Pipes are used to safely convey water to a predetermined destination. In the case of stormwater pipes, collected runoff commonly passes through one or more forms of onsite treatment and then empties into a nearby stream or ditch. In the case of a sanitary sewer, the journey can be much longer—connecting to a local sewer main, and then merging with any number of larger and larger mains until the water reaches a treatment plant. In some cases, the length of that journey can be quite a few miles.
In these systems, the flow of water depends on gravity. This means that part of your job as the designer will be to ensure that all of the pipes are pointing downhill. That may sound like an easy task by itself, but when you introduce other design requirements, it can become quite challenging. For example, you also need to ensure that the pipes are at a depth that is neither too shallow nor too deep. Another part of the design is to ensure that the pipes are large enough to convey the amount of water that is expected. This part is usually handled by a licensed engineer or trained designer and is beyond the scope of this book.
Understanding Pipes
on February 20, 2019