Drainage soil. How to make drainage ⛲ in the area around the house on clay soils with your own hands

Sometimes on a piece of land where it is located a private house and a person is engaged in gardening and horticulture, flooding occurs with storm water, as well as melt water. This is a very unpleasant phenomenon for the owners, which is fraught with washing away the foundation of buildings and does not allow trees and other crops to grow. Especially problematic is the drying of clay soils, which differ in their density. Plants planted in such soil develop very poorly. This is due to lack of oxygen. From high humidity on such soils, the foundations of erected buildings are gradually destroyed.

How to solve this problem? The way out of this situation is to drain the site with your own hands. On the clay soils it will be a complex system, which includes special ditches and drains. At large area the site will need to carry out preliminary calculations in order to determine the location of the drainage trenches. To build the maximum effective system it will be necessary to take into account natural slopes, etc. This will facilitate the transportation of the collected drainage water to a special well or to a nearby reservoir.

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 involved in the construction of 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.

This problem is further exacerbated if groundwater passes close to 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 is dangerous winter period. 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. At the same time, it is important to pay attention Special attention for 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 order 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. Result this test can only be obtained in 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 you implement your plan, you should carefully study existing species similar 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.

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 Full description schemes of deep drainage of the clay 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, one must adhere to one important parameter. This is the allowable distance that is important to maintain between elements called drains. AT normal conditions such a parameter should not exceed eleven meters. But exact value 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 level of 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;
a manual device (wheelbarrow) on which materials will be delivered to the place of work and the earth will be taken out;
drilling and cutting tool required 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, which will be used to filter the water entering the drainage system;
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 installation in its lowest part of the water intake well. 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.

Shut down such a system. decorative grilles high strength.

Deep drainage system

If it is necessary to drain an area with a high level ground water, then the algorithm of its organization will consist of the following actions:

First of all, you need to mark the site and choose the most appropriate place for the location of 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 on top of rubble plastic pipes. 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.

When designing and building a house, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the soil. This applies to both their composition, bearing capacity and the presence of ground and surface water. Wet soil is more prone to heaving, which leads to foundation deformations. In addition to directly groundwater, which enters the foundation from the depth of the soil, the structures are also negatively affected by surface moisture that enters the soil from the atmosphere.

Water drainage systems

The problem of high water level at the site must be addressed comprehensively. To begin with, it is important to conduct geological surveys to determine the level of groundwater and their presence in the soil. To do this, a certain number of pits are arranged, in each of which the level of accumulated moisture is measured. These data will be required in the future for design and drainage.

In general, two types of drainage are arranged on the site:

surface, which is a storm sewer;
deep - to reduce the level of groundwater.

Surface drainage is a system of elements through which atmospheric water is collected in special trays and ditches and discharged to the nearest reservoirs, network storm sewer or into the soil. Water is collected from the roofs through the gutters and from the very surface of the soil.

Deep drainage is also called the drainage system of the site. They are located below the ground surface and are a system of pipelines, the water from which is also discharged outside the territory. Drainage of clay soil is especially important, as this soil is not able to absorb water.

Features of clay soils

With well-structured soil, water, which appears in excess, is itself discharged from the surface and from the depth of the base. Otherwise, special measures are required. Clay bases are dangerous because surface water unable to absorb them. In some cases, this leads to swamping of the site. This makes it difficult to use it for agricultural purposes, and also leads to the constant threat of getting wet basements and destroying foundations.

Special drainage requirements must be established in such cases:

For heavy clay soils. Such land is subject to waterlogging for long periods of time. This is especially dangerous in regions with prolonged rainfall.
Medium structured soils in regions with large quantity precipitation. These are light clays and loams, which in general are able to absorb some moisture.

