throughput 1.8 l/sec. Able to withstand loads up to 25 tons (C250).	1360 rub.
Completed plastic rainwater inlet (siphon-partitions 2 pcs., Waste basket - 1 pc.). Size 300300300 mm. With plastic grid. Production - Russia.	Designed for point drainage of water flowing from the roof through the downpipe, and can also be used to collect water under yard, garden watering taps. Can be connected to fittings with diameters of 75, 110, 160 mm. Removable basket provides quick cleaning. Withstands loads up to 1.5 tons (A15).	For a set together with siphon partitions, a waste basket and a plastic grate - 1000 rubles.
Completed plastic rainwater inlet (siphon-partitions 2 pcs., Waste basket - 1 pc.). Size 300300300 mm. With cast-iron grate "Snowflake". Production - Russia.	The purpose is similar to the previous one. Withstands loads up to 25 tons (C250).	For a set together with siphon partitions, a waste basket and a cast-iron grate - 1550 rubles.
Sand trap - plastic with a galvanized steel grate. Dimensions 500116320 mm.	Designed to collect dirt and debris in surface linear drainage systems. It is installed at the end of the line of gutters (trays) and later it joins the pipes of the storm sewer system with a diameter of 110 mm. Able to withstand loads up to 1.5 tons (A15).	For a set together with gratings 975 rubles.

In the table, we deliberately showed Russian-made trays and storm water inlets, made of materials that differ from each other and have different configurations. It is also worth noting that the trays have different widths and depths and, accordingly, their throughput is also not the same. There are a lot of options for the materials from which they are made and sizes, there is no need to list them all, since it depends on many factors: the required throughput, the expected load on the soil, the specific scheme for implementing the drainage system. That is why it is best to entrust the calculations of the drainage system to specialists who will calculate both the required size and quantity, and select the components.

There was absolutely no need to talk about possible accessories for drainage trays, storm water inlets and sand traps in the table, since in each individual case they will be different. When buying, if there is a system project, the seller will always tell you the ones you need. They can be end caps for trays, mounts for gratings, various corner and transition elements, reinforcing profiles, and others.

A few words should be said about sand traps and storm water inlets. If the surface linear drainage around the house is implemented with storm water inlets in the corners (and this is usually done), then sand traps will not be required. Rain inlets with siphon partitions and waste baskets do an excellent job with their role. If the linear drainage does not have storm water inlets and goes into the sewer drainage pipe, then a sand trap is required. That is, any transition from drainage trays to pipes must be done either with the help of a storm inlet or a sand trap. Only this way and not otherwise! This is done so that sand and various heavy debris do not get into the pipes, as this can lead to their rapid wear, and over time, both they and the drainage wells will become clogged. It is hard to disagree that it is easier to periodically remove and wash the baskets while on the surface than to go down into the wells.

Surface drainage also includes wells and pipes, but they will be discussed in the next section, since, in principle, they are the same for both types of systems.

Details for deep drainage

Deep drainage is a more complex engineering system that requires more details. In the table we present only the main ones, since all their diversity will take up a lot of space and attention of our readers. If desired, it will not be difficult to find catalogs of manufacturers of these systems, select the necessary parts and accessories for them.

Name and manufacturer	Purpose and description	Approximate price (as of October 2016)
Drainage pipe with a diameter of 63 mm made of HDPE corrugated single-walled in a geotextile filter. Producer "Sibur", Russia.	Designed to remove excess moisture from foundations and sites. Wrapped with geotextile to prevent clogging of pores with soil, sand, which prevents clogging and silting. They have a full (circular) perforation. Made from low pressure polyethylene (HDPE). Rigidity class SN-4. Depth of laying up to 4 m.	For 1 r.p. 48 rub.
Drainage pipe with a diameter of 110 mm made of HDPE corrugated single-walled in a geotextile filter. Producer "Sibur", Russia.	similar to above	For 1 r.p. 60 rub.
Drainage pipe with a diameter of 160 mm made of HDPE corrugated single-walled in a geotextile filter. Producer "Sibur", Russia.	similar to above	For 1 r.p. 115 rub.
Drainage pipe with a diameter of 200 mm made of HDPE corrugated single-walled in a geotextile filter. Producer "Sibur", Russia.	similar to above	For 1 r.p. 190 rub.
Single-wall corrugated drainage pipes made of HDPE with a coconut coir filter with diameters of 90, 110, 160, 200 mm. Country of manufacture - Russia.	Designed to remove excess moisture from foundations and sites on clay and peat soils. Coconut coir has increased reclamation and strength compared to geotextiles. They have circular perforations. Rigidity class SN-4. Depth of laying up to 4 m.	219, 310, 744, 1074 rubles. for 1 r.m. (depending on diameter).
Two-layer drainage pipes with Typar SF-27 geotextile filter. The outer layer of HDPE is corrugated, the inner layer of HDPE is smooth. Diameters 110, 160, 200 mm. Country of origin - Russia.	Are intended for removal of excess moisture from the bases and sites on all types of soils. They have a full (circular) perforation. The outer layer protects against mechanical stress, and the inner layer allows more water to be removed due to its smooth surface. The two-layer design has a stiffness class of SN-6 and allows you to lay pipes at a depth of up to 6 meters.	160, 240, 385 rubles. for 1 r.m. (depending on diameter).
PVC pipes for sewerage are smooth with a socket with an outer diameter of 110, 125, 160, 200 mm, length 1061, 1072, 1086, 1106 mm, respectively. Country of origin - Russia.	Designed for organizing an external sewer system, as well as storm sewer or drainage systems. They have a stiffness class of SN-4, which allows them to be laid at a depth of up to 4 meters.	180, 305, 270, 490 rubles. for pipes: 1101061 mm, 1251072 mm, 1601086 mm, 2001106 mm respectively.
Well shafts with a diameter of 340, 460, 695, 923 mm from HDPE. Country of origin - Russia.	Are intended for creation of drainage wells (rotary, water intake, absorption). They have a two-layer construction. Ring stiffness SN-4. The maximum length is 6 meters.	950, 1650, 3700, 7400 rubles for wells with diameters of 340, 460, 695, 923 mm, respectively.
Bottom-plug of wells with diameters of 340, 460, 695, 923 mm from HDPE. Country of origin - Russia.	Designed to create drainage wells: rotary or water intake.	940, 1560, 4140, 7100 for wells with diameters of 340, 460, 695, 923 mm, respectively.
Inserts into the well in place with diameters of 110, 160, 200 mm. Country of origin - Russia.	Designed for insertion into a well at any level of sewer or drainage pipes of appropriate diameters.	350, 750, 2750 rubles for inserts with diameters of 110, 160, 200 mm, respectively.
Hatch polymer concrete for drainage wells with a diameter of 340 mm. Country of origin - Russia.		500 rub.
Hatch polymer concrete for drainage wells with a diameter of 460 mm. Country of origin - Russia.	It is intended for installation on drainage wells. Withstands loads up to 1.5 tons.	850 rub.
Polyester geotextile with a density of 100 g/m². Country of origin - Russia.	Used to create drainage systems. It is not subject to rotting, influence of a mold, rodents and insects. Roll length from 1 to 6 m.	20 rub. for 1 m².

The presented table shows that the cost of even Russian-made parts for drainage systems can hardly be called cheap. But the effect of their use will delight the owners of the site for at least 50 years. It is about this service life that the manufacturer claims. Considering that the material for manufacturing drainage parts is absolutely inert with respect to all substances found in nature, it can be assumed that the service life will be much longer than stated.

We deliberately did not indicate the previously widely used asbestos-cement or ceramic pipes in the table, since apart from the high price and difficulties in transportation and installation, they will not bring anything. This is yesterday's age.

To create drainage systems, there are still a lot of components from various manufacturers. These include tray parts, which can be throughput, connecting, prefabricated and dead-end. They are designed to connect drainage pipes of various diameters to wells. They provide connections for drainage pipes at various angles.

With all the obvious advantages of tray parts with pipe sockets, their price is very high. For example, the part shown in the figure above costs 7 thousand rubles. Therefore, in most cases, inserts into the well are used, as indicated in the table. Another advantage of tie-ins is that they can be done at any level and at any angle to each other.

In addition to those parts for drainage systems that are indicated in the table, there are many others that are selected by calculation and during installation on site. These may include various cuffs and o-rings, couplings, tees and crosses, check valves for drainage and sewer pipes, eccentric transitions and necks, bends, plugs and much more. Their correct selection should be dealt with, first of all, during the design, and then make adjustments during installation.

Video: How to choose a drainage pipe

Video: Drainage wells

If readers find articles on drainage on the Internet that say that it is easy to make drainage with your own hands, then we advise you to immediately close this article without reading it. Making drainage with your own hands is not an easy task. But, the main thing is that it is possible if you do everything consistently and correctly.

Site drainage design

The drainage system is a complex engineering object that requires an appropriate attitude. Therefore, we recommend that our readers order the design of the drainage of the site from professionals who will take into account absolutely everything: the relief of the site, the existing (or planned) buildings, the composition of the soil, and the depth of the GWL, and other factors. After the design, the customer will have a set of documents in his hands, which includes:

Site plan with its relief.
A scheme for laying pipes for wall or ring drainage, indicating the section and type of pipes, the depth of occurrence, the required slopes, and the location of the wells.
The drainage scheme of the site, also indicating the depth of the trenches, types of pipes, slopes, the distance between adjacent drains, the location of rotary or water intake wells.

