Drainage is most often referred to as the removal of water from the surface of the soil or from underground sources. It can be both natural and artificial. Drainage is the removal of storm or groundwater, performed in order to improve agricultural technology, create optimal conditions for the construction of buildings and structures. There are many such systems. Their main element is a drain - an underground outflow for collecting and diverting water.
Importance of drainage
Not only the safety of the building, but also the he alth of all plantings depends on the drainage system on the site. That is why it is so important to design it correctly on the basis of accurate calculations. Moreover, the larger the land area, the better the drainage system should be, because otherwise it will not only not give the expected result, but can also completely disrupt the water regime of the site. One of the most common mistakes made by owners of dachas and estates is the shallow laying of drains, which leads to the death of trees and shrubs due to uneven drainage of the soil.
Types of drainage
There are several concepts of the word"drainage". This designation is used not only in agriculture, floriculture and construction, but also in medicine and aviation. General concepts of drainage in various branches of human activity:
- In crop production, it is a permeable material that serves to quickly remove excess moisture from the soil after watering or rain. It is used in the cultivation of various crops both outdoors and indoors.
- In construction, drainage is a method (technology) for collecting and diverting groundwater from a land plot or structure. For it, whole systems are used, consisting of wells, drainage pipes, channels and other devices. You can create them yourself, but it is better to entrust such an important job to specialists. Drainage, the price of which depends on the cost of building materials and the size of the building and sometimes reaches 7-10 thousand rubles per linear meter, is the basis for its long service life.
- In medicine, drainage is a way to create a constant outflow of contents from hollow organs or wounds in case of violation of its natural evacuation due to injury or illness. Various systems are used for this.
- In aviation, drainage is the communication of closed tanks with the atmosphere. It is necessary to prevent their deformation under the influence of atmospheric pressure and fluctuations in the fuel level.
Since medical and aviation drainage concerns only a narrow circle of specialists, in this article we will consider in more detail only those that relate to construction and crop production.
Protection of buildings and structures from water
Water drainage in construction involves protecting buildings from moisture penetration inside. It is also designed to strengthen the foundation of buildings and structures and reduce filtration pressure on their structure. Drainage is necessary to protect the foundation and prevent water from seeping into the basement. In road construction, it is used to keep roads and sites dry.
To create drainage, a system design should be developed, which should take into account not only materials and components, but also the characteristics of each specific site and structure. Depending on the level of groundwater, it is divided into surface and deep.
Types of drainage in construction
There are several types of drainage systems that are used in construction. These include:
- Wall-mounted, consisting of pipes with filtering sanding. It is laid on waterproof ground outside the building.
- Plast, which is located at the base of the structure under construction directly on the aquifer. This system is hydraulically connected to a tubular drain located outside the foundation at a distance of at least 0.7 m from the wall. It protects the building from flooding by groundwater and from moistening by capillary moisture. The reservoir drainage system is often used in the construction of heating networks and underground structures. It is created only during the construction of the facility.
- Ring, which is located along the contour of the building orland plot. Its action is based on lowering the level of groundwater. Since it occurs inside the circuit, such drainage provides excellent protection against flooding of the underground parts of the building. The depth of the subsidence of the groundwater level depends on the location of the pipes and galleries, as well as on the size of the system. Ring drains are laid at some distance from the building, so such a system can be created after it has been erected.
- Horizontal, which is a combination of tubular and gallery drains, flumes and ditches. It has manholes.
- The vertical drainage system consists of several wells that are connected by a collector. Water is pumped out through it with a pump.
- Combined system includes drains and self-priming wells. It is used in the construction of complex engineering systems for wastewater disposal.
Drainage of a piece of land
Drainage of a summer cottage or personal plot is a forced measure necessary to lower the level of groundwater. It is also used to drain waterlogged soil by diverting water outside the allotment of land. Such measures are necessary, since not only foundations and basements of buildings, but also planted shrubs and trees suffer from excess moisture. Drainage is necessary if the groundwater level on the site is about a meter. During the period of melting snow or heavy rains, it will quickly drain the earth.
