SURFACE & SUBSURFACE

TILE DRAINAGE
 WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY DRAINAGE ?

DRAINAGE IS THE PROCESS IN WHICH WATER LEACHES DOWNWARD

FROM THE UPPER SOIL LAYERS TO LOWER LAYERS , OR HOW
SURFACE WATER IS REMOVED.
PROPER DRAINAGE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE NOT ALL PLANTS
PERFER MOIST CONDITIONS. IN NATURE CERTAIN MINERAL SUCH AS
SAND PROVIDE RAPID DRAINAGE, WHILE HEAVY MINERALS LIKE CLAY
CAN RESTRICT DRIANAGE. FOR CONTAINER AND POTTED PLANTS
DRAINAGE IS FACILITATED BY HOLES IN THE BOTTOM OF POT.
 TYPES OF DRAINAGE
• SURFACE DRAINAGE
• SUB- SURFACE DRAINAGE (TILE DRAINAGE)
 SURFACE DRAINAGE
SURFACE DRAINAGE IS VERY USEFUL IN REMOVING EXCESS WATER FROM LAND IN A
CONTROLLED MANNER AND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, TO A ARTIFICIAL DRAINAGE SYSTEM OR
NATURAL WATER COURSE . THIS SHOULD BE DONE WITH NO DAMAGE TO ENVIRONMENT.
TYPICAL APPLICATION FOR USING SURFACE DRAINAGE INCLUDE
•DRAINING LARGE QUANTITIES OF SURFACE WATER OFF LAND QUICKLY
INTERCEPTING WATER FLOWING DOWN FROM UPPER SLOPE TO LOWER LYING LAND
• INTERCEPTING RUN-OFF WATER FROM RESOURCES (EG. ROAD SIDE DRAINAGE,
NEIGHBOURING
PROPERTIES, DAM OVERFLOW).
• ACTING AS A COLLECTOR SYSTEM FROM SUB-SURFACE ( MOLE AND TILE DRAINS) DRAINAGE
SYSTEM.
Surface
 TYPES OF SURFACE DRAINAGE
• SHALLOW SURFACE DRAINS(UPTO 0.3M DEEP):- SHALLOW SURFACE DRAINS
FORMED BY HAND SHOVEL OR SPINNER CUTTERS ARE MOST USEFULL FOR
REMOVING PONDED WATER FROM SHALLOW DEPRESSIONS TO LARGE DRAINS
OR STREAMS.
•
DEEP SURFACE DRAINS (0.3M TO ~ 1M DEEP) MADE BY
EXCAVATORS OR SPECIFIC DRAINAGE MACHINES ARE USUALLY "V" SHAPED
WITH A FLAT BOTTOM WITH ENOUGH SLOPE (GRADIENT) TO ENSURE THAT THE
WATER IS REMOVED QUICKLY BUT NOT CAUSE SCOURING OF THE DRAIN
WALLS OR BOTTOM.
 DISADVANTAGES OF SURFACE DRAINAGE

• THEY NEED REGULAR CLEANING (SEDIMENT AND WEEDS)

• CAN BE DANGEROUS TO ANIMALS, MACHINERY, AND PEOPLE (IF UNFENCED)
• IF FENCED, CLEANING IS MORE DIFFICULT
• FENCING ADDS EXTRA COST AND MAINTENANCE
• TEND TO BECOME DEEPER AND WIDER IF NOT MAINTAINED BY PROFESSIONAL
MACHINERY OPERATORS
• NOT SUITABLE FOR SUB-SURFACE DRAINAGE
• LOSS OF GROUND
 SUB-SURFACE DRAINAGES
( TILE DRAINAGE)
THE PROCESS OF DIRECTING EXCESS WATER AWAY FROM THE ROOT ZONES OF PLANTS BY
NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL MEANS, SUCH AS BY USING A SYSTEM OF PIPES AND DRAINS
PLACED BELOW GROUND SURFACE LEVEL.
 ADVANTAGES OF SUB-SURFACE DRAINS