It will be difficult to independently make a detailed design of the drainage system without knowledge and experience. That is why you should turn to professionals

Scheme of surface point and linear drainage indicating the size of trays, sand traps, storm water inlets, used sewer pipes, location of water intake wells.
Transverse dimensions of trenches for near-wall and deep drainage, indicating the depth, material and thickness of the backfill, type of geotextile used.
Calculation of necessary components and materials.
An explanatory note to the project describing the entire drainage system and the technology for performing work.

The project of the drainage system of the site is much lower than the architectural one, so we once again strongly advise you to contact the specialists. This minimizes the likelihood of errors during self-arrangement of drainage.

Wall drainage equipment at home

To protect the foundations of houses from the effects of groundwater, the so-called wall drainage is made, which is located around the entire house on its outer side at some distance from the base of the foundation. usually it is 0.3-0.5 m, but in any case not more than 1 meter. Wall drainage is done even at the stage of building a house, along with measures for warming and waterproofing the foundation. When is this type of drainage necessary anyway?

Prices for drainage systems

When the house has a basement.

When the buried parts of the foundation are at a distance of no more than 0.5 meters above the groundwater level.
When a house is built on clay or loamy soils.

All modern house designs almost always provide wall drainage. An exception can only be those cases when the foundation is laid on sandy soils that do not freeze through more than 80 cm.

A typical wall drainage design is shown in the figure.

At some distance from the base of the foundation, approximately 30 cm below its level, a leveling layer of sand 10 cm is made, on which a geotextile membrane with a density of at least 150 g / m² is laid, on which a layer of crushed stone of a fraction of 20-40 mm with a thickness of at least 10 cm is poured. Instead of crushed stone, washed gravel may well be used. Crushed stone is better to use granite, but not limestone, since the latter tends to gradually erode with water. A drainage pipe wrapped with geotextile is laid on a crushed stone pillow. The pipes are given the desired slope - at least 2 cm per 1 linear meter of the pipe.

In the places where the pipe turns, inspection and inspection wells are necessarily made. The rules allow them to be done through one turn, but practice suggests that it is better not to save on this and put them at each turn. The slope of the pipes is done in one direction (in the figure from point K1, through points K2 and K3, to point K4). In this case, it is necessary to take into account the terrain. It is assumed that point K1 is at the highest point, and K4 at the lowest.

Drains are inserted into wells not from the very foundation, but with an indent of at least 20 cm from the bottom. Then the small debris or silt that has fallen will not linger in the pipes, but will settle in the well. In the future, when revising the system, you can wash out the silted bottom with a strong jet of water, which will carry away everything unnecessary. If the soil in the area where the wells are located has a good absorbing capacity, then the bottom is not made. In all other cases, it is better to equip the wells with a bottom.

A layer of crushed stone or washed gravel with a thickness of at least 20 cm is again poured over the drains, and then it is wrapped around with the previously laid geotextile membrane. On top of such a “wrapped” structure made of a drainage pipe and rubble, a backfill of sand is made, and on top, after it is compacted, a blind area of the building is already organized, which is also called upon, but already in the system of surface linear drainage. Even if atmospheric water enters from the outside of the foundation, then, having passed through the sand, it will fall into the drains and eventually merge into the main collector well, which can be equipped with a pump. If the relief of the site allows, then an overflow is made from the collector well without a pump, which removes water outside into a gutter, an artificial or natural reservoir, or a storm sewer system. Under no circumstances should drainage be connected to a conventional sewer system.

If groundwater begins to "support" from below, then they, first of all, impregnate the sandy preparation and crushed stone in which the drains are located. The speed of water movement along the drains is higher than in the ground, so the water is quickly removed and drained into a collector well, which is laid lower than the drains. It turns out that inside a closed circuit of drainage pipes, water simply cannot rise above the level of the drains, which means that the base of the foundation and the floor in the basement will be dry.

Such a wall drainage scheme is very often used and works very effectively. But it has a significant drawback. This is backfilling of the entire sinus between the foundation and the edge of the pit with sand. Given the considerable volume of the sinus, you will have to pay a tidy sum for this filling. But there is a beautiful way out of this situation. In order not to backfill with sand, you can use a special profiled geomembrane, which is a sheet of HDPE or PVD with various additives, which has a relief surface in the form of small truncated cones. When the underground part of the foundation is pasted over with such a membrane, it performs two main functions.

The geomembrane itself is an excellent waterproofing agent. It does not allow moisture to penetrate to the walls of the underground foundation structure.
The relief surface of the membrane ensures that the water that appears on it flows down freely, where it is “intercepted” by the laid drains.

The design of wall drainage using a geomembrane is shown in the following figure.

On the outer wall of the foundation, after the measures and insulation (if necessary), the geomembrane is glued or mechanically attached with the relief part (pimples) outward. A geotextile fabric with a density of 150-200 g / m² is fixed on top of it, which will prevent soil particles from clogging the relief part of the geomembrane. Further organization of drainage is usually carried out: a drain is placed on a layer of sand, covered with crushed stone and wrapped with geotextile. Only backfilling of the sinuses is not done with sand or gravel, but with ordinary soil excavated when digging a pit or clay, which is much cheaper.

Drainage of water, "supporting" the foundation from below, proceeds as in the previous case. But water that has entered the wall from the outside through moistened soil or penetrated into the gap between the foundation and the soil will follow the path of least resistance: seep through the geotextile, flow freely along the relief surface of the geomembrane, pass through the rubble and fall into the drain. Foundations protected in this way will not be threatened for a minimum of 30-50 years. In the basement floors of such houses it will always be dry.

Consider the main stages of creating a wall drainage system at home.

Image	Description of actions
	After the measures for the construction of the foundation, its primary coating, and then rolled waterproofing and insulation, have been carried out, the geomembrane is glued with the relief part outward on the outer wall of the foundation, including its sole, using a special mastic that does not corrode polystyrene foam. The upper part of the membrane should protrude beyond the level of the future backfill by at least 20 cm, and the lower part should reach the very bottom of the foundation, including the sole.
	The joints of most geomembranes have a special lock, which is "snapped" by overlapping one sheet over another, and then tapping with a rubber mallet.
	A geotextile fabric with a density of 150-200 g/m² is attached over the geomembrane. It is better to use not needle-punched, but thermally bonded geotextiles, as it is less prone to clogging. For fixing, dish-shaped dowels are used. The fixing step of the dowels is no more than 1 m horizontally and no more than 2 m vertically. The overlap of adjacent geotextile sheets on each other is at least 10-15 cm. Dish-shaped dowels should fall at the junction.
	In the upper part of the geomembrane and geotextile, it is recommended to use a special mounting strip, which will press both layers to the foundation structure.
	The bottom of the pit from the outside of the foundation is cleaned to the required level. The level can be controlled with a theodolite with a measuring bar, a laser level and a handy wooden bar with marked marks, stretched and set with a tensioned cord using a hydraulic level. You can also “beat off” a horizontal line on the wall and measure the depth with a tape measure.
	Washed sand is poured at the bottom with a layer of at least 10 cm, which is wetted with water and rammed mechanically or manually until there are practically no traces left when walking.
	In the designated places, inspection and inspection wells are installed. To do this, it is enough to use mines with a diameter of 340 or 460 mm. Having measured the desired length, they can be cut either with a conventional hacksaw for wood, or with an electric jigsaw, or with a reciprocating saw. Initially, the wells must be cut 20-30 cm more than the estimated length, and later, when designing the landscape, already fit it under it.
	Bottoms are installed on the wells. To do this, in single-layer wells (for example, Wavin), a rubber cuff is placed in the rib of the body, then it is lubricated with soapy water and the bottom is put on. It must go in with force.
	In Russian-made two-layer wells, before installing the cuff, it is necessary to cut out a strip of the inner layer with a knife, and then do the same as in the previous case.
	Wells are installed in their intended places. Sites for their installation are compacted and leveled. On their side surfaces, marks are made for the entrance and exit of the centers of drains (taking into account slopes of 2 cm per 1 linear meter of pipe). We remind you that the entrances and exits of drains must be at least 20 cm from the bottom.
	For the convenience of inserting couplings, it is better to place the wells horizontally and make holes corresponding to the coupling with a crown with a center drill. In the absence of a crown, you can make holes with a jigsaw, but this requires certain skills.
	After that, the edges are cleaned of burrs with a knife or brush.
	The outer rubber cuff of the coupling is placed inside the hole. It should equally go inside the well and stay outside (about 2 cm each).
	The inner surface of the rubber cuff of the coupling is lubricated with soapy water, and then the plastic part is inserted until it stops. The joints of the rubber part of the coupling to the well can be smeared with a waterproof sealant.
	Wells are installed in their places and aligned vertically. Geotextiles are laid out on a sand cushion. Granite crushed stone of a fraction of 5-20 mm or washed gravel with a layer of at least 10 cm is poured on it. In this case, the necessary slopes of the drainage pipes are taken into account. Crushed stone is leveled and compacted.
	Perforated drainage pipes of the required size are measured and cut. Pipes are inserted into couplings cut into wells after lubricating the cuff with soapy water. Their slope is checked.
	A layer of crushed stone or gravel of at least 20 cm is poured on top of the drains. Then the edges of the geotextile fabric are wrapped on top of each other and a 20 cm layer of sand is sprinkled on top.
	In the intended place, a pit is dug for the collector well of the drainage system. The level of its occurrence, of course, must be below the lowest drain in order to receive water from the wall drainage. To this pit, a trench is dug from the lower level of the inspection and inspection well for laying a sewer pipe.
	Shafts with diameters of 460, 695 and even 930 mm can be used as a collector well. A prefabricated well made of reinforced concrete rings can also be equipped. Inserting a sewer pipe into a receiving collector well is done in exactly the same way as drains.
	The sewer pipe leading from the lower wall drainage well to the collector well is laid on a 10 cm sand cushion and sprinkled with sand of at least 10 cm thickness on top. After compacting the sand, the trench is covered with soil.
	The system is checked for functionality. To do this, water is poured into the topmost well in terms of level. After filling the bottom, water should begin to flow through the drains into other wells and, after filling their bottoms, eventually flow into the collector well. There should be no reverse current.
	After checking the performance of the sinuses between the edge of the pit, they are covered with soil. It is preferable to use quarry clay for this, which will create a waterproof lock around the foundation.
	The wells are covered with lids to prevent clogging. Final pruning and installation of covers should be done along with landscaping.

