Do-it-yourself site drainage on clay soils. Do-it-yourself site drainage on clay soils Drainage is laid above or below the clay layer

Important points

Geotextile serves as an additional filter that prevents large debris from entering drainage system. It is believed that its use is not necessary in clay soils.

Lack of slope will lead to stagnation of water and silting of the drainage line. The slope ranges from 1 to 7 centimeters per meter of pipeline.

The backfill layer should not be less than 15 centimeters. This rule is relevant for both crushed stone and sand or soil.

The depth of the main canals is from 40 centimeters to 1.2 meters. A shallower or greater depth will make the system ineffective.

Stormwater and melt water cause many problems for owners of plots with dense and heavy clay soils. Capital and temporary structures are destroyed by moisture, garden trees, lawn grass, cultivated plants feel discomfort. Properly constructed drainage in an area with clay soil will become the right decision and protection from troubles. If this is not done, then flooded foundations will freeze and collapse when cold weather sets in. Root system green spaces receive little oxygen necessary for growth, as a result the plants wither and disappear. Drainage of a site on clay soils can be done with your own hands, following the diagram.

Clay soil problems

Clay soil is a great enemy of the foundation of a house and outbuildings, trees and shrubs. The lack of a slope for natural water drainage makes it difficult to carry out agrotechnical seasonal work, reduces the comfort of life. Sticky mud makes it impossible to walk around the area or do routine activities. When it rains, the lawn becomes like a swamp, and after it dries upper layer becomes covered with a crust that is difficult to break even gardening tools. In a clay area, vegetables in the beds do not ripen well, and the waterproofing of the foundation gradually deteriorates.

You can determine the level of soil permeability yourself. To do this, dig a hole 0.5 m deep and fill it with water. In an area with good drainage, within a day all the moisture will be absorbed into the ground. If water remains even in small quantities, then a drainage system is necessary. Drainage in a clay area will be an excellent way to remove 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 along the surface of the soil. On clay soils, drainage is organized around the perimeter of recreation areas, lawns, buildings, and along paths. Water moves through plastic channels by gravity and 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 a site on clay soils is carried out if necessary to remove a significant amount of water. It flows through 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, main main channels and additional side lines are located to maximize coverage of areas with stagnant water.

Reservoir drainage is a type of deep drainage, since its parts are placed on great depth. The canal system is designed to drain water that constantly approaches the foundation of the building. Pipe installation is carried out at the lowest point of the foundation. Water leaves through drainage pipes located around the perimeter.

Drainage scheme and arrangement

The drainage scheme for a site on clay soils is determined taking into account the area and amount of moisture, including high groundwater, snow, and precipitation. Surface drainage is considered an inexpensive option, but requires financial investment and implementation construction work- buried. Combining the two systems in clay areas will increase the quality and time of soil drainage. A site drainage diagram and engineering calculations are drawn up to carry out work over a large area. Arranging drainage for small areas does not require drawing up 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 the main highway at an acute angle. 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, reservoir, and canals along the road.

The question of how to make drainage in a clay area is asked by the owners of their own houses and cottages. Work begins with excavation of the soil; a natural slope is arranged on a flat landscape. The depth of the channels ranges from 0.4 to 1.2 meters. Sand 15 cm thick is placed at the bottom of the side and main ditches, compacted, and crushed stone or expanded clay is poured on top.

Perforated plastic pipes wrapped in geotextile fabric are laid in the finished trenches. Crosses and tees are used for connections. The pipes are covered on top with crushed stone, a layer of sand, excavated soil, the layer thickness is at least 15 cm. In concrete or plastic well water flows by gravity; a drain pump is used to remove excess from the sump.

For supporting efficient work The drainage system requires periodic inspection and cleaning of wells. Using manual cleaning, order is restored to drainage systems open type. Full-scale cleaning is carried out by specialists using cleaning tools and pneumatic units.

