Understanding Structures

Structures provide access to the pipes underground. This access can be for people, or it can be for rainwater that is flowing across the surface of the ground, also known as runoff. In the case of stormwater management design, structures called inlets or catch basins are placed on the site at locations that are best for collecting runoff. Typically, the runoff falls through a grate into a concrete chamber and then out through a pipe toward its final destination. For other types of pipelines, manholes and cleanouts are placed at predetermined increments so that workers can access the pipes to perform maintenance. Manholes are also used to create a bend in a pipeline when one pipe enters in one direction and a second pipe exits in another. Whatever the case, the placement of these structures is part of the pipe network design process, and it is not done arbitrarily.

Understanding Gravity Pipe Networks