The collection well can be equipped with a check valve, which, even if it is overflowing, will not allow water to flow back into the drains. And also in the well can be automatic. When the GWL rises to critical values, water will collect in the well. The pump is set up so that when a certain level is exceeded in the well, it will turn on and pump water out of the site or into other containers or reservoirs. Thus, the GWL in the foundation area will always be lower than the laid drains.

It happens that one collector well is used for the wall drainage system and the surface one. Experts do not recommend doing this, since during intense snowmelt or heavy rains, a very large amount of water will be collected in a short time, which will only interfere with inspecting the GWL in the foundation area. Water from precipitation and melted snow is best collected in separate containers and used for irrigation. In case of overflow of storm wells, water from them can be pumped in the same way to another place with a drainage pump.

Video: Wall drainage at home

Ring drainage equipment at home

Annular drainage, unlike wall drainage, is located not close to the foundation structure, but at some distance from it: from 2 to 10 meters or more. In what cases is ring drainage arranged?

If the house has already been built and any intervention in the foundation structure is undesirable.
If the house does not have a basement.
If the house or group of buildings is built on sandy or sandy loamy soils that have good water permeability.
If other types of drainage cannot cope with the seasonal rise of groundwater.

Regardless of the fact that ring drainage is much simpler in practical implementation, it should be treated more seriously than wall drainage. Why?

A very important characteristic is the depth of the drains. In any case, the laying depth must be greater than the depth of the base of the foundation or the level of the basement floor.
The distance from the foundation to the drain is also an important characteristic. The more sandy the soil, the greater the distance should be. And vice versa - the more clay soils, the closer the drains can be located to the foundation.
When calculating the ring foundation, the level of groundwater, its seasonal fluctuations and the direction of their inflow are also taken into account.

Based on the foregoing, we can safely say that it is better to entrust the calculation of the annular drainage to specialists. It would seem that the closer the drain is to the house and the deeper it is laid, the better it will be for the protected structure. It turns out not! Any drainage changes the hydrogeological situation in the foundation area, which is far from always good. The task of drainage is not to completely drain the site, but to lower the GWL to such values that will not interfere with human and plant life. Drainage is a kind of contract with the forces of Mother Nature, and not an attempt to "rewrite" existing laws.

One of the options for the device of the annular drainage system is shown in the figure.

It can be seen that a trench has been dug around the house outside the blind area to such a depth that the upper part of the drainage pipe lies 30-50 cm below the lowest point of the foundation. The trench is lined with geotextiles and the pipe itself is also in a shell from it. The minimum underlying layer of crushed stone should be at least 10 cm. The minimum slope of drains with a diameter of 110-200 mm is 2 cm per 1 linear meter of pipe. The figure shows that the entire trench is covered with rubble. This is quite acceptable and does not contradict anything but common sense, in terms of excessive spending.

The diagram shows that the inspection and control wells are installed through one turn, which is quite acceptable if the drainage pipe is laid in one piece, without any fittings. But still it is better to do them at every turn. This will greatly facilitate the maintenance of the drainage system over time.

An annular drainage system can perfectly "get along" with a system of surface point and linear drainage. In one trench, drains can be laid at the lower level, and sewer pipes leading from trays and storm water inlets to the well for collecting rain and melt water can be laid next to them or on top in a layer of sand. If the path of both one and the other leads to one collector catchment well, then this is generally wonderful, the number of earthworks is reduced significantly. Although, we recall that we recommended collecting these waters separately. They can be collected together in only one case - if all water from precipitation and extracted from the soil is removed (naturally or forcibly) from the site into a collective storm sewer system, gutter or reservoir.

When organizing ring drainage, a trench is first dug to the estimated depth. The width of the trench in the area of its bottom should be at least 40 cm; a certain slope is immediately given to the bottom of the trench, the control of which is most convenient to carry out with a theodolite, and in its absence, a horizontally stretched cord and a measuring rod from improvised means will help.

Washed sand is poured at the bottom with a layer of at least 10 cm, which is carefully rammed. It is obvious that it is impossible to do this in a narrow trench in a mechanized way, therefore, a manual rammer is used.

Installation of wells, tie-in couplings, adding crushed granite or gravel, laying and connecting drains is done in exactly the same way as when organizing wall drainage, so there is no point in repeating. The difference is that with ring drainage, it is better to fill the trench after crushed stone and geotextiles not with soil, but with sand. Only the upper fertile layer of soil is poured, about 10-15 cm. Then, already with the landscape equipment of the site, the places for laying drains are taken into account and trees or shrubs with a powerful root system are not planted in these places.

Video: Drainage around the house

Surface point and line drainage equipment

As in all cases, a surface drainage system can only be successfully installed if there is a project or at least a self-made plan. On this plan, it is necessary to take into account everything - from water intake points to a tank where rain and melt water will merge. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the slopes of pipelines and trays, the direction of movement along the trays.

The surface drainage system can be installed with an existing blind area, paths made of paving slabs or paving stones. It is possible that one of their parts will have to be intervened, but this still does not require complete dismantling. Consider an example of the installation of a surface drainage system using the example of polymer concrete trays and sand traps (sand traps) and sewer pipes.

To carry out the work you will need a very simple set of tools:

Shovels shovel and bayonet;
Building bubble level from 60 cm long;
Bench hammer;
Rubber hammer for laying tiles or paving stones;
Construction marking cord and a set of stakes made of wood or pieces of reinforcement;
Trowel and spatulas;
Roulette;
Construction knife;
Chisel;
Angle grinder (grinder) with discs of at least 230 mm for stone and metal;
Container for preparation of solutions.

We present the further process in the form of a table.

Image	Process description
	Given the plan or design of surface drainage, it is necessary to determine the points of water discharge, that is, those places where water collected from the surface will go into the sewer pipeline leading to the drainage well. The laying depth of this pipeline should be made below the depth of soil freezing, which is 60-80 cm for most populated climatic zones in Russia. It is in our interests to minimize the number of discharge points, but to ensure the required drainage capacity.
	Discharge of water into the pipeline must be done either through sand traps or through storm water inlets to ensure the filtering of debris and sand. First of all, it is necessary to provide for their connection using standard shaped elements of external sewerage to the pipeline and try on these elements at the installation site.
	It is better to foresee the connection of storm water inlets located under downpipes in advance, even at the stage of arranging wall drainage, so that when snow melts during the thaw and off-season, water flowing from the roofs immediately falls into the underground pipeline and would not freeze in trays, on blind areas and paths.
	If it is not possible to install sand traps, then the sewer pipeline can be connected directly to the trays. For this, polymer concrete trays have special technological holes that allow you to connect a vertical pipeline.
	Some manufacturers have special baskets fixed in the vertical water outlet, which protect the drainage system from clogging.
	Most plastic trays, in addition to a vertical connection, can also have a side connection. But this should be done only when there is confidence in the purity of the water being drained, since it is much more difficult to clean drainage wells and catchment tanks than baskets.
	To install surface drainage elements, you first need to select the soil to the required depth and width. To do this, with an already existing lawn, the turf is cut to the required width, which is defined as the width of the installed element plus 20 cm - 10 cm on each side. It may be necessary to dismantle the curbs and extreme rows of paving slabs or paving stones.
	In depth, for the installation of drainage elements, it is necessary to choose the soil by the depth of the element plus 20 cm. Of these, 10 cm for sand or crushed stone preparation, and 10 cm for a concrete base. The soil is removed, the base is cleaned and rammed, and further filling is made of crushed stone of a fraction of 5-20 mm. Then pegs are driven in and a cord is pulled, which will determine the level of the installed trays.
	Surface drainage elements are tried on at the installation site. In this case, one should take into account the direction of the water flow, which is usually indicated on the side surface of the trays.
	Holes are made in the drainage elements for connecting sewer pipes. In plastic trays, this is done with a knife, and in polymer concrete trays with a chisel and a hammer.
	When fitting parts, it may be necessary to cut off part of the tray. Plastic are easily cut with a hacksaw, and polymer concrete with a grinder. Galvanized metal gratings are cut with scissors for metal, and cast-iron gratings are cut with a grinder.
	On the last trays, end caps are installed using a special adhesive-sealant.
	To install surface drainage elements, it is best to use ready-made dry mixes of sand concrete M-300, which are in the assortment of many manufacturers. In a suitable container, a solution is prepared, which should be dense in consistency. Installation is best done from discharge points - sand traps. Concrete is laid out on the prepared base.
	Then it is leveled with a trowel and a sand trap is installed on this pillow.
	Then it is exposed along the previously stretched cord. If necessary, the tray is seated in place with a rubber mallet.
	The correctness of the installation is checked by the cord and by the level.
	Trays and sand traps are set so that when the grate is installed, its plane is 3-5 mm below the surface level. Then the water will flow freely into the trays, the gratings will not be damaged by the wheels of the car.
	The sand trap installed according to the level is immediately fixed on the sides with a concrete mixture. The so-called concrete heel is formed.
	Similarly, drainage trays are installed on a concrete base.
	They also align with both cord and level.
	After installation, the joints are covered with a special sealant, which is always offered when buying trays.
	Experienced installers can apply sealant before installing the trays, applying it to the ends even before installation.
	When installing plastic trays in concrete, they can be deformed. Therefore, it is better to install them with installed gratings, which, in order to avoid contamination, are best wrapped with plastic wrap.
	If the surface is flat and has no slopes, then it will be problematic to provide the required slope of the trays. The way out of this situation is to install a cascade of trays of the same width, but different depths.
	After installing all the elements of surface drainage, a concrete heel is formed, and then paving stones or paving slabs are installed in place if they were dismantled. The surface of the paving stones should be 3-5 mm higher than the grate of the drainage tray.
	Between the paving stones and the trays, it is imperative to make a deformation seam. Instead of the recommended rubber cords, you can use a double-folded strip of roofing material and sealant.
	After the concrete has set, after 2-3 days, backfilling of the excavated soil can be done.
	After compacting the soil, the previously removed layer of turf is laid out on top. It must be laid 5-7 cm higher than the rest of the lawn surface, as over time it will compact and settle.
	After flushing the entire surface drainage system and checking its performance, the trays, storm water inlets and sand traps are closed with gratings. It is possible to expose elements to vertical loading only in 7-10 days.

