Construction

How do you put AGI pipe behind retaining wall?

People often consider the strength and beauty of the concrete sleepers and the strength and thickness of the steel beams when they think of retaining walls.

How do you install an AGI drain?

Ag pipes DO NOT magically make water flow uphill. The bottom of the trench has to be graded in the direction of the water flow. Position agricultural drains no closer than 1m from your house footings. Use solid pathways or grade the ground away from your house for the first metre.

What do you put behind a retaining wall?

Backfill the wall with gravel or sand. If you use sand, first cover the backside of the retaining wall with landscape fabric. This will keep the sand from seeping between the blocks. If you're backfilling with gravel, you can pour the gravel after every course you lay.

Do I need a drain pipe behind retaining wall?

If your retaining wall needs a drainage pipe, make sure the pipe has slots on all sides, not just one. A drainage pipe might be needed if: The retaining wall is at least four feet high or taller. Clay or other poor draining soils are behind the wall.

What is the best material to backfill a retaining wall?

The best material for the backfilling of a retaining wall is gravel, and it should be well graded. The main reason for using gravel is because it does not retain water (small void ratio); hence lateral loads experienced will be minimal. You should also have weep holes for draining excess water that may be retained.

Should you put plastic behind a retaining wall?

I always run the thicker black plastic behind retaining walls. Preserves the timber sleepers a bit more and stops dirt and weeds coming through the inevitable gaps. +1 for geotex on the ground and up the soil you want to retain, then aggregate between fabric and wall, with drain at the bottom.

Should you use fabric behind retaining wall?

You should use landscape fabric behind a retaining wall because the fabric supports the bricks, wood, or other materials that make the wall. Wet soil can push against a retaining wall, weakening it. By placing a strip of landscape fabric under the soil, the wall won't have as much pressure on it.

How deep should drain pipe be buried?

Maintaining a depth of 12 to 18 inches is best for drain pipes, but the depth of the pipe may vary in order to maintain a downward slope, which is critical for proper drain functioning.

How deep do you bury AG pipe?

In heavy clay soils, granular backfill should be brought to the top of the clay layer in order to keep the pipe at a minimum depth of 650mm. Always ensure that the pipe has only porous soil above, avoiding heavy clay backfill which restricts the flow of water to the pipe.

Does AG pipe need a sock?

You have to bury the pipe and line the trench in drainage gravel, so there should be filtration between soil and pipe. I used "sock" on ours as the clay soil that filters through (eventually) would get caught in the pipe, the sock help to prevent this.

Why is backfill drainage for retaining walls so important?

Backfill is a necessary feature of retaining walls because it ensures that there aren't any drainage issues or water pooling behind your retaining wall. Poor drainage or inadequate backfill is one of the main reasons why retaining walls fail.

Do I need weep holes in retaining wall?

Weep holes allow water to escape from behind the wall. These holes should be regularly spaced in the horizontal direction. Retaining walls with a height greater than a few feet should also have weep holes that are regularly spaced in the vertical direction, forming a grid pattern.

How does slotted AGI pipe work?

Groundwater or surface water that seeps into the trench falls through the rocks and is carried away by the slotted PVC pipe. placing a slotted PVC pipe in the bottom of the trench. The pipe is, often protected by a geofabric. This is a sock that keeps the dirt out.

What is the difference between slotted and Unslotted AG pipe?

The slotted pipe is used for water collection and transfer. The slotted pipe with the sock is used when it is necessary to prevent soil from entering through the slots in the pipe. The sock is a fine mesh material that surrounds the pipe. The unslotted pipe is used for water transfer.

Do I need gravel for solid drain pipe?

Why do I need the extra drainage in gravel: If the pipe connection has a flaw or if the ground shifts a pipe crack could form. If the pipe is backfilled directly with soil the water will collect against the pipe and soil without somewhere to go.

What is the correct fall for underground drainage?

What is the recommended fall for a soil pipe? The minimum fall for a waste pipe is 1 in 40. The maximum fall is 1 in 110 (apart from vertical pipes but that's a different story). So pipes with a gradient between 1 in 40 and 1 in 110 should have adequate flow to prevent blockages from occurring.

What is the proper slope for a drain pipe?

Improper drain slope You probably know that drains need to flow downhill into your sewer. But do you know the proper slope? The ideal slope of any drain line is ¼ inch per foot of pipe. In other words, for every foot the pipe travels horizontally, it should be dropping ¼ inch vertically.

What kind of rock do you use behind a retaining wall?

Crushed or smooth stone, well graded, compactable aggregate, ranging in size from 0.25 in. to 1.5 in. (6 to 38 mm) is the ideal wall rock size.

Can I use sand to backfill a retaining wall?