If you have received a building plot, studies of which have shown that groundwater lies very high to the ground surface, this does not mean that construction is canceled or hampered. You'll just have to increase construction estimate for the arrangement of drainage and stormwater 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. It is more difficult to do site drainage on clay soils with your own hands, since clay does not absorb and allow water to pass through, but that is what the drainage system is for. On the other side, clay soil keeps groundwater from penetrating into the upper layers of the soil from below, and you only have to protect the structure from moisture entering the soil from above - from rain and snow.

Purpose of drainage

It is recommended to arrange drainage for a site on clay soils immediately after acquiring land for construction 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 research can be carried out independently, relying on information from neighbors and on your own observations. It is necessary to dig a hole at least 1.5 meters deep (the average depth of soil freezing), and visually determine its composition from the soil section. Depending on the predominance of a particular type of soil, an individual drainage scheme is drawn up.

Water passing close to the ground surface is dangerous in spring and autumn, as it is fed by precipitation, which quickly replenishes underground rivers. The weaker the soil, the faster the groundwater will be replenished by rain and meltwater. Therefore, the need for site drainage depends on the depth of groundwater, and when the water level is 0.5 m below the base of the foundation, it is necessary to drain water. Location depth drainage pipes– 0.25-0.3 meters below the groundwater level.

Surface water (overwater) manifests itself if the site contains clay and loamy soil layers that practically do not allow water to pass through. In clay areas, immediately after rain, large puddles appear that do not sink into the soil for a long time, and this is the first sign of a large layer of clay in the soil. The remedy in this case is drainage and storm system, which will immediately drain rain or melt water from the surface of the site.

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

Economical solutions and drainage options

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

1. Construction of a waterproofed blind area;
2. Arrangement of storm drainage;
3. Digging upland ditches is a depression in the ground on the upland side of the site for the purpose of draining rain and melt water;
4. Protecting the foundation from moisture with waterproofing materials.

Drainage can be done 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:

1. The ring circuit is a closed loop of pipes around a residential building or site. The pipes are laid 0.25-0.35 m below the groundwater level. The scheme is quite complex and expensive, so it is used in exceptional cases;
2. Wall drainage is used to drain the foundation walls, and is installed 1.5-2.5 m from the building. The depth of the pipes is 10 cm below the basement waterproofing level;
3. Systematic drainage includes an extensive network of canals to drain water;
4. Radial drainage scheme is the whole system drainage pipes and drainage channels combined into one structure. It is mainly developed to protect the site from floods and flooding;
5. Formative drainage protects against high water, and is mounted together with wall drainage to protect slab base. This scheme consists of several layers of non-metallic materials plus a layer of waterproofing, on which a reinforced slab foundation is built.

Installation options for drainage systems

1. Installation closed type. Excess water goes into the drains and then into the storage tank;
2. Open installation. Drainage trapezoidal channels are not closed from above; gutters are installed in them to collect water. To prevent debris from getting into the gutters, they are covered with grates;
3. Backfill installation is used for drainage on soils containing loams and in areas with viscous clay. Drains are placed 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. To prevent the holes from becoming clogged with earth and debris, the pipes are wrapped with filter materials. Clay soils are the most difficult to filter, so in such areas the drains are wrapped in 3-4 layers of filters.

Drain diameter is up to 100-150 mm. At every turn there should be an inspection - a special well for collecting garbage and pumping out water. All collected water is sent to a common reservoir or a nearby reservoir.

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

There is also another way to use plastic bottles - they are placed in the ground tightly to each other with the lids closed 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. For the system to work, the bottles are covered with geotextile on all sides, and water will pass through the cracks between the bottles.

Also when self-production regular drains can be used sewer pipes made of plastic by making holes Ø 2-3 mm in them, or making slits 15-20 cm long using a grinder, which is much faster.

So that after cutting or drilling the pipe does not lose mechanical strength, cuts need to be made in a certain number per 1 m2, or rather, they need to be made at a distance of 30-50 cm from each other with a cut width of no more than 5 mm. If holes are drilled with a drill, then the distance between them should be at least 10 cm, the diameter of the holes should be no more than 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.