When operating a surface drainage system, it is imperative to periodically clean the storm water inlets and sand traps. If necessary, you can remove the protective grids and rinse the trays themselves with a strong jet of water. Water collected after rains or snowmelt is the most suitable for further use for watering the garden, vegetable garden or lawns. The groundwater collected by a deep drainage system may have a different chemical composition and may not always be used for the same purposes. Therefore, we once again remind and advise our readers to collect groundwater and atmospheric water separately.

Video: Installation of a drainage system

Site deep drainage equipment

We have already described in which cases deep drainage of the site is needed and found out that it is almost always needed in order to forever forget about the problems of stagnant puddles, permanent dirt or the death of various plants that cannot tolerate waterlogged soils. The complexity of deep drainage equipment is that if the site has already been landscaped, trees and shrubs have been planted, there is a well-groomed lawn, then this order will have to be violated at least partially. Therefore, we recommend to immediately organize a deep drainage system on the acquired new construction sites. As in all other cases, the project of such a drainage system must be ordered from specialists. Independent incorrect calculation and execution of the drainage system can lead to the fact that waterlogged places on the site will be adjacent to dry ones.

In areas with a pronounced relief, the drainage system can become a beautiful part of the landscape. To do this, an open channel or a network of channels is organized, through which water can freely leave the site. Rainwater from the roof can also be directed into these channels. But readers will certainly agree with the authors that the presence of a large number of channels will bring more inconvenience than benefits from their contemplation. That is why closed-type deep drainage is most often equipped. Opponents of deep drainage may argue that such systems can lead to excessive drainage of fertile soil, which will negatively affect plants. However, any fertile soils have a very good and useful property - they retain exactly as much water in their thickness as necessary, and plants growing on soils take exactly as much water from it as is necessary for their root system.

The main guiding document for the organization of the drainage system is a graphic plan of the drainage system, which indicates everything: the location of the collector and storage wells, the cross section of the drainage pipes and their depth, the cross section of the drainage trench and other useful information. An example of a drainage system plan is shown in the figure.

Consider the main stages of creating a deep drainage site.

Image	Process description
	First of all, the site is marked, in which the position of the main elements of the drainage system is transferred from the plan to the terrain. Drainage pipe routes are marked with a stretched cord, which can immediately be pulled either horizontally or with a slope, which should be in each of the sections.
	A pit is dug under the storage drainage well of the required depth. The bottom of the pit is compacted and 10 cm of sand is poured and compacted on it. The body of the well is tried on in place.
	A trench is dug in the direction from the well towards the beginning of the main collector pipe, the bottom of which is immediately given the desired slope specified in the project, but not less than 2 cm per 1 linear meter of the pipe. The width of the trench in the bottom area is 40 m. The depth depends on the specific project.
	From the collector trench, trenches are dug for drains, which will be connected to the collector pipe. The bottom of the trenches is immediately given the desired slope. The width of the trenches in the bottom area is 40 cm. The depth is according to the project. On clay and loamy soils, the average depth of drains is 0.6-0.8 meters, and on sandy soils - 0.8-1.2 meters.
	The locations of rotary and collector inspection manholes are being prepared.
	After checking the depth and the required slopes, 10 cm of sand is poured onto the bottom of all trenches, which is then wetted and compacted manually.
	Geotextile is lined at the bottom of the trenches so that it also goes onto the side walls. Depending on the depth of the trench and the width of the geotextile fabric, it is fixed either on the walls of the trench or on top.
	The wells are installed and tried on in their places, the places where the couplings are inserted are marked. Then the wells are removed and the necessary couplings are cut into them to connect the drains, the bottoms are mounted.
	Wells are installed in their places, leveled. A layer of crushed granite or washed gravel with a fraction of 20-40 mm, 10 cm thick is poured into the trenches. The crushed stone layer is compacted, the necessary slopes are created.
	The necessary sections of drainage pipes are cut off, which are completed with plugs (if necessary). In most cases, drain-beams are made from pipes with a diameter of 110 mm, and collectors - 160 mm. Pipes are laid in trenches and connected to well couplings and fittings. Their depth and slopes are checked.
	A 20 cm layer of crushed stone or washed gravel is poured over the drains. After tamping, the crushed stone layer is covered with geotextiles previously attached to the walls of the trenches or from above.
	The drainage system is checked for operability. To do this, in various places where drains are laid, a large amount of water is poured into the trenches. Its absorption into the crushed stone layer and flow through the rotary, collector wells and getting into the main catchment well are controlled.
	A layer of sand is poured over the geotextile, at least 20 cm thick. The sand is compacted, and on top of it, the trenches are covered with fertile soil - 15-20 cm.
	Covers are put on the wells.

Even if the deep drainage of the site was done without a project, it is still necessary to draw up, on which to indicate the location of the drains and the depth of their occurrence. This will help in the future when carrying out any excavation work to leave the system intact. If the relief allows, then the catchment wells may not be arranged, and the water collected by drains is immediately sent to sewers, reservoirs or a collective storm sewer system. Any of these steps must be coordinated with the neighbors and the administration of the villages. But the well is still desirable, if only to control the GWL and its seasonal fluctuations.

The collector well for collecting groundwater can be made overflow. When the water level in such wells becomes higher than the overflow pipe, part of the water flows through the sewer pipe into another storage well. Such a system allows you to get clean water in the storage well, since all the dirt, silt and debris settles in the collector overflow well.

When well-known thinkers, called great, whose statements are constantly quoted and cited as examples, put their thoughts on paper, they probably did not even suspect that they were writing about deep drainage. Here are some examples:

The collective image of the thinker, which is known to most people, as Kozma Prutkov said: "Look at the root!". Great phrase talking about deep drainage! If the owner wishes to grow garden trees on his site, then he simply must know where the groundwater lies, since their excess in the root system area has a bad effect on most plants.
A very famous thinker and “generator of wisdom” Oscar Wilde also said, without knowing it, about deep drainage: “The greatest vice in a person is superficiality. Everything that happens in our life has its own deep meaning.
Stanisław Jerzy Lec said the following about depth: “A swamp sometimes gives the impression of depth.” As well as possible, this phrase fits the drainage, since without it the site may well turn into a swamp.

You can cite many more quotes from great people and connect them with drainage, but we will not distract the readers of our portal from the main idea. For the safety of houses and the comfort of their inhabitants, the creation of ideal conditions for the growth of the necessary plants, the arrangement of a cozy landscape, drainage is definitely needed.

Conclusion

It should be noted that residents of most regions of Russia are unspeakably lucky if the issue of drainage is raised. An abundance of water, especially fresh water, is much better than its lack. Residents of arid and desert regions, after reading such an article, would sigh and say: “We would have your problems!” Therefore, we simply must consider ourselves lucky that we live in a country that does not lack fresh water.

As we have already noted, you can always “negotiate” with water using the drainage system. Modern market abundance offers just a gigantic range of various components, allowing you to create a system of any complexity. But in this matter one must be very selective and careful, since the excessive complexity of any system reduces its reliability. Therefore, we again and again recommend ordering a drainage project from specialists. And the independent implementation of the drainage of the site is quite within the power of any good owner, and we hope that our article will help in some way.

Not always nature arranges everything the way we would like. Sometimes these can be significant problems, one of which is the flooding of the land on the plot after snow melts, heavy rain, or it may be a geological feature of the area. There can be only one solution here - do-it-yourself drainage of the site, taking into account clay soils.

This is a time-consuming matter, but skillfully made calculations of such a system, taking into account all the features, will make it as efficient as possible and at minimal cost.