How to make drainage in a clay area and what materials are used for this? Let's analyze this issue in more detail.

materials

What materials are needed for work? The main element of drainage is a pipe. For the system, perforated tubes are used, into which moisture seeps from the soil. The tubes are laid at a slope and connected to the main channel. Through which water is discharged into a well or reservoir. In general, the scheme of a deep drainage system, regardless of the scope of application (protection of the foundation, use on agricultural land to protect plants from excessive moisture) consists of the following elements:

Water intake. For these purposes, either natural formations (rivers, lakes, canals) are used, or wells are arranged. For small areas, wells are more often used, in which water is from collectors. From the wells themselves, water seeps into the soil, if at a depth it is able to accept moisture, or is pumped out by pumps as it fills into natural reservoirs.
Main canal. It is laid from the highest point of the site to the lowest. All the moisture collected by the system drains through this channel. For small drainage systems, it is not used.
closed collectors. These are pipelines in which moisture is collected from several drainage pipes.
Viewing wells.
Drainage pipelines.

As pipes, plastic products, ceramic perforated or asbestos-cement pipes with cuts are used. Now the bowl is used perforated pipes made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PE). PE pipes are more flexible, which expands their scope. Specialized drainage pipelines have factory-made perforations. For them, filtration systems made of coconut fiber or geotextiles are used.

The main advantages of plastic drainage pipelines:

ease;
ease of installation;
the corrugated wall of the pipe helps protect the perforation from dirt sticking;
application flexibility.

How to make foundation drainage on clay soil? Consider the phased implementation of such a system in a problem area.

Drainage device on clay soil

Before starting work, it is necessary to carry out some calculations and select the scheme and materials used. For small areas, this can be done on your own:

First of all, the relief and slopes are determined. For this, it is necessary to study topographic plan or take measurements with a level. It is important to determine the highest and lowest points on the surface of the site.
A main canal is being laid on the site plan. It is arranged from the highest point to the lowest. If the section is without a slope, then the channel is traced arbitrarily. In this case, it is important to arrange the slope artificially.
Drainage pipelines are laid in such a way that the distance between them is no more than 10 meters, and they flow down a slope into the main canal.
Determine where to collect water. To do this, use natural and artificial ditches outside the site or arrange other elements. For example, reservoirs. It could be decorative pond. Also often used prefabricated wells. In this case, the water from them is pumped by drainage pumps. There is also the option that at the bottom of the well there will be sandy soil, which is able to absorb accumulated moisture.

After preparation and planning, they proceed to do-it-yourself drainage of the site on clay soils:

Perform excavation. To do this, dig trenches for main and drainage pipelines. The depth of the trench is selected depending on the lower level of the foundation. On average, they are located at a depth of 1-1.5 m. If a house with a basement is planned, then drainage pipes must be buried below the level of the basement floor. The width of the trench is 0.3-0.4 m. Do not forget about the slope. In addition to the main channel, it is also necessary for the main drainage pipes at the rate of 1 cm of slope per 1 m of the channel or pipeline.
In places of wells, pits are dug for the dimensions of the products.
The bottom of the trench is lined with geotextile.
Crushed stone (10-20 cm) is poured onto the geotextile.
Next, the pipelines are located directly.
If necessary, drainage pumps and pipelines from them outside the site are installed in the wells.
After laying, do not immediately fill the system with soil. It needs to be checked. To do this, wait for precipitation or use water from a hose. The flow of water through all pipelines should be checked. If necessary, change the slope or lay additional pipes between the designed ones.

After checking the trenches fall asleep. The system is ready to use! Do not forget about regular maintenance and cleaning drainage wells, storm water inlets and channels. The system is designed to work for many years.

Flooding of a site with groundwater and meltwater can be a real disaster for its owner. Precipitation can also contribute to the violation of the soil structure. It is especially bad for the owners of land consisting mainly of clay or loam, since clay greatly retains water, hardly passing it through itself. In these cases, the only salvation may be a properly constructed drainage. For such soil, it has its own characteristics. Therefore, we will consider how to make drainage of the site with your own hands on clay soils.