It is imperative to maintain the slope of the drains so that the water flows by gravity into the sump. The slope should be at least 2 mm per 1 meter of pipe, maximum 5 mm. If drains are installed locally and in a small area, then their slope is in the range of 1-3 cm per 1 linear meter.

Changing the slope angle is allowed if:

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

The trench for the drains is dug with an approximate slope, which is specified and implemented with backfill river sand large faction. The layer of sand cushion is on average 50-100 mm, so that it can be distributed along the bottom to maintain the slope. Then the sand is 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 in a layer of 150-300 mm (on loamy soils - up to 250 mm, on sand - up to 150 mm). The size of the 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 holes with a larger diameter, larger crushed stone is used.

A drain is laid on the crushed stone, several layers of gravel or the same crushed stone are poured onto it, the backfill is compacted, and the edges of the geotextile are wrapped over the crushed stone with an overlap of 200-250 mm. To prevent the geotextile from unrolling, it is sprinkled with sand in a layer of up to 30 cm. Last layer– previously removed soil.

Installation of the drainage system begins from the lowest area, and a collector is immediately installed in the same area. This scheme works for any groundwater level. As water drains into the receiving tank, it can bring with it debris and dirt, which forms a clog, which is cleaned in this collector. To facilitate cleaning and remove 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

Water is the source of life and comfort. But sometimes it turns into disaster, bringing catastrophic consequences. That's why when arranging land plot When building a house, it is necessary to take care of a reliable drainage system. After all, flooding with groundwater and melt water is a real tragedy for any home owner. Yes, and rain and snow can contribute to waterlogging of the ground and thereby create a lot of problems for the owners of private housing related to their safety and comfort.

Areas with a clay structure especially suffer from excess moisture. And the only salvation for them is the installation of a full-fledged drainage system, which, fortunately, can be easily done with your own hands.

When starting to create a drainage system with your own hands, there is no need to rush to buy materials and dig trenches. Initially, you need to determine the type of soil and make hydrodynamic calculations. It is the composition of the soil that will determine the future design of the drainage system. For example, everyone knows that building a house on black soil or sandy soil much easier because this type Soil absorbs and removes moisture very quickly. But owners of plots with clay soil will have to make a lot of effort to drain it. Clay can retain moisture for a very long time, and this property poses a great danger both to all buildings located in a given area and to the plants growing around it.

Wet clay can cause more than just discomfort to its inhabitants this area, but also cause significant damage to all structures and outbuildings. Wet clay soil is especially dangerous in winter. Freezing to the very depths, it can destroy the foundation of a house, destroy garden trees and even disrupt the water supply system. And then puddles, sticky dirt and slush will seem like a minor nuisance compared to more serious problems.

Plants on the site will also suffer from clay soil. During prolonged rains, such soil immediately turns into a swamp. And after drying, it becomes hard and cannot be loosened. A continuous crust forms on its surface, which completely disrupts air exchange in the soil. As a result, all trees, flowers and other plants, without receiving sufficient quantity oxygen, stop growing and begin to die.

How to find out your soil type yourself

As a rule, not all owners land plots are soil scientists. And even when starting to build a house with your own hands, you can hardly quickly find the right specialist, especially in a remote area. Also, the cost of such a service is not always adequate. You can check the soil type yourself, especially since this procedure does not require special knowledge and complex devices. You just need to dig a hole half a meter deep with your own hands and pour water into it. If the soil absorbs moisture well, the water should drain within a day. And if the pit is not empty even in two days, then this means that the soil here is clayey. Therefore, drainage of this area is mandatory.

Do-it-yourself site drainage

In order to properly drain a site on clay soils, you must first determine future view drainage systems. The design of such a system will depend on the following factors:

• the size of the area of ​​the drained area;
• relief features: the presence of lowlands and hills;
• average monthly precipitation in the area;
• proximity to a natural body of water;
• amount of groundwater and melt water;
• financial opportunities.

Depending on which factor will be predominant, the optimal drainage system is selected. It can be done in two ways: deep and superficial.

Which drainage method is best for clay soils?