First you need to determine the type of soil on the site: if its penetration is high, then drainage may not be required. Everything is different with clay soil. It almost does not let moisture through, and therefore dries for a very long time. The discomfort is obvious - the site is like a swamp: it is impossible to walk, there is dirt everywhere, and there is nothing to think about gardening.

There are two types of drainage according to the device method: superficial and in-depth.

How to drain in a clay area

1. Surface drainage

In this case, it will be necessary to make shallow trenches, after which it will be necessary to install special trays in them and cover them with a net. At first glance, everything is simple. But here you need to know some design nuances. For a small area, you can do without serious calculations: it is enough to imagine the system in general terms. However, for large areas, you will need a site plan on a scale, with the designation of all buildings and details.

We use a natural slope (possibly using a level) and begin to put on paper a plan for the future system:

The main drainage system is the main canal. Its direction is through the entire area from the highest mark down to the water collection point. On a flat area, this direction is chosen arbitrarily.

Then we design additional gutters and bring them all down to the main canal (the pattern resembles a Christmas tree). We make the distance between each drain about 10 m.

It is possible to make a combined system with the arrangement of fast intermediate catchment points at the ends of each "branch" and at the beginning of the main canal.

It will be more difficult to decide where the water will eventually go. As an example, this could be:

a ditch on the side of the adjacent road;
water intake underground well with a pump;
artificial decorative swamp on the site;
water tank for household needs.

The drainage device on the site will also come in handy in the future management of the dacha economy: it is very good to use settled water for watering plants during dry periods.

2. Deep drainage

Here you need to dig trenches with a depth of 1-1.3 m and a width of up to 0.4 m. For the arrangement, you will need the following materials:

special pipes (drains) and trays;
geotextile;
crushed stone;
connecting elements.

And the tool:

shovels (bayonet, shovel);
wheelbarrows for the removal of soil and crushed stone;
level for determining the level;
saw for cutting pipes.

The scheme of buried drainage is the same as that of the surface. The only difference is that the drainage channels are buried and the site is made even.

After the ditches are covered with rubble, the geofabric, trays and pipes are laid, there is no need to rush to cover the entire structure with earth. Drainage needs to be tested. You need to wait for a shower or do it artificially with a pump, hose and sufficient water pressure. If the flows go through the entire system from start to finish properly, then the test can be considered passed. If water stagnates in any places, then the system needs to be finalized with additional channels.

Additional ditches adjacent to the main canal must be made in parallel at a distance of 4-6 m from each other. The denser the soil, the shorter the interval. From the lower end of the main canal, a trench is dug perpendicularly to drain water to other additional points.

The slope in the in-depth system is made at least 1 cm deep per 1 m of length. Perhaps more, it will depend on the totality of additional stacks: the more there are, the greater the slope angle is needed for the lower channel so that the drainage is more intense. More precisely, the slope can be controlled using the building level.

Features of the clay area

Clay soils are heavy, dry out slowly, and are quite difficult to process. They don't have enough air. They are colder than other soils, plant growth is difficult on them. After precipitation, a crust forms. In soils that are too heavy, plant roots cannot penetrate deeply. But not everything is so sad, there is a positive side: such soils are much richer than sandy ones.

All features of drainage on such soils are interpreted, first of all, by the rational use of water. In order to successfully engage in crop production on a site located on loamy soils, some additions are needed.

Before arranging the drainage, the soil must be loosened and crushed stone, crushed brick, sand or fine gravel should be added to it. Lay the top layer with black soil. After sanding, the soil becomes suitable for processing. Now there will be no excess moisture at the level of plant roots. And the water that has reached deep into the impenetrable clay will go into the drainage channels.

Excess water in the clay area happens not only in spring floods, but also becomes relevant in summer thunderstorms. Even with a little rain, puddles form on clay soil. Therefore, when making drainage in a summer cottage, it is necessary to prepare a storm sewer with volumetric wells and collectors in advance so that water does not accumulate, but passes freely even with a strong flow.

What type of drainage is best

Given the complexity of arranging in-depth drainage, it is cheaper to make surface drainage. However, hidden drains make the landscape of the site not only more plausible, but also more practical.

If you have to travel around the site with any kind of transport, then collisions with open channels will lead to the fact that over time they will need to be reworked.
Flat areas facilitate vegetable growing and gardening.
Hidden drains will make it possible to build additional buildings in the future.

If such intentions are not expected in the future, then open drainage will not become a hindrance, and it can be arranged in the original style of landscape design. The practical side is also obvious: such a system is easier to clean.

As you can see, both types of drainage are good in their own way. Preferences will depend on individual needs, aesthetic considerations and available funds.

The drainage system, if it is designed correctly and built with high quality, will regularly serve for many decades without any adjustments and repairs, and will ensure complete comfort of life in a country house. For more information on how to make the drainage of the site with your own hands, we recommend watching the video.

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Features of clay soils

After buying a piece of land, it is recommended to determine the type of its soil. If there are black earth or sandy soils in this territory, then this greatly facilitates the task of avid gardeners and builders busy building a new house. Well, if the soil in the area is clayey? In this case, the owner will face a lot of problems. And they will begin with the discomfort that sticky dirt delivers, and end with serious economic damage. So, first of all, the lawn located near the house will suffer. Clay, when dried, will turn into a hard crust and will be difficult to loosen. This will lead to the fact that the grass planted on the lawn will begin to wither and will certainly dry out. Well, if there comes a period of prolonged downpours, then the lawn will turn into a kind of swamp. This will lead to rotting of the root system of the plants on it.

“> A similar problem is even more aggravated if groundwater passes near the surface of such soil. In this case, the clay retains its moisture almost constantly, drying out only on the hottest days of summer. Wet soil carries a danger in the winter. After all, it leads to freezing of the soil to a great depth, which contributes to the destruction of wet foundations and the destruction of berries and orchards. Anyone who wants to protect their site from such problems should do the drainage of the site with their own hands on clay soils.

Preparatory work

How should I start drainage of the site with my own hands on clay soils? First of all, you need to carefully examine the area. It is important to pay special attention to some important points:

the quality and structure of the soil, that is, the presence and depth of clay layers;
the presence of a source that increases the degree of moisture, which can be either groundwater or frequent precipitation;
selection of a suitable type of drainage system for the existing conditions or the adoption of comprehensive measures;
preparation of a drainage scheme or plan, which reflects the arrangement of the necessary trenches and wells (the scheme should indicate such parameters as the dimensions of all elements of the system, the depth of soil drainage, as well as the relative slope of this structure).

How to determine the quality and structure of the soil? To do this, it is enough to use a permeability test. It is very simple, and its implementation will not cause any special difficulties. It will only be necessary to dig a hole, small in diameter, approximately 60 cm deep, and then fill it with water. The result of this test can be obtained only after a day. If during this time the water is completely absorbed into the soil, then there are no problems with its discharge on the site. On it, you can safely engage in economic activities and build a house without arranging a drainage system. But if the water in the pit lingered at least partially, then in this case a system for removing moisture must be built without fail.

After the stage of preliminary work is completed, it is necessary to proceed with the specific actions that are necessary in order to do the drainage of the site with your own hands on clay soils. However, before implementing the plan, one should carefully study the existing types of such systems. This will allow you to complete the project with maximum efficiency.

Types of water drainage systems

How to properly drain on a site with clay soil? To do this, you need to decide on its type. Such drainage systems are classified into surface, deep and reservoir. Sometimes an integrated method is used to improve the efficiency of water drainage from clay areas. It involves the simultaneous use of several drainage schemes at once. Let's consider each of them in more detail.

Surface drainage

Such a water drainage scheme involves the implementation of only small penetrations into the ground. Surface drainage of the site, as a rule, is used in areas with a slight natural slope. From an extensive network of such shallow channels, water is removed almost by gravity.

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How to make drainage on the site, if it is enough to perform a surface scheme? In such cases, trenches are laid along walking paths, around lawns, along the perimeter of the foundations of buildings, near recreational areas, and in other similar places.

The surface drainage scheme of a site on clay soils is, in some cases, an extensive network of drainage trays. At the same time, moisture is removed through plastic or concrete gutters and collected in special wells designed for this purpose. Further, water can either be used for economic purposes, or diverted to a disposal site.

Surface or open site drainage is the cheapest in the device.

deep systems

How to drain a site on clay soil if a large amount of water needs to be drained? In such cases, the construction of a deep system is necessary. This is a network of trenches located at a considerable distance from the soil surface, in which there are outlet pipes that direct moisture to sewage wells.

The deep drainage of the site consists of several main channels. They are dug to a depth of 1.2 m. The width of such channels is 0.5 m. They are directed towards the water collector. However, this is far from a complete description of the scheme of deep drainage of a clayey area. To the main canals, a whole network of drainage trays that are auxiliary in their purpose is needed. They can be replaced with small trenches. Such a scheme will allow collecting sludge water from the entire territory.

“> When arranging deep drainage, it is necessary to adhere to one important parameter. This is the allowable distance that is important to maintain between elements called drains. Under normal conditions, such a parameter should not exceed eleven meters. But the exact value of the allowable distance is chosen depending on the depth of the trenches and the quality of the soil.

Compared to surface drainage, deep drainage is a more expensive structure. Indeed, to create it, you will need to use special pipes and geotextile fabrics.

Reservoir systems

This type of drainage is a kind of deep drainage. All elements of the reservoir system are located at a considerable distance from the soil surface.

Such drainage is used if it is necessary to drain water that constantly accumulates around the foundation of the house or other structures located on the site.