Drainage also helps to moisten the soil at depth and reduceits salinity. Artificial drainage of water contributes to the aeration of the soil and its saturation with oxygen. With poor drainage, weeds, such as horse sorrel, and then bald spots from wet grass appear on the lawns.
System planning
Before the construction of the drainage system on the site, it is necessary to draw up a diagram of its laying. It should contain the following data:
- water collector location;
- height marks (depth of trenching and desired slope);
- drain locations.
According to the drawn up scheme, the required number of pipes, couplings, plugs, tees, crushed stone and sand is determined. When creating a drainage system today, geotextiles and corrugated plastic drainage pipes are often used. To drain a small suburban area, the width of the excavated trench is only 30-80 cm. This size is determined by the depth and strength of its walls. In the absence of special pipes, asbestos cement products are used, the diameter of which is 100-150 mm. Holes of 10 mm are drilled in their upper half. Drainage pipes are laid at a slope of 2-3%.
Specialists in the construction of drainage systems use a geodetic device - a level. In its absence, 2 glass tubes connected by rubber are often used. They are filled with water, and then the level of the horizon is determined by the state of the liquid in them. You can also use a building level.
Drainage trench installation
Drainage for plants plays an important role, so the device of the drainage trench must be verythorough. After calculating the drainage system scheme, a trench of the required size is dug around the site. Crumpled clay is poured onto its bottom and molded into a tray. Sand is poured on top, on which the pipes are laid. They are covered with large gravel. Its layer should be 20-30 cm. Crushed stone is covered with soil taken out of the trench. When using geotextile, it is fixed on the walls of the pit, and after falling asleep rubble, the material is overlapped. Then soil is poured on top.
All drain pipes must be brought together into a single collector using couplings. It serves to direct the flow of water into the nearest ditch or ditch. Drainage wells are recommended to be installed at system bends and pipe junctions to allow monitoring of the system condition.
Drainage ditches
For a long time there has been a reliable and affordable way to drain the site for almost everyone. With the help of a dug ditch, excess water can be diverted to a drainage well, river or pond. Most often, drainage ditches are used on lowland and flat land. At the same time, the water collected in them enters the water collector or simply evaporates. If the relief is gentle, a ditch is dug at the top and across the slope. To collect the water flowing from it, another hole is made at its base, parallel to the first. Both of them must be connected by an additional ditch. Their depth should be about 1 m. For the strength of the walls of the ditches, they are mowed at a slope of 20-30 °. In clay soils, they can be steeper. Such a drainage system requires annual weeding anddebris blocking water flow. For the safety of people and animals, it is better to protect them.
Drainage in indoor floriculture
When growing plants indoors, drainage is essential. With it, excess water will be removed from flower pots and containers. Drainage for a flower is practically the only way to keep its roots he althy. They will breathe and develop well. It is especially required if the house has flowers that are susceptible to fungi and do not like abundant watering. Drainage is the only way for them to survive. Some plants need regular repotting. At the same time, it is better to replace the old drainage in a pot, or at least rinse and disinfect it in a solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate).
Types of drainage in indoor floriculture
There are several materials used to create drainage for a flower. These include:
- Expanded clay, which can be bought at any specialized or hardware store. It is a building material used for sound insulation and insulation. Expanded clay is a material made from clay. It is distinguished by its hygroscopicity. On sale you can find expanded clay of various fractions: small, medium, large. It is chosen depending on the size of the pot, the hole in it and the plant. Most often, medium expanded clay is used (10-20 mm). Its volume in a container without a hole should be 1/4 or 1/5 of the height of the pot. In ordinary pots, a layer of 1-2 cm is enough. A layer of coarse sand is poured onto expanded clay,and then primer.
- Ceramic shards, the layer of which is 1.5-2 cm. Their size should not be too large. The shards are laid out with the convex side up. A 1-5 cm layer of sand is poured onto the ceramics, and then soil is added.
- Styrofoam that costs nothing. Since this material does not absorb water, a hydrogel is often added to it. A layer of small pieces of foam is placed on the bottom, covered with sand and soil.