If the site is sloped and there is practically no groundwater, then it is possible to create surface drainage. It comes in two types: linear and point. In the first case, shallow trenches are created, through which water will subsequently flow into collection trays. They, in turn, are inclined towards the main water intake or towards the storm sewer well. This entire structure is covered with special grilles for safety and aesthetics. The spot drying function is performed by a system consisting of drainpipes, from where water flows into catch basins and storm water inlets connected to the general drainage system.

The second method is more complex and expensive, but you can also do it yourself. Trenches up to 1 meter deep and up to 0.5 meters wide are dug on the site. This system works much more efficiently than drainage created by surface drainage. Dug trenches surround the entire site and the house along the entire perimeter. Geotextiles are laid at the bottom of such ditches, and perforated drainage pipes are installed on top of them, which are then filled with crushed stone.

The created structure is covered with an overlap of protruding geotextiles, the ends of which are firmly and securely fastened. When finished, all this is covered with earth and leveled.

Combined drainage on clay soil

Given the complex structure of clay soils, experts recommend using two drainage methods simultaneously: deep and surface. Such a system will work much better, since surface drainage will quickly remove melt water and precipitation from the site, thereby preventing them from penetrating into the ground. Well, the deep system will fight groundwater, directing them through pipes to the designated location.

Deep drainage of a site on clay soils cannot be created in a place where a car will drive and park. The soil covering the trench is quickly compacted. This fact will lead to deformation of drainage pipes, making them completely useless.

Drainage system design stage

Do-it-yourself site drainage on clay soils should begin with design. But if the area of ​​the territory is not very large, then it is quite possible to do without complex technical calculations. The process of creating a drainage scheme consists of several stages:

• first, it is necessary to make a plan of the site on an acceptable scale, where all outbuildings, roads and trees should be marked;
• on the plan it is necessary to mark all the highest and low points relief;
• now you can draw on the diagram the lines along which future drainage trenches will go;
• It is imperative to highlight the main drainage system, which originates at the highest point and ends at the lowest;
• it is also necessary to design all additional branches coming from the main water pipeline;

When drawing up a project, you must take into account important technical points. So, for example, on clay soil the distance between drainage trenches should be neither less nor more than 10 meters. When drawing up a plan, you must also take into account that the diameter of the main water conduit will be the largest, and the diameter of additional main pipes will be almost twice as much.

When drawing up a project, it is very important to immediately determine where the excess water will be discharged? Decide this problem possible in several ways. This could be an ordinary ditch next to the road, leading into the nearest body of water. Can also be done on a site in style landscape design decorative lake or swamp. It can also be a regular underground water intake, but here you can’t do without an electric pump.

A well-designed and high-quality do-it-yourself drainage system will last for a long time without additional repairs or modifications. But most importantly, it will ensure optimal drainage of clay soil and save the home owner from unnecessary hassle, expense and worry.

Do-it-yourself site drainage on clay soils can be done. This is necessary for the reason that in areas where clay soil predominates, water often lingers, unable to escape into the soil. Due to this circumstance, they begin to feel bad, which leads to the fact that they do not develop properly. In order to solve this problem, it is definitely worthwhile to arrange drainage for the area. You can carry out such work correctly if you read the recommendations below.

Features of the territory with a predominance of clay soil

Do-it-yourself site drainage is usually necessary because such areas are characterized by excessive stagnation of water. At the same time, the roots of plants are constantly exposed to moisture, and air does not enter there. required volume. This sooner or later becomes the cause of oxygen starvation, while cultivated plants can no longer develop normally and, in the end, die. This phenomenon especially concerns lawns, which suffer not only from excess moisture, but also because the turf is quite dense, because it is not loosened even from time to time and is not plowed. This leads to the fact that the dense layer located on top prevents the plants from being fully saturated with air.

Do-it-yourself site drainage on clay soils should be arranged before you plant a lawn or various crops. You can then use the site immediately after it comes to an end. winter season, which is accompanied by the melting of snow cover.

What site parameters need to be taken into account when designing?