Plants suffer from an excess of moisture in the first place. Their roots do not receive the amount of oxygen necessary for development. The result is deplorable - the plants wither at first, and then completely disappear. Moreover, this also applies to cultivated plants, and to lawn grasses. Even in cases where the clay is covered from above with a layer fertile soil, water withdrawal will be difficult.

The comfort of work on the site is also important, because in the absence of a drain, even a little rain can turn clay soil into a swamp. It will be impossible to work on such land for several days.

When the water does not leave for a long time, there is a risk of flooding the foundation and freezing it when cold weather sets in. Even more good waterproofing sometimes it is not able to protect the foundation from destruction, since it itself can be destroyed by frozen moisture.

We conclude: drainage of the site from groundwater is simply necessary. And if it has not been done yet, then you should not postpone its construction.

Preparation for the construction of the drainage system

Before choosing the type of drainage system, you should analyze your site.

Attention is drawn to the following points:

Soil structure. In our case, clay is considered, which is not able to quickly pass water;
Source of high moisture. This may be frequent precipitation or groundwater lying close to the surface;
The type of drainage is selected or several types are combined;
A plan is drawn up for the location of drainage trenches, revision and catchment wells. The plan indicates the depth of the drains, the dimensions of all elements of the system, their slope relative to the soil surface. The plan will allow you to quickly find the location of all elements of the system.

After such preparation, they begin to build the drainage of the site with their own hands on clay soils. Consider what kind of drainage happens, and which one better fit in relation to the clay area.

Types of drainage systems

Drainage in a clayey area can be surface, deep or reservoir. Sometimes it is advisable to combine several of these types to achieve the most efficient drainage.

Surface drainage

If the site has at least a slight natural slope, this creates additional benefits for surface drainage. Water flows by itself through the channels laid on the site to the designated place. Such channels are located on the surface of the soil, slightly deepening them into the ground. Surface drainage of a site on clay soils can be laid on almost any level ground: along paths, around a building, along the perimeter of lawns, near recreation areas and in other places.

Reservoir drainage

Created this variety drainage before foundation construction begins. The soil deepens below its location by at least 20 cm. The soil layer is also removed wider than the place where the foundation passes. Crushed stone is poured at the bottom of the pit with a layer of 20 cm, and drainage pipes are located around the perimeter. All moisture penetrating under the foundation is collected in pipes, from where it is discharged through separately laid pipelines to the drainage wells.

Tip: The depth of the reservoir drainage should exceed the depth of the clay soil. In this case, drainage will be most effective.

This type of drainage is quite laborious, therefore it is used less often, although it is useful for clay soils.

Maintenance of the drainage system consists only in cleaning it and pumping water from the collector well. If everything is done correctly, then no clay on the site can overshadow your mood and destroy the plants you grow.

If you are faced with the problem of high levels of humidity on the land, then it is possible that you need to drain it, which you can handle on your own.

This should not be neglected, because such a phenomenon can lead to unpleasant consequences.

Such circumstances develop if the site is located in a lowland or on high level groundwater contact.

What is drainage and what are its functions

There is a certain system that combines trenches and pipes, which are located along the perimeter of a certain area land plot. It's called drainage. Draining the soil by installing system elements will solve many problems associated with water drainage. For example:

your plants will not sink in the mud, and the harvest will be much better;
paths and paths will finally cease to be associated with swamps.

In a word, you will have the opportunity to enjoy your stay outside the city.

Remember correct device drainage - the key to the safety of the foundation suburban buildings, which is ensured by maintaining building materials. In what cases is it really necessary similar system? When the soil is washed out, it swells or swamps, and cellars and cellars are flooded from time to time.

Types of drainage systems and their features

In order to properly organize the removal of excess moisture from the land, you need to clearly understand what is the difference between its types, and what features each of them has.

So, drainage can be surface type or deep. You can deal with the first option on your own, because the work is relatively not difficult. As for the deep type of construction, you need to think about it at the stage of building a house.