Ideally, you want to use what you have on your property. Do not use clay, organic material such as decomposing mulch, garden soil, top soil, or any other soft soil. If you need to purchase backfill, look for processed fill, gravel, sand, or screenings.

Is sand a good backfill material?

While both materials can be used for backfilling, PG&E sand is more suitable for backfilling utility line trenches. The reason is that it doesn't shrink or swell as condition changes, and is easier to dig up when maintenance is required. Both fill sand and fill dirt are commonly used in building and landscape projects.

What type of sand is used for backfill?

Torpedo sand is a natural sand most commonly used to create asphalt and concrete, but it can also be used for multiple landscaping applications too. Since it's simple and coarse, and since it can drain well, it is a great product for backfill and subbase.

What is the thickness of the backfill layer?

Cohesive backfill shall be deposited in horizontal layers not exceeding 200 mm in thickness. Every layer shall be tamped in place and well compacted by means of mechanical tampers before the next layer is deposited.

Is sand or gravel better for drainage?

Gravel layers provide much better drainage than sand. A layer of medium-sized angular gravel will allow water to flow downhill. On the other hand, sand will pack solid and trap water. If you use sand instead of gravel, your ditch, driveway, or trench will flood or be destroyed by washouts.

What size gravel is best for drainage?

In general, you want to aim for ½ inch to 1-inch gravel for drainage. Areas that will see especially heavy flow may need larger gravel. Or, projects without drainage pipes may also need larger gravel. For example, a French drain without perforated pipe needs 1 ½ inch gravel.

How deep should the footing be for a retaining wall?

The general rule of thumb is to bury about one-eighth of the height of the wall. For example, if your wall will be three feet (36 inches) tall, the first course of blocks should start five inches below soil level. The gravel base should start three inches below this.

How much weight can you put on a retaining wall?

An 8' (2.4-meter) retaining wall should be able to hold 32,000 lbs (14,515 kg), including soil weight and hydrostatic pressure. Larger reinforced walls can hold higher weights assuming they are built sturdy and to code.

How tall should retaining wall be?

The ideal height for a retaining wall is around five feet in the most optimal conditions. The best type of conditions for building a retaining wall is sandy soil that drains easily. Soil that is high in clay puts a lot of pressure on the new wall and it gets even heavier when it's wet.

Can you use GREY pipe underground?

As for the colour, then the brown/orange underground pipe isn't UV resistant, so isn't supposed to be used above ground as the outer surface will degrade. Black, grey or white soil pipe is UV resistant so can be used above ground.

What is a 1 in 40 fall?

What is a 1 in 40 fall? A 1 in 40 pipe fall means that for every 40 units of length, the pipe will drop by 1 unit. For example, in a 40 metre run of pipe, the vertical drop of that pipe run will be 1 metre.

Can you pour concrete directly on PVC pipe?

Pouring concrete around PVC pipes can be useful in a variety of household and industrial applications, such as building garden ponds or installing outdoor plumbing. The job can be simple and cost-effective when the correct preparations and techniques are applied.

How do you bury PVC pipe underground?

All PVC pipes should be buried at least 12 inches below the frost line so they won't rupture in freezing temperatures. However, where heavy traffic is expected, trenches will need to be at least 24 to 36 inches deep.

Does a land drain need a fall?

What fall should the Land Drain pipe be laid to? Only a very gradual fall is required for land drainage. 1 in 150 is ideal, and certainly no greater than 1 in 100.

What is the difference between a land drain and a French drain?

Essentially, they are all the same thing. However, French drain more typically refers to the process of removing the surface water by installing a trench and backfilling with gravel. Before there was such a thing as a land drain pipe, this method was called a French drain - without a pipe.

How do you install an AGI drain?

Ag pipes DO NOT magically make water flow uphill. The bottom of the trench has to be graded in the direction of the water flow. Position agricultural drains no closer than 1m from your house footings. Use solid pathways or grade the ground away from your house for the first metre.

How do you build a retaining wall to divert water?

To put drainage in a retaining wall, we recommend adding crushed stone or gravel behind your structure. Doing this will encourage water to exit from the drains or weep holes of your wall, rather than becoming stagnant behind it.

How do you redirect water away from foundation?

Gutters and downspouts are excellent methods for moving water away from a home foundation. Rainfall on the roof naturally drips directly next to the foundation, creating various issues like hydrostatic pressure, differential settling and erosion.

Do I need a drain pipe behind retaining wall?

If your retaining wall needs a drainage pipe, make sure the pipe has slots on all sides, not just one. A drainage pipe might be needed if: The retaining wall is at least four feet high or taller. Clay or other poor draining soils are behind the wall.

What do you put behind a retaining wall?

