Drainage trench width

[OutdoorTim]

None of the above any good without maintaining ditches every few years ,a fact I see overlooked time after time .
If any drainage is done with a digger bucket and you are able to get in the trench ,line the bottem with terram ,the breathable membrane used on building sites .Put the pipe in the bottem then fill to level with gravel and fold excess membrane over the gravel before backfilling .This will last longer than any chain dug drain that fills in in time .

 

[Spencer]

If any drainage is done with a digger bucket and you are able to get in the trench ,line the bottem with terram ,the breathable membrane used on building sites .Put the pipe in the bottem then fill to level with gravel and fold excess membrane over the gravel before backfilling .This will last longer than any chain dug drain that fills in in time .

Nonsense..!

 

[Sharpy]

None of the above any good without maintaining ditches every few years ,a fact I see overlooked time after time .
If any drainage is done with a digger bucket and you are able to get in the trench ,line the bottem with terram ,the breathable membrane used on building sites .Put the pipe in the bottem then fill to level with gravel and fold excess membrane over the gravel before backfilling .This will last longer than any chain dug drain that fills in in time .

The pipe will remain clear, but small particles will choke the terram on most soil types and prevent the water getting to the drain. Been done round here and an abject failure. Might work on sand though.

 

[OutdoorTim]

Nonsense..!

Lol I bow to your knowledge mate .Either that or your a keyboard wannabe .Works fine here on heavy clay @20m centres .

 

[Spencer]

Lol I bow to your knowledge mate .Either that or your a keyboard wannabe .Works fine here on heavy clay @20m centres .

No key board warrior, whatever that is?

But on heavy clay here with 10m spacing and 300 acres of new schemes put in over the last 8 years, chain trencher laid land drains installed by a good drainage contractor on a true grade with GPS and stoned up to the top of the clay layer out performs all other types, especially those laid by excavators (In my opinion). And with regular maintenance I thoroughly expect them to last me out. Whereas terram would block with the fine clay particles in time and impede water infiltration. On flowing sand filter wrapped pipe is a must, but then I wouldn’t bother with stone then.
I‘m sure there’s drainage contractors on here that will no more than both of us put together. But this is what I’ve learnt from a good one with lots of experience.

Have a nice evening

 

[Foxcover]

 

[crazy_bull]

Wonder if those in the know could help advise on the costings to do the below:

240mtrs of 150mm pipe at approx. 1mtr down with 700mm stone on top with 2 x 9mtr laterals coming off to drain two additional wet spots.

The size of the pipe has been recommended as its at the bottom of a ridge/furrow field that drains towards our yard and want to put a pipe along the bottom of the field and round the yard to catch the water, that runs like a stream through the gateway into the yard and down the yard drains during a wet winter, whilst flooding the hay shed out.

They will also propose to drain another field whilst here although I am having to seek clarification on their proposal as its an 11 acre field and they have quoted to drain 2 acres at 20mtr intervals which confuses me. I was hoping to wack 2 or 3 pipe drains across the field then mole into them.

Any guidance would be appreciated, it probably is a dearer job than I expected

C B

 

[Lincsman]

Wonder if those in the know could help advise on the costings to do the below:

240mtrs of 150mm pipe at approx. 1mtr down with 700mm stone on top with 2 x 9mtr laterals coming off to drain two additional wet spots.

The size of the pipe has been recommended as its at the bottom of a ridge/furrow field that drains towards our yard and want to put a pipe along the bottom of the field and round the yard to catch the water, that runs like a stream through the gateway into the yard and down the yard drains during a wet winter, whilst flooding the hay shed out.

They will also propose to drain another field whilst here although I am having to seek clarification on their proposal as its an 11 acre field and they have quoted to drain 2 acres at 20mtr intervals which confuses me. I was hoping to wack 2 or 3 pipe drains across the field then mole into them.

Any guidance would be appreciated, it probably is a dearer job than I expected

C B

Drains above 20m apart struggle, some systems were put at 40m with the view to come back when money was available, sometimes it works, but relying on moleing is not a good idea, it helps but not a replacement for a full system

 

[crazy_bull]

Drains above 20m apart struggle, some systems were put at 40m with the view to come back when money was available, sometimes it works, but relying on moleing is not a good idea, it helps but not a replacement for a full system

I forgot to mention its permanent grassland if that makes any difference,

C B

 

[Lincsman]

I forgot to mention its permanent grassland if that makes any difference,

C B

Will the soil hold a mole for long... (clay content) is it level?... moles can run water to a low point very quickly making it wetter, moleing can make a mess in a grass sward by its lifting action. A good full drainage system can transform a field for virtually a lifetime.

 

[Steevo]

Wonder if those in the know could help advise on the costings to do the below:

240mtrs of 150mm pipe at approx. 1mtr down with 700mm stone on top with 2 x 9mtr laterals coming off to drain two additional wet spots.

The size of the pipe has been recommended as its at the bottom of a ridge/furrow field that drains towards our yard and want to put a pipe along the bottom of the field and round the yard to catch the water, that runs like a stream through the gateway into the yard and down the yard drains during a wet winter, whilst flooding the hay shed out.