How is reservoir drainage performed? For its construction, work is underway to equip an extensive network of ditches located below the heel of the foundation along its base. A layer of rubble is laid out at the bottom of the ditches. It is through them that water is diverted into special perforated pipe channels located along the perimeter of the building. As you can see, such a scheme is quite complex. That is why its dimensions exceed the dimensions of the foundation itself.

Tools

What is needed in order to proceed with the direct implementation of the plan to remove moisture from the site?

To do this, you will need the following working tools:

shovels for digging trenches;
building level, which will be needed when forming the required angle of inclination;
manual device (wheelbarrow) on which materials will be delivered to the place of work and the earth will be taken out;
drilling and cutting tools necessary for processing and cutting plastic pipes;
twine for marking the system.

Construction material

To equip a drainage system in a clay area, you will need:

textile fabric, with the help of which the water entering the drainage system will be filtered;
a certain amount of sand and gravel intended for the pillow device;
concrete or plastic channels that will ensure the arrangement of surface drainage;
a set of plastic perforated pipes, the diameter of which is in the range from 100 to 110 mm, necessary for deep drainage;
elements of finished catchment wells or their components;
a set that includes connecting elements for pipes.

Organization of the surface system

Open drainage is tray or backfill. But in both cases, such installation is carried out after marking the site for drainage and installing a water intake well in its lowest part. Further along the perimeter of the working platform, trenches should be dug. Their slope should be approximately thirty degrees and be directed towards the water intake. The drainage depth on the site is 50 cm. The trenches are dug out with a width of 0.5 to 0.6 m and lead to a common ditch, which goes directly to the catchment area.

Backfill drainage

With this type of drainage, fine sand is used after pre-done work. It is laid out on the bottom of the trenches with a layer of 10 cm and carefully rammed. After that, the ditches are laid with geotextiles and filled with 2/3 large gravel and 1/3 fine. From above, the system is closed with sod.

Tray drainage

When it is arranged, fine gravel is laid out at the bottom of the dug trenches with a ten-centimeter layer. Further, this material is poured with cement and pre-prepared plastic or concrete trays are immediately installed, at the end of which sand traps are fixed.

Such a system is closed with decorative high-strength gratings.

Deep drainage system

If it is necessary to perform drainage of a site with a high level of groundwater, then the algorithm for its organization will consist of the following actions:

First of all, it is necessary to mark the site and choose the most suitable place for the water intake. And only after that, ditches are dug on the working site, the depth of which is from 100 to 120 cm, and the width is 0.5 m. Drainage is performed on a site with a slope of 30 degrees.
Fall asleep in trenches, and then compact a layer of sand, the thickness of which is 10 cm.
Lay pre-prepared geotextiles in ditches so that the material closes their walls and goes out onto the sides.
Pour a 15-cm layer of fine gravel on the geofabric.
Lay plastic pipes on top of the rubble. They should be perforated down. Further, the pipes are connected by fittings and couplings. Revision wells should be located at the turns of the received drainage mains. They are installed above the ground.
After that, the pipes are covered with crushed stone of a fine fraction and closed with the free edges of the geotextile.
Further, the trenches are closed with sand and soil.
Drainage pipes should be directed to the water intake. Its function can be performed by any plastic container or a do-it-yourself well dug, fixed with reinforced concrete rings.

Optional equipment

For more efficient operation of the drainage system, special pumps, manholes and heating cables can be installed. What is their purpose?

So, the drainage of a site with a high level of groundwater will greatly facilitate a pump specially installed for this purpose. After all, if the water collection point is below the place of moisture accumulation, its removal will be complicated. Forced water movement will solve the problem.

The need for manholes arises when the drainage system is silted up or clogged with foreign objects.

The use of heating cables will prevent freezing of the drainage system in winter.

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Features of the territory with a predominance of clay soil

Do-it-yourself drainage of a site on clay soils is usually necessary for the reason that such areas are characterized by excessive stagnant water. At the same time, the roots of plants are constantly under the influence of moisture, and the air does not enter there in the required volume. Sooner or later, this becomes the cause of oxygen starvation, while cultivated plants can no longer develop normally and, in the end, die. In particular, this phenomenon applies to lawns, which suffer not only from excess moisture, but also due to fairly dense turf, because it is not loosened even from time to time and is not subjected to plowing. This leads to the fact that a dense layer located on top prevents the plants from fully saturating with air.

Do-it-yourself site drainage on clay soils should be equipped before you plant a lawn or all kinds of crops. After that, it will be possible to use the site immediately after the winter season comes to an end, which is accompanied by the disappearance of the snow cover.

What parameters of the site must be taken into account when designing

Before the drainage system is equipped, as a rule, a calculation is made and a project of the future system is drawn up. However, if you have to work with a territory whose area is not too large, then it is not at all necessary to make a calculation when designing. At the same time, the main condition is the need to take into account the main parameters of the system for draining water from the territory. Among them, it is necessary to highlight all the data related to drainage, namely: slope, location depth, location according to the plan, step between rows, installation of manholes, as well as the wellhead. The territory of a suburban area is not in all cases flat, for this reason, if there is even a slight slope of the soil surface, then it should certainly be used.

Application of terrain features

Do-it-yourself drainage of the site on clay soils must be equipped taking into account the slope of the soil surface. If we compare an inclined and a flat area, then it should be noted that it will be somewhat easier to work with the first one. Moreover, in this case, when arranging the drainage system, labor costs will be many times reduced. At the same time, it is necessary to carry out work in such a way that indoor and outdoor drainage are successfully combined.

In the latter case, in the process of work, ditches are used that have an open top. Such a system is also called surface. It will be most effective for the outflow of excess water during the warm season, it is at this time that a large amount of precipitation falls, which causes a rise in the level of groundwater. This type of drainage is indispensable in the winter. In a number of latitudes in winter, thaws are quite frequent, which are accompanied by frozen soil, which is not able to absorb water, and it becomes necessary to drain the liquid from the soil surface. In the cases described, it is absolutely necessary to equip the drainage of the site with your own hands, how to do this - you should certainly be interested.

Description of open and closed types of drainage

If you decide to mount an open type system, then you need to use a special tile, it has a slight slope, which will effectively remove excess moisture. Through such a system, liquid from the roofs of houses and paved areas will flow into a closed drainage system, which acts as a leader. Closed drainage will work as follows: the liquid that comes from the soil surface will flow through underground utilities, which have a shape and look like pipes. Before starting work, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of clay soil, which has a significant weight and high density. This indicates the need for its loosening before starting work. During the installation of drains, you will need to bypass areas that are intended for vehicles.

Installation of a closed drainage system

If you decide to equip the drainage of the site with your own hands, you should definitely know how to do this. Before starting work, it is imperative to determine which type of water intake will be used in this system. In its role, for example, a natural reservoir can act, quite often an alternative solution is used, which involves the withdrawal of water into an artificially equipped ditch. It must be located close to the road. But it may also happen that there are none, while the task can be solved in several ways, each of them can be implemented independently. There are several options for arranging the outflow of fluid. You can equip the reservoir on your own, making it in the form of a pond. At the same time, you should not be afraid that it will eventually begin to resemble a small wetland. In addition, you can dig a ditch yourself. It must be made deep, and located outside the boundaries of its own site. If you decide to use the latter option, then you must first agree with your neighbors.

Alternative stock option

If you intend to do the drainage of the site with your own hands, you should definitely know how to make the system, otherwise it will not cope with its functions, the plants on the territory will die, and the work will have to be done again. The third option for organizing water flow involves digging oversized wells. Their walls must be made vertical, and after filling, the water must be pumped out using a pump. Such manipulations will have to be done from time to time. For units, the pumping mode can be made automatic.

earthworks

Before you make the drainage of the garden plot with your own hands, you first have to dig trenches. It is necessary to arrange them along the perimeter of the suburban area. At the same time, the trenches will have to be given such a depth and width that they should not be more than 1.2 and 0.4 m. After the ditches are prepared, it is necessary to lay pipes in them that are intended to collect water. These ditches, by the way, have the name of the main ditches. Pre-laid pipes must reach the water intake. In order to fill the main channels, it is preferable to use pipes with a diameter of 110 mm for this. The depth of the main pipelines, when compared with the collecting branches of the system, should be somewhat greater. Must be carried out according to the rules of work, when the drainage of the site is arranged with your own hands, advice and guidance must be read before starting work. This is the only way to achieve the desired result.

Laying pipelines

In the work, it is imperative to follow the rules that are prescribed in the regulatory and technical literature. They regulate the need to remove drainage pipelines from the fence. So, the step between the pipeline and the fence should be 0.5 m or more. It should be noted that the pipeline should also be removed from the blind area of the main building, stepping back from it during installation of 1 m. The liquid will initially collect in drainage trenches, only then it will flow into the main channels. A whole network of trenches must be created on the territory, the depth and width of which, respectively, must be equal to 1.2 and 0.35 m.

The drainage of the site must necessarily have a certain slope, the master can easily produce a diagram and a device with his own hands. Thus, the trench network must be equipped with a slope that is 5 cm per meter. The channels should not have a large length. If you apply this rule, then the drainage system will work properly. A less impressive slope is not recommended, this is due to the fact that the fluid flow rate will not be as intense as necessary, this will ultimately cause stagnation in a certain area. If you have to work on the territory of a clay area, then the drains should be located at a distance of 10 m from each other.