Backfill refers to the dirt behind the wall. In order to provide proper drainage, at least 12 inches of granular backfill (gravel or a similar aggregate) should be installed directly behind the wall. Compacted native soil can be used to backfill the rest of the space behind the wall.

Where should weep holes be located?

Weep holes are typically found in the outer masonry leaf of cavity walls, just above the flashing. They can also be found above windows, doors or other penetrations. They should be provided at regular intervals so as to allow any moisture collected by cavity trays to escape.

What is the best backfill material?

The best material for the backfilling of a retaining wall is gravel, and it should be well graded. The main reason for using gravel is because it does not retain water (small void ratio); hence lateral loads experienced will be minimal. You should also have weep holes for draining excess water that may be retained.

Should backfill be compacted?

8-03.09 Initial Backfill CompactionThe initial backfill shall be compacted by hand-tamping. The use of machine tampers will not be permitted. The initial backfill material shall be hand-tamped in layers not exceeding four inches (4") in uncompacted depth.

What material is used for backfill?

Backfill materials can generally be graded as: Coarse grained soils – gravelly and sandy soils ranging from clay to gravel. Fine grained soils of low to medium plasticity – inorganic clays of low to medium plasticity, inorganic silts and very fine sands of low plasticity.

Does AG pipe need a sock?

You have to bury the pipe and line the trench in drainage gravel, so there should be filtration between soil and pipe. I used "sock" on ours as the clay soil that filters through (eventually) would get caught in the pipe, the sock help to prevent this.

When should you use a perforated drain pipe?

Perforated drain pipes are most commonly used to move rainwater away from the house so that it can drain elsewhere. Commonly situated near the base of your home's foundations, perforated drain pipes help provide optimal drainage for your property so that the likelihood of standing groundwater is significantly reduced.

Do you need landscape fabric behind retaining wall?

You should use landscape fabric behind a retaining wall because the fabric supports the bricks, wood, or other materials that make the wall. Wet soil can push against a retaining wall, weakening it. By placing a strip of landscape fabric under the soil, the wall won't have as much pressure on it.

Can I backfill with dirt?

Backfill is the material used to refill an excavated hole or trench in your yard. This material can be the excavated soil, a mixture of sand and gravel, or commercial products. The process of backfilling usually takes place in layers. Different materials have different properties.

Can I backfill with sand?

You can use sand or gravel for backfill, as both are easy to use. They both discourage weeds from growing there, and they don't take a lot of maintenance to look great. Backfilling is the technique of filling those holes all the way in, and you can use sand, gravel, or other materials for it.

How wide should a pipe trench be?

For rigid pipes, the maximum trench width at the top of the pipe shall be as follows: • Pipe sizes less than eighteen inches (<18”): Maximum trench width = pipe outside diameter + twenty-four inches (24”) • Pipe sizes eighteen inches (18”) and larger: Maximum trench width = outside diameter + thirty-six inches (36”) If ...

What is the cheapest fill material?

Many people choose fill sand because it is attractive and affordable. It's very useful for in wet areas that need help dealing with drainage problems. Fill sand is recommended if your project requires a backfill material. Often times, fill sand is used as a base for concrete and as backfill around septic tanks.

What can I use instead of fill dirt?

Topsoil is very different from fill dirt. It consists of healthy nutrients taken from the top layer of soil and contains organic matter. We typically use topsoil to grow our plants and vegetables in our gardens and pots. Talk to your distributor about the correct topsoil for your specific project.

What kind of rock do you use behind a retaining wall?

Crushed or smooth stone, well graded, compactable aggregate, ranging in size from 0.25 in. to 1.5 in. (6 to 38 mm) is the ideal wall rock size.

How far apart should weep holes be in a retaining wall?

dia. weep holes every 3 to 4 feet. If your wall is smaller than that, make your holes more like 1-1/2 in. dia., spaced at 8-ft.

Why weep holes are provided at the back of retaining walls?

To reduce the active earth pressure on the walls.

Should you put plastic behind a retaining wall?

I always run the thicker black plastic behind retaining walls. Preserves the timber sleepers a bit more and stops dirt and weeds coming through the inevitable gaps. +1 for geotex on the ground and up the soil you want to retain, then aggregate between fabric and wall, with drain at the bottom.

Do I need weep holes in retaining wall?

Weep holes allow water to escape from behind the wall. These holes should be regularly spaced in the horizontal direction. Retaining walls with a height greater than a few feet should also have weep holes that are regularly spaced in the vertical direction, forming a grid pattern.

How far should water drain away from house?

A good rule of thumb: One downspout should not drain more than 35 feet of gutter. The gutters must be clean to prevent clogging. The downspouts need to be extended away from the home a minimum of four feet, with six feet being preferred.

Should I put gravel around my foundation?