Site surface drainage can be one of two types:

linear - special trays are laid directly on the surface, which are slightly inclined to the water intake or the main storm sewer well. For security purposes, they are closed with bars. decorative look. On the garden plots sand traps are often installed, making them even more efficient. Thus, in wastewater stones, debris and sand do not fall, respectively, the system is not so heavily clogged. The main condition for the full removal of excess water from the soil is the deep occurrence of groundwater;

point - the function of drainage in this case is performed by a system of water collectors or storm water inlets. Pipes are laid underground, through which water flows into the general drainage, and then into the water intake. Such devices are installed under drainpipes on the street or, if it is a land plot, then at its lowest level.

Deep drainage regulates the water balance through perforated pipes. They are laid directly under the ground and absorb excess moisture.

Do-it-yourself site drainage on clay soils

I would like to repeat that surface system water drainage allows you to get rid of its excess, which drain from the roofs, accumulate near the paths and terraces. Before you do the drainage of the site with your own hands on clay soils , you need to decide on its type (point or linear). The difference is that in the first case, water is diverted from specific areas of the territory. small sizes, and the second is appropriate if it is necessary to prevent the washout of the fertile soil layer.

So, the arrangement of surface-type drainage begins with drawing up a diagram of what happens, taking into account the places where water stagnates. The system consists of a main trench and auxiliary ditches where liquid from puddles will be discharged. Drains from downpipes are directed to the main trenches. By the way, the pit must be dug under a certain slope, which will ensure the gravity direction of the water towards the water intake. Do-it-yourself drainage of a site on clay soils implies providing a slope of 0.002.

After trenches 0.5 m wide and approximately 0.7 m deep have been dug, the walls should be formed at an angle of 30 degrees. The water inlet must be located below the level of the entire system. Thus, it will be possible to ensure the interception and removal of excess moisture, and this will also reduce the level of groundwater. Considering that do-it-yourself drainage on the site in this way is not entirely aesthetically pleasing, special trays are now provided that are laid in trenches, after which they are covered with a lattice-type lid.

What should happen

Installation of a deep site drainage system

Depth of pipes in the ground

For the arrangement, it is necessary to use perforated pipes and roll materials. According to the standard scheme, water must first enter the collecting drains, and then into the main drains. And then into the well, and only after that it is dumped into the water intake. Their role can be played by ditches along roads, rivers, streams, ravines or storm sewer systems. Be sure to equip inspection holes.

So that the installation of the water drainage system is not done in vain, it is necessary to correctly calculate the depth of the pipes, which is very difficult to do without the help of surveyors or hydrogeologists. These experts will do everything necessary measurements to determine where groundwater is located.

Drainage scheme for a site with a deep system

In order for the drainage of the site with your own hands to perform all its functions, it is important to use pipes specially designed for this. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that on the surface there is a network of holes 1.5-5 mm in diameter. If earlier pipes made of ceramics or a mixture of asbestos and cement were used for these purposes, now there are polymer pipes, designed specifically for hydromelioration, their diameter ranges from 50-200 mm. Some models are even equipped with a filter shell.

Interested in how to properly drain the site? It all starts with digging trenches 40 cm wide, the depth depends on where the groundwater flows.

Then a layer of sand and crushed stone is poured into the finished channels, which acts as a pillow, on top of which the necessary pipes are laid, they must also be covered with a mixture of crushed stone and sand.

The trench should be filled with half of its height, the free space is filled with loam, the final stage of the installation is the embankment of the upper, fertile layer of the earth.

In the deep system, as well as in the surface, wells must be constructed. They are designed to control the drainage process and clean clogged hollow objects of round cross section. For this can be used reinforced concrete rings or piece waterproof products, to some extent it depends on the installation depth of the system.

Mistakes that should not be made when installing a cleaning system at their summer cottage

The most common mistake that is made when trying to design the drainage of a site with your own hands is neglecting the design stage. The fact is that, first of all, it is necessary to understand the current situation in detail, namely: to analyze the land plot and determine the nature of groundwater. Without taking into account some details, you can come to the conclusion that they will enter the basement of your house, negatively affecting the foundation.