Checking the system for operability

The installation of a drainage system on clay soil after trenches have been dug and pipes have been laid in them does not imply instant closure of the elements. Before you have to check the drainage for performance and efficiency.

The trench network must remain open for some time. For testing, heavy rainfall is the most successful option. If such an opportunity does not appear for a long time, then it is simply necessary to let water from the irrigation hose into the trenches. In this case, you should observe how quickly the flow of water will pass through the system. The absence of stagnation in all areas indicates the correct functioning, this is the only way to check the drainage of the site with your own hands, the technology and rules must be known to the master, only then everything will work without stagnation. If there is a need, then even at this stage it is necessary to adjust certain parameters that will increase the flow rate.

Solving system functionality problems

If, when checking the system, it was found that it does not work efficiently enough, then pipes of a larger diameter can be installed, in addition, the slope can be increased. In some cases, masters make a system that is equipped with a denser network. You can close the system if the drainage of the site is working properly, especially how to drain the soil - all this is important to know even before the start of work.

The final stage

You can close the system with geotextiles that can pass water. Instead, it is permissible to use volumetric filters that perform well in the drainage of clay soils. The most practical for drainage work are plastic pipes with a diameter of 63 mm, the surface of which must be corrugated. The connection of pipes must be carried out by means of tees.

The cost of arranging drainage

If you decide to do the drainage of the site with your own hands on clay soils, the price of a professional installation should certainly interest you. This may help you decide whether to carry out the work yourself or entrust the matter to professionals. So, if you decide to turn to specialists, then the cost of a running meter of surface drainage will cost 1,300 rubles. Whereas the same amount of work, but over deep drainage, will cost 2400 rubles.

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Clay is a serious problem for the gardener

Excess moisture in the soil leads to oxygen starvation of plants. The roots do not receive the required amount of oxygen, which inevitably leads to the death of greenery. This problem affects trees, shrubs and lawn grass. Without effective drainage, not a single plant will survive in a clay area, water will destroy everything.

Land with excess moisture is an ideal incubator for all kinds of slugs and snails. And which gardener needs these pests that feed on garden plantings? Plus, waterlogged soil is a direct threat to the foundation of the house. No waterproofing layer will save the base of the building with constant exposure to water.

Clay itself does not allow moisture to pass through, and if the site is also in a lowland, then the drainage system will have to be done without fail. Otherwise, not only the future harvest, but also the owner of the house runs the risk of drowning in the mud.

How to determine clay soil or not

It is possible to accurately assess the characteristics of the soil only after appropriate surveys, which should be carried out by a professional hydrogeologist. A variant is possible when the clay does not protrude to the surface, but lies in a continuous layer at a shallow depth. The soil seems to be good from above, but literally after half a meter a clay layer begins, which does not want to drain moisture further inland.

Approximately it is possible to determine only the degree of permeability of the earth. To do this, it is enough to dig a hole half a meter deep and pour water into it. If after a couple of days the recess turns out to be dry, then the site can do without additional drainage. Otherwise, it will definitely have to do drainage.

Do-it-yourself drainage of a clay area

There are two main ways to make drainage in a clay area:

With the help of a surface drainage system from trays.
Through deep drainage with the installation of perforated drain pipes.

The first option will allow you to divert only melt and rainwater. Only a deep system can handle the moisture that is already in the soil.

Wells, trays and pipes can be made of concrete, asbestos cement or iron. But the most practical material is plastic. From cross-linked polyethylene, it is now possible to purchase the entire set of various elements of the storm sewer system, all that remains is to assemble them together.

Advice! Pipes, storm water inlets, wells and storm gutters are best bought from cross-linked polyethylene. It calmly tolerates frosts and does not crack during frosts.

The choice of type of drainage depends on:

the owner's financial capabilities;
area and topography of the land plot;
estimated precipitation volumes;
soil structures at different depths.

In any case, you first need to prepare a project plan for the drainage system with reference to the area and purchase all the necessary building materials.

What will be needed to build a drainage system

To make the drainage of a site with clay soil from the tools you will need:

Shovels for digging pits for wells and trenches for drains.
Garden cart.
Hacksaw or jigsaw for cutting pipes.
Twine-cord for marking.
Construction bubble level

And also stock up in advance:

fine gravel with sand;
pipes with a diameter of 110 mm with perforation (you can take ordinary sewer pipes and drill holes in them);
geotextile material for wrapping perforated pipelines;
pipe fittings;
gutters, sand traps and storm water inlets (plastic or concrete);
well structures of factory assembly.

Surface drainage installation

Open drainage on clay soil is easiest to do. If the groundwater is deep enough, then it will be enough to drain the local area. In terms of labor costs and finances, this option is optimal.

The system of trays collecting and draining water for surface drainage is laid with a slope from the house to the lowest point of the site where the septic tank or infiltrator is equipped. From the septic tank, the clarified liquid is discharged into a roadside ditch, a nearby reservoir or a street storm sewer.

The main thing when planning a drainage system is to use the relief of the site with maximum benefit. If it has a slope, then this is just an ideal case. It will be enough to dig ditches along this slope and lay the trays in them at an angle to the lowest point.

Installation of surface drainage on a clay site is carried out in five stages:

Digging trenches according to the designed scheme up to half a meter deep.
Backfilling at the bottom of the ditches of a sand and gravel cushion with a thickness of 15–20 cm.
Laying trays at a slope of 2-5 degrees to the water intake.
Covering rain gutters from leaves and debris with metal bars.
Installation of an infiltrator with drainage into the soil below a layer of clay or a storage tank with a pump.

After completing all the work, it remains only to check the operability of the storm drain by letting water from the hose into it.

Deep drainage device

The buried drainage system is formed from the main pipeline and perforated pipes connected to it. The main can be made one - in the middle of the site, then the drains are connected to it with a herringbone. Or it is laid along the fence along the border of the estate, and all drainage pipes are connected to this perimeter.

For laying pipelines, trenches 35–40 cm wide and up to one and a half meters deep are needed (depending on the level of groundwater and the freezing point of the soil). At their bottom, a 15-centimeter pillow of sand with crushed stone is made and geotextiles are spread to protect the perforation from clogging.

Then another 10–20 cm of gravel is poured onto the geotextile substrate and drains are laid on it, which are then sprinkled with gravel and covered with geofabric on top. As a result, the perforated drainage pipe should be on all sides in gravel and wrapped around with geotextile.

Important! Perforated pipes without geotextile wrapping on clay lands will quickly clog. Needle-punching geofabric is an obligatory element of deep drainage in a clay area.

When arranging drainage in areas with clay buds, for wrapping pipes, in addition to the usual non-woven fabric, you can use bulk shells made of coconut fiber. Drains with them are sold already ready for installation.

Revision and storage wells can be made from:

bricks;
reinforced concrete;
plastic.

If the pipes for the drainage system are plastic, then it is also better to use all wells and a septic tank from a similar material. It is easier to take care of them later and make repairs if necessary.

Video: drainage work in a difficult area

The combination of a deep and surface drainage system is guaranteed to drain even a wetland. Such drainage of clay soils has been proven over the years of practice. Its installation is simple, and as part of the maintenance, seasonal inspections and flushes are sufficient. But the design of the drainage system is best left to an experienced specialist. There are many nuances and without specialized knowledge it is difficult to correctly calculate the depth, slope, diameter of pipes.

If you got a building plot, the research of which showed that groundwater lies very high to the ground surface, this does not mean that construction is canceled or difficult. You just have to increase the construction estimate for the arrangement of drainage and storm systems that will drain melt, rain and groundwater from the foundation of the house, ensuring the dryness of the structure and the duration of its operation. Do-it-yourself drainage of the site on clay soils is more difficult, since clay does not absorb water well and passes water, but for this there is a drainage system. On the other hand, clay soil keeps groundwater from penetrating into the upper soil layers from below, and you just have to protect the building from moisture entering the soil from above - from rain and snow.

Purpose of drainage

It is recommended to equip the drainage of the site on clay soils immediately after acquiring land for development or development, and the first step to ensuring the safety of your home is geological and geodetic surveys, on the basis of which the project is drawn up. But if you have at least the slightest experience in construction, such studies can be carried out independently, based on information from neighbors and on your own observations. It is necessary to dig a pit with a depth of at least 1.5 meters (the average depth of soil freezing), and visually establish its composition from the soil section. Depending on the predominance of one or another type of soil, an individual drainage scheme is drawn up.

Waters close to the surface of the ground are dangerous in spring and autumn, as they are fed by atmospheric precipitation, which quickly replenishes underground rivers. The weaker the soil, the faster the groundwater will be replenished with doge and meltwater. Therefore, the need for drainage of the site depends on the depth of groundwater, and at a water level below the base of the base by 0.5 m, water must be drained. The depth of the drainage pipes is 0.25-0.3 meters below the groundwater level.

Surface waters (perch water) manifest themselves if the site contains clay and loamy soil layers that practically do not let water through. In clay areas, immediately after rain, large puddles appear that do not go into the soil for a long time, and this is the first sign of a large layer of clay in the soil. The cure in this case is drainage and a storm system that will immediately drain rain or melt water from the surface of the site.

In order to completely protect the house from surface water, in addition to drainage and storm water, layer-by-layer backfilling of the base with clay soil is done, with each layer being rammed separately. A blind area wider than the backfill layer is also required.