Gravel Beds Help To Prevent Overgrown Weeds Having gravel beds around the foundations of your house is one of the most cost-effective methods of preventing overgrown weeds and shrubs, and possibly soil mounds, from infiltrating the building.

What soaks up water in yard?

In order to make your lawn more amenable to water absorption, work organic matter into your soil. Garden compost, leaf mold and manure will all open the soil up and create more minute channels through which water can escape. Dig. For hardpan problems, a shovel may be the best solution.

What is a French drain in yard?

A French drain is a trench filled with a perforated pipe and gravel that allows water to drain naturally from your yard. Depending on the size of your yard and the scale of your drainage issue, you can purchase the pipes and equipment to create a French drain yourself.

Can a retaining wall divert water?

Retaining walls can help divert water away from foundations during flooding. Often they are just a part of a water flow management solution. Combined with proper guttering, French drains and foundation swales, most water can be diverted away from the foundation and home.

How deep do you bury drainage pipe?

Maintaining a depth of 12 to 18 inches is best for drain pipes, but the depth of the pipe may vary in order to maintain a downward slope, which is critical for proper drain functioning.

How much gravel do I need for drainage pipe?

You would need around 0.72 cubic feet of gravel per foot length of French drain for a typical French drain width of 10 inches and a depth of 12 inches if you're using a 4" drain pipe. On the other hand, you would need around 0.6 cubic feet of gravel if you're using a 6" drain pipe.

How do you slope a PVC drain pipe?

For 4-inch PVC piping and a building sewer less than 50 feet long, the minimum slope is 1 inch in 8 feet, or 1/8-inch per foot, and the maximum is 1/4-inch per foot. For sewers longer than 50 feet, the slope should be 1/4-inch per foot.

How do you install an AGI drain?

Ag pipes DO NOT magically make water flow uphill. The bottom of the trench has to be graded in the direction of the water flow. Position agricultural drains no closer than 1m from your house footings. Use solid pathways or grade the ground away from your house for the first metre.

Can you run drain pipe in exterior wall?

It is advised to avoid having water related plumbing situated in exterior walls or through unheated attics. It is best to have pipes fixtures in interior walls. If plumbing remains in outside walls, the pipelines must be well insulated.

Can you have a French drain without a pipe?

Officially a French drain is a gravel drain with no pipe. The water just collects in and travels through in a gravel or stone filled channel that starts from the surface or just below it.

What is better than a French drain?

A sump pump is one the the most popular and most effective alternatives to a french drain. A sump pump add lots of drainage but comes with a few downsides. A sump system requires electricity to function and can be expensive to install and maintain.

What is the difference between a French drain and a land drain?

Essentially, they are all the same thing. However, French drain more typically refers to the process of removing the surface water by installing a trench and backfilling with gravel. Before there was such a thing as a land drain pipe, this method was called a French drain - without a pipe.

What is the best stone to use for drainage?

Crushed gravel is one of the best choices for drainage. Use #3 or #57 crushed stone for your drainage needs. Select an angular crushed gravel—smooth stones drain poorly. Gravel between 0.5 and 1.5 inches is the best choice for drainage.

Can PVC pipe be buried in dirt?

PVC and CPVC piping can be installed underground, but the installation must follow all ordinances, regulations, and codes. If you're planning on installing PVC and CPVC piping, make sure to pay special attention to local pipe installation techniques since it will be installed deep within a wide range of sub soils.

How long will schedule 40 PVC pipe last underground?

The Water Research Foundation reported that 100 years is a conservative estimate for a properly designed and installed PVC pipe.

Can a sewer line be too steep?

Improper drain slope The ideal slope of any drain line is ¼ inch per foot of pipe. In other words, for every foot the pipe travels horizontally, it should be dropping ¼ inch vertically. Many drains either have too little slope or too much slope. That's right, it is possible to have too much slope in your drain lines.

What is the minimum slope for water drainage?

For efficient drainage, paved surfaces should have a minimum 1-percent slope. Turf or landscaped areas should have a minimum slope of 2 percent.

Does underground pipe have to be brown?

Underground drainage pipes and fittings are almost always terracotta orange in colour. This makes identification easy, as soil pipes installed above ground level are usually black, grey or white.

How deep should I dig a drainage trench?

A drainage trench should be at least 18 inches deep. This allows you to install a gravel bed, as well as an adequately-sized pipe to carry away water.

What is a 1% slope for drainage?

All of your drain pipe (with one exception) must slope slightly downhill. Usually 1/8" per foot is plenty for drainage, this is the same as the commonly recommended 1% slope.

What happens when you have too much slope in drain pipe?

But when a drain pipe or sewer line is sloped too steeply (1/2” per foot or more), it is just as likely to clog as an undersloped pipe because the liquids travel too fast and the solids get left behind.