• PREVENTS WATER OVERFLOW

• SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS WORK BY DIRECTING WATER AWAY FROM YOUR PROPERTY TO
PREVENT FLOODING. TOO MUCH WATER IN YOUR GARDEN WILL, NO DOUBT, KILL YOUR PLANTS. IT
CAN ALSO LEAD TO THE COLLECTION OF STAGNANT WATER, WHICH IS MOSQUITO BREEDING
GROUND
• DECREASES POSSIBILITY OF TOXIC MATERIALS
• THERE’S A DANGER OF TOXIC CONTAMINATION WHENEVER A FLOOD OCCURS. IF YOU HAVE A SUB
DRAINAGE SYSTEM INSTALLED, IT WILL ENABLE YOU TO GET RID OF EXCESS WATER AND REDUCE
THE LIKELIHOOD OF CONTAMINATING YOUR WATER SUPPLY.
• REDUCES SOIL EROSION
• PASSIVE WATER ACCUMULATION CAN MAKE SOIL MUDDY OVER TIME, WHICH CAN CAUSE THE SOIL
TO ERODE. SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS REDUCE THE CHANCE OF SOIL EROSION IN YOUR
GARDEN BY MAINTAINING BALANCED MOISTURE.
 TYPES OF SUB-SURFACE DRAINS

• THERE ARE FOUR MAIN TYPES OF SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS. THESE

ARE:
• CORRUGATED AND PVC SLOTTED SUBSURFACE PIPES
• MOLE DRAINAGE INCLUDING:
• MOLE DRAINS MOLE DRAINS OVER COLLECTOR PIPE SYSTEMS GRAVEL MOLE
DRAINS
• INTERCEPTOR DRAINS
• GROUND WATER PUMPS
 SUB-SURFACE PIPES
• SUBSURFACE PIPES CAN BE USED TO DRAIN HEAVY (CLAY) POORLY DRAINED
SOILS SUCCESSFULLY BUT THEIR SPACING WOULD NEED TO BE SO CLOSE
TOGETHER THAT THEY ARE UNECONOMIC IN EXTENSIVE FARMLAND SYSTEMS.
• SUBSURFACE PIPE DRAINAGE WAS REFERRED TO AS 'TILE DRAINAGE' IN THE
PAST DUE TO THE USE OF SHORT CLAY PIPES. CLAY WAS EXPENSIVE AND
DIFFICULT TO LAY AND HAS NOW BEEN REPLACED BY SLOTTED PVC OR
FLEXIBLE CORRUGATED PLASTIC PIPES OF VARIABLE DIAMETERS.
 MOLE DRAINAGE
• MOLE DRAINAGE CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS MOLE DRAINS, MOLE DRAINS OVER A
COLLECTOR PIPE SYSTEM OR GRAVEL MOLE DRAINS. THE SUITABILITY OF
EACH TYPE WILL DEPEND ON THE CLAY CONTENT AND TYPE, SAND AND/OR
STONE IN THE PROFILE, GRADIENT AND OUTFALL LOCATION. THE ACTION OF
THE MOLE PLOUGH FORMS A MOLE CHANNEL IN THE AREA OF THE SOIL
PROFILE WITH A SPECIFIC CLAY CONTENT. THE PLOUGH ALSO CRACKS THE
SOIL PROFILE IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE MOLE CHANNEL ALLOWING WATER TO
FLOW INTO IT.
 INTERCEPTOR DRAINS
• THESE DRAINS ARE INSTALLED AT THE BASE OF SLOPES AT THE CHANGE OF
GRADIENT, USUALLY WHERE A STEEPER SLOPE MEETS THE FLATS TO
INTERCEPT THE DOWNHILL FLOW OF SUBSURFACE WATER. OFTEN THE SOIL
TYPE ON THE SLOPE IS MORE PERMEABLE THAN THOSE OF THE FLATS AND
THIS FORCES THE WATER TO COME TO THE SURFACE, USUALLY AT THE
CHANGE OF SLOPE.
 PUMP OUTLET
• THESE REMOVE WATER FROM AQUIFERS SO THAT THE WATER TABLE WILL
FALL OR BE MAINTAINED AT A SUITABLE LEVEL BELOW THE GROUND
SURFACE.
• THE ACT OF PUMPING CAUSES A DRAWDOWN OF GROUND WATER LEADING
OUT FROM THE PUMP'S LOCATION WITH ITS EFFECT BEING MUCH LESS AT
DEPTH. THE EXTENT OF EFFECT WILL DEPEND ON AQUIFER DEPTH, SOIL
TYPE, HEIGHT OF WATER TABLE, ETC.
• THE COST, BENEFITS, DISADVANTAGES, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHETHER
THEY CAN BE USED OR NOT AND THE NEED FOR A PERMIT MUST BE
DISCUSSED WITH THE REGIONAL RURAL WATER AUTHORITIES. GROUND
WATER PUMPING WILL NOT BE DISCUSSED FURTHER IN THIS WET SOILS
MANAGEMENT SERIES.
 DRAWDOWN CURVES
IN A FULLY SATURATED SOIL, WATER FLOWS INTO THE TILE DRAIN ALONG THE
PATH. SINCE THE QUANTITY OF WATER MOVING BETWEEN ANY TWO FLOWS LINES
IS THE SAME , THE DRAWDOWN WILL BE MORE NEAR THE TILE THEN AT A POINT
RATHER AWAY. AFTER THE SATURATED SOIL HAS DRAINED FOR A DAY OR SO ,
THE RESULTING WATERTABLE AS SHOWN BELOW. WITH THE SERIES OF TILE
DRAINS
, THE SUBSOIL WATER LEVEL DIRECTLY OVER THE DRAIN, IS LOWER THAN
THE LEVEL MIDWAY BETWEEN TH.
 DISADVANTAGES OF SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE

• IT CAN BE EXPENSIVE TO INSTALL AND MAINTAIN

• SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS CAN BE COSTLY TO INSTALL. ADDITIONALLY, IT WILL NEED TO BE MAINTAINED
ON A REGULAR BASIS TO ENSURE IT FUNCTIONS CORRECTLY. MAKE SURE YOU CHECK FOR BLOCKAGES AND
DEBRIS THAT MAY BE OBSTRUCTING THE FLOW OF WATER REGULARLY.
• CAN CONTAMINATE BODIES OF WATER
• IF NOT WELL MAINTAINED, SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO CONTAMINATION ISSUES. IT
CAN CHANNEL NITRATE DIRECTLY INTO LARGE BODIES OF WATER CLOSE TO YOU SUCH AS RIVERS AND LAKES.
• IF YOU FIND IT CHALLENGING TO GET RID OF THE WATER THAT ACCUMULATES IN YOUR GARDEN OR AROUND
YOUR HOME, THEN MAYBE YOU SHOULD CONSIDER INVESTING IN A SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE SYSTEM. GET IN
TOUCH WITH TECHNO PAVE FOR A QUOTE TODAY.
 SIZE OF THE TILE DRAINS

THE TILES DRAINS ARE DESIGNED ACCORDING TO THE MANNING’S

FORMULA TO CARRY A CERTAIN DISCHARGE DECIDED BY D.C AND
DRAINAGE AREA .THE DRAINS ARE LAID ON A CERTAIN LONGITUDINAL
SLOPES VARYING FROM 0.05 TO 3% .A DESIRABLE MINIMUM WORKING
GRADE IS 0.2 %. WHERE SUFFICENT SLOPE IS NOT AVAILABLE , THE
GRADE MAY BE REDUCED TO 0.1%. DEPENDING UPON THE GIVEN SLOPE
OF THE SOIL SURFACE AND THE DEPTH OF OUTLET , SUITABLE VALUES
OF LONGITUDINAL SLOPE CAN BE GIVEN TO THE TILES . THEIR SIZES CAN
BE EASILY EVALUATED FROM MANNING’S FORMULA . 10-15 CM TILES
ARE MINIMUM RECOMMENDED SIZES.
 THE END
THANK YOU