They will also propose to drain another field whilst here although I am having to seek clarification on their proposal as its an 11 acre field and they have quoted to drain 2 acres at 20mtr intervals which confuses me. I was hoping to wack 2 or 3 pipe drains across the field then mole into them.

Any guidance would be appreciated, it probably is a dearer job than I expected

C B

One thing I was once told “drain the high ground and the lower ground will look after itself”. Point being, wet spots are a symptom, not a cause. Address the cause uphill and the wet spot dries up by itself.

I did some drainage with a contractor this time last year on a similar size field to address some flooding at the lower end. Worked out about £1500/ac overall I think.

It takes time for water to pass into pipes and so the more pipes available to pick it up the better, else the water will overwhelm the drainage system, continue travelling through the topsoil and end up where you don’t want it.

If you can afford it...do it once and do it right.

 

[Steevo]

Also....are there any fields uphill of your field?

If so, start by digging the ditch uphill before it gets to your field. If you can take the water from the uphill field away in a ditch then it’s less pressure on the field in question that’s having the problem.

 

[crazy_bull]

Also....are there any fields uphill of your field?

If so, start by digging the ditch uphill before it gets to your field. If you can take the water from the uphill field away in a ditch then it’s less pressure on the field in question that’s having the problem.

nope nothing above, its a field kind of a gentle mound (rising perhaps 3mtrs up in the middle) round the yard, all ridge and furrow pointing back to the yard, don't think I will be allowed to run a drain through the ridge & furrow? the field is dry in the most part it just runs towards the yard. I figured I could argue putting a 'French drain' round the yard, plus sneaking a few laterals into the springy areas.


C B

 

[crazy_bull]

Will the soil hold a mole for long... (clay content) is it level?... moles can run water to a low point very quickly making it wetter, moleing can make a mess in a grass sward by its lifting action. A good full drainage system can transform a field for virtually a lifetime.

20-30cm of loam over blue clay, the fields aren't level more gentle rolling, nothing extreme, maybe +/- 4 meters, I was hoping to put a drain through the low areas, that way I could mole into them from the high areas?

C B

 

[ste stuart]

Wonder if those in the know could help advise on the costings to do the below:

240mtrs of 150mm pipe at approx. 1mtr down with 700mm stone on top with 2 x 9mtr laterals coming off to drain two additional wet spots.

The size of the pipe has been recommended as its at the bottom of a ridge/furrow field that drains towards our yard and want to put a pipe along the bottom of the field and round the yard to catch the water, that runs like a stream through the gateway into the yard and down the yard drains during a wet winter, whilst flooding the hay shed out.

They will also propose to drain another field whilst here although I am having to seek clarification on their proposal as its an 11 acre field and they have quoted to drain 2 acres at 20mtr intervals which confuses me. I was hoping to wack 2 or 3 pipe drains across the field then mole into them.

Any guidance would be appreciated, it probably is a dearer job than I expected

C B

Just rough as its always bad to quote without looking

I get it at 240m supply and lay 150mm pipe @£4.50 per meter £1080
Dig out and fit junctions for laterals 2 @£25 £ 50
18m supply and lay 80mm pipe @£1.85 per meter £ 33.30
It need about 60 ton of stone which round here is £24ish p/t £1440
To load and spread stone in trench 60 ton @£5 per ton £ 300

Totalling £2903.30.

Be interesting to know what you have been quoted, pm if you don't want it as public knowledge

Ste

 

[Lincsman]

nope nothing above, its a field kind of a gentle mound (rising perhaps 3mtrs up in the middle) round the yard, all ridge and furrow pointing back to the yard, don't think I will be allowed to run a drain through the ridge & furrow? the field is dry in the most part it just runs towards the yard. I figured I could argue putting a 'French drain' round the yard, plus sneaking a few laterals into the springy areas.


C B

Moleing looks like it wont be easy to make work properly, why can you not drain through the rigg and furrows? its been done near me, a machine can go across them no problem, once backfilled there will be nothing to see anyway.

 

[shakerator]

Drains above 20m apart struggle, some systems were put at 40m with the view to come back when money was available, sometimes it works, but relying on moleing is not a good idea, it helps but not a replacement for a full system

I think if trenches were wider with greater stone volume 40m would be possible ??

 

[Lincsman]

I think if trenches were wider with greater stone volume 40m would be possible ??

No, the opposite, if you had meter wide trenches half a mile apart it wouldnt work would it?

There is a debate on lighter soil that 2 runs at 10m apart without stone is better than one at 20m with stone (they are similar cost) but i find it can then depend on the culitvations as to which works best.

 

[Sharpy]

This talk of 20m centres for drains seems a trifle optimistic, drains here were dug at 12 to 15ft centres by hand, on heavy ground.

 

[OutdoorTim]

We are all talking hypothetically as no two bits of ground are the same .What has worked here for 20 years plus might not work elsewhere .
Main thing is to keep ditches dug and any outflows clear .