Cost-Effective Solutions and Drainage Options

How and how to drain a site on clay soil? These are, first of all, such events:

Construction of a waterproofed blind area;
Arrangement of storm sewers;
Digging of upland ditches is a recess in the ground on the upland side of the site in order to divert rain and melt water;
Protection of the foundation from moisture with waterproofing materials.

Drainage can be made general or local. The local drainage system is intended only for draining the basement and foundation, general drainage drains the entire area or its main part, which is at risk of waterlogging.

Existing site drainage schemes:

The ring scheme is a closed circuit of pipes around a residential building or site. The pipes are laid below the groundwater level by 0.25-0.35 m. The scheme is rather complicated and expensive, therefore it is used in exceptional cases;
Wall drainage is used to drain the foundation walls, and is mounted 1.5-2.5 m from the building. Pipe laying depth - 10 cm below the basement waterproofing level;
Systematic drainage includes an extensive network of channels for water drainage;
The radial drainage scheme is a whole system of drainage pipes and drainage channels combined into one design. It is mainly equipped to protect against floods and flooding of the site;
Reservoir drainage protects against perched water, and is mounted together with wall drainage to protect the slab base. Such a scheme is several layers of non-metallic materials plus a layer of waterproofing, on which a reinforced slab foundation is built.

Installation options for drainage systems

Closed mounting. Excess water enters the drains and further - into the storage tank;
Open installation. Drainage trapezoidal channels are not closed from above, gutters are installed in them to collect water. To prevent debris from entering the gutters, they are covered with bars;
Backfill installation is used for drainage on soils containing loams and in areas with viscous clay. Drains are laid in trenches and backfilled.

Drainage pipes (drains) are metal or plastic pipes with perforations Ø 1.5-5 mm for the passage of water that accumulates in clay or other soil. So that the holes are not clogged with earth and debris, the pipes are wrapped with filter materials. Clay soils are the most difficult to filter, therefore, in such areas, drains turn into 3-4 layers of filters.

The diameter of the drains is up to 100-150 mm. At each turn, an audit should be arranged - a special well for collecting garbage and pumping water. All collected water is sent to a common water collector or a nearby body of water.

Drainage pipes are sold ready-made, but they can be easily prepared to work in the system and on their own, even from plastic bottles. Such an economical home-made system will easily withstand operation for 40-50 years. Pipes are built up simply: the neck of the next bottle is put on a bottle with a cut off bottom, and so on until the required length is obtained. In addition, the composite bottle pipe can be easily bent in any direction and at any angle. Just like industrial products, homemade pipes are wrapped in several layers of filter materials. On sloping sections, pipes are laid with the same slope as the surface of the construction site.

There is also another way to use plastic bottles - they are placed in the ground tightly to each other with closed lids to form a closed drainage channel that will serve as an air cushion in the ditch. The bottom of the ditch is protected by a cushion of sand. It is recommended to make several such pipes lying next to each other. In order for the system to work, the bottles are covered with geotextiles on all sides, and water will pass through the gaps between the bottles.

Also, when making drains yourself, you can use ordinary plastic sewer pipes by making holes Ø 2-3 mm in them, or by making cuts 15-20 cm long with a grinder, which is much faster.

So that after cutting or drilling the pipe does not lose mechanical strength, cuts must be made a certain amount per 1 m 2, or rather, they must be done at a distance of 30-50 cm from each other with a cut width of not more than 5 mm. If the holes are drilled with a drill, then the distance between them should be at least 10 cm, the diameter of the holes should not exceed 5 mm. The main thing is not how to make holes or cuts, but that large pieces of soil, crushed stone or other backfill do not fall into the holes.

Be sure to observe the slope of the drains so that the water flows by gravity into the sump. The slope must be at least 2 mm per 1 meter running pipe, maximum - 5 mm. If drains are mounted locally and in a small area, then their slope is in the range of 1-3 cm per 1 running meter.

It is allowed to change the slope angle if:

There is a need to divert a large volume of water without replacing pipes with larger diameter products - the slope angle is increased;
To avoid backwater when installing drains below the groundwater level, the slope of the system is reduced.

A trench for drains is dug with approximate observance of the slope, which is specified and implemented by adding coarse river sand. A layer of sand cushion - an average of 50-100 mm, so that it can be distributed along the bottom to comply with the slope. The sand is then moistened and compacted.

The sand cushion is covered with geotextile, which should also cover the walls of the trench. Crushed stone or gravel is laid on top with a layer of 150-300 mm (on loamy soils - up to 250 mm, on sand - up to 150 mm). The size of crushed stone grains depends on the diameter of the holes in the drains, or vice versa - depending on the fraction of crushed stone used, the diameter of the holes is selected: for Ø 1.5 mm, crushed stone with a particle size of 6-8 mm is used, for larger diameter holes, larger crushed stone is used.

A drain is laid on the crushed stone, several layers of gravel or the same crushed stone are poured on it, the backfill is rammed, and the edges of the geotextile are wrapped on the crushed stone with an overlap of 200-250 mm. So that the geotextile does not turn around, it is sprinkled with sand, with a layer of up to 30 cm. The last layer is the previously excavated soil.

The installation of the drainage system begins from the lowest section, and a collector is immediately equipped in the same section. This scheme works for any level of groundwater. Draining into a receiving tank, water can bring debris and dirt with it, which forms a blockage, which is cleaned in this collector. To facilitate cleaning and eliminate blockages, side pits are made with a layer of crushed stone at the bottom.

How to drain a site on clay soil updated: February 26, 2018 by: zoomfund

Storm and melt waters cause many problems for the owners of plots with dense and heavy clay soils. Capital and temporary structures are destroyed under the influence of moisture, garden trees, lawn grass, cultivated plants experience discomfort. Properly constructed drainage on a site with clay soil will be the right solution and protection from trouble. If it is not done, then the flooded foundations freeze and collapse during the onset of cold weather. The root system of green spaces receives little oxygen necessary for growth, as a result, the plants wither and disappear. Drainage of a site on clay soils can be done by hand, following the scheme.

Clay soil problems

Clay soil is a big enemy of the foundation of a house and outbuildings, trees and shrubs. The absence of a slope for natural water drainage makes it difficult to carry out agrotechnical seasonal work and reduces the comfort of life. Sticky dirt does not allow walking around the site, doing current affairs. When it rains, the lawn becomes like a swamp, and after drying, the top layer is covered with a crust that is difficult to break even with garden tools. On a clay plot, vegetables in the beds do not ripen well, and the foundation waterproofing is gradually destroyed.

You can determine the level of soil permeability yourself. To do this, dig a hole 0.5 m deep, fill it with water. On a site with good drainage, in a day all the moisture will be absorbed into the ground. If water remains even in a small amount, then a drainage system is necessary. Drainage in a clay area will be an excellent outlet for diverting water. The owners will be able to appreciate its benefits when the soil gradually dries out, and the harvest of the garden and vegetable garden will delight in abundance.

Types of drainage

In areas with clay soil, several types of drainage systems are allowed:

superficial;
deep;
reservoir.

Surface drainage is suitable for areas with a slight natural slope. Shallow channels are laid on the surface of the soil. On clay soils, drainage is organized along the perimeter of recreation areas, lawns, buildings, along paths. Water moves through plastic channels by gravity, is collected in a certain place in a special well. It can be used for watering, cleaning or taken outside the site.

Do-it-yourself deep drainage of the site on clay soils is performed, if necessary, to remove a significant amount of water. It flows down the pipelines laid underground. The system includes one or more channels, the depth of which is 0.5 m wide and 1.2 m deep. Drainage pipes lead to a water collector - a well. In large areas, the main main channels and additional side lines are located to maximize coverage of places with stagnant water.

Reservoir drainage is a kind of deep drainage, since its parts are placed at great depths. The channel system is designed to drain water that constantly rises to the foundation of the building. Installation of pipes is carried out at the lowest point of the foundation. Water leaves through drainage pipes located around the perimeter.

Scheme and drainage device

The drainage scheme of a site on clay soils is determined taking into account the area and amount of moisture, including high groundwater, snow, precipitation. An inexpensive option in the device is considered to be surface drainage, and requiring financial investments and construction work is buried. Combining the two systems in clayey areas will improve the quality and time of soil drainage. The drainage scheme of the site and engineering calculations are compiled to perform work on a large area. The arrangement of drainage for small areas does not require a plan, but it is important to take into account landscape features.

The canal system consists of a central drainage system and additional side branches. The distance between auxiliary routes is at least 10 meters; they enter at an acute angle into the main highway. The diameter of the central pipe is 100 mm, additional 500-650 mm. Water is collected in a well with a drainage pump, in a pond, pond, canals along the road.

The question of how to make drainage on a clay plot is asked by the owners of their own houses and cottages. Work begins with excavation, a natural slope is arranged on a flat landscape. The depth of the channels is from 0.4 to 1.2 meters. At the bottom of the side and main ditches, sand 15 cm thick is laid, which is compacted, and crushed stone or expanded clay is poured on top.

Perforated plastic pipes wrapped with geotextile fabric are laid in finished trenches. For connection, crosses and tees are used. From above, the pipes are covered with crushed stone, a layer of sand, excavated soil, the layer thickness is at least 15 cm. Water flows into a concrete or plastic well by gravity, and a drainage pump is used to drain excess from the sump.

To maintain the effective operation of the drainage system, periodic inspection and cleaning of wells is required. With the help of manual cleaning, order is put in place on open-type drainage systems. Full-scale cleaning is carried out by specialists using cleaning tools and pneumatic installations.