Before a drainage system is installed, as a rule, a calculation is made and a project is drawn up future system. However, if you have to work with a territory whose area is not too large, then it is not at all necessary to make calculations during design. In this case, 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, depth, location according to the plan, spacing between rows, installation of inspection wells, as well as the wellhead. Territory suburban area not in all cases flat, for this reason, if there is even a slight slope of the soil surface, then it should definitely be used.

Application of the terrain features of the territory

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

In the latter case, during the work process, ditches are used that have an open top. Such a system is also called surface. It will be most effective for draining excess water during the warm period of the year, when it falls a large number of precipitation, which causes the level to rise. This type of drainage cannot be avoided even in winter. In a number of latitudes, thaws are quite frequent in winter, which are accompanied by frozen soil that is not able to absorb water, and there is a need to drain liquid from the soil surface. In the cases described, it is absolutely necessary to arrange the drainage of the site with your own hands; how to do this should certainly interest you.

Description of open and closed types of drainage

If you decide to install 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 asphalt areas will flow into a closed drainage system, which acts as a leading one. Closed drainage will work as follows: the liquid that comes from the soil surface will flow through underground communications, which have shape and appearance resemble pipes. Before starting work, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of clay soil, which has significant weight and high density. This indicates the need to loosen it before starting work. During the installation of drains, you will need to bypass areas that are intended for vehicles.

Closed installation

If you decide to arrange 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 what type of water intake will be used in this system. Its role can be played, for example, by a natural reservoir; it is often used alternative solution, which involves discharging water into an artificially constructed ditch. It must be located near the road. But it may also happen that there are none, and the problem 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 arrange a pond on your own, making it in the form of a pond. Don't be afraid that it will end up resembling a wetland. small size. In addition, you can dig a ditch yourself. It must be made deep and located outside the boundaries of your own site. If you decide to use the latter option, you must first agree on it with your neighbors.

Alternative drainage option

If you intend to do the drainage of the area with your own hands, you should definitely know how to make the system, otherwise it will not cope with its functions, the plants in the area 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 performed from time to time. For units, the pumping mode can be made automatic.

Carrying out excavation work

Before draining garden plot with your own hands, you first have to dig trenches. They must be located along the perimeter of the suburban area. In this case, the trenches will have to be given such a depth and width that they should not be more than the indicators equal to 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, are called main ditches. Pre-installed 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. 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 a site is being drained with its own hands, the advice and manual must be read before starting work. This is the only way to achieve the desired result.

Pipe laying

In your 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 taken into account that the pipeline should also be removed from the blind area of ​​the main building, retreating 1 m from it during installation. The liquid will initially begin to accumulate in drainage trenches, only then will it enter the main channels. A whole network of trenches must be created on the territory, the depth and width of which must be 1.2 and 0.35 m, respectively.

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

Checking the system for functionality

On clay soil, after trenches are dug and pipes are laid in them, it does not imply immediate closure of the elements. First you need to check the drainage for functionality and effectiveness.

The trench network must remain open for some time. To be tested as the most good option heavy precipitation occurs. If such an opportunity does not present itself for a long time, then it is simply necessary to let water from the irrigation sludge into the trenches. In this case, you should monitor how quickly the water flow will pass through the system. Correct functioning is indicated by the absence of stagnation in all areas, this is the only way to check the drainage of the area 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 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 discovered that it is not working efficiently enough, then pipes of a larger diameter can be installed; in addition, the slope can be increased. In some cases, craftsmen create a system that is equipped with a denser network. You can close the system if the drainage of the site is working correctly, features, how to drain the soil - all this is important to find out before the start of work.

The final stage

The system can be closed with geotextiles that can allow water to pass through. Instead, it is permissible to use volumetric filters that perform well when draining clay soils. The most practical for drainage work are plastic pipes with a diameter of 63 mm, the surface of which should be corrugated. The pipes must be connected using tees.

Cost of drainage arrangement

If you decide to drain the site with your own hands on clay soils, the price professional installation should definitely 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 linear meter surface drainage will cost 1,300 rubles. Whereas the same amount of work, but on deep drainage, will cost 2,400 rubles.