Really impressed with your quality job guys, No cutting corners and an excellent job done! thank you for posting, I know what to expect of my workers coming in 2 days to do my soakaway!
sweet video. John's diagram/explanation about maximizing the water in soakaway was very useful. also thanks for the info re clay soil/soakaway in comments.
🔴 Hi, all that clay ?? did you eventually dig deeper until you came to permeable subsoil ?? because I understand the bend and vertical pipe to maximise the full use of the area of the soak away, however, the pressure of the soak away "being full" would just push water up the pipe anyway, and eventually fill your catch pit, ( unless you reach a depth where you find permeable subsoil. Obviously, soak away's have to be able to "Soak away" Let me know your view ?? Cheers
🔴 Hi, me again ?? If you "cannot" reach permeable subsoil, you could incorporate a submersible pump in your catch pit/ silt trap, that would kick in, if the worse scenario happens. Cheers
guys bearing in mind you connected to the "soakaway" at a low level, please consider installing a vent pipe to the crates to let them breathe and for the water to drain as efficiently as it can it that clay soil. good luck
I can see the idea of putting a vertical piece of 110 mm pipe to raise the level but it’s only 110 and it won’t take much to fill that diameter / vertical pipe should the water raise to the top of the crate inlet pipe
Sorry quick question, i'm assuming the ply wood does not stay on top of the crates? getting quotes for this sort of work and just want to understand the process a little better.. many thanks for this video.
Do soakaways work without a feeder pipe? I mean if they are deep enough would the water in the garden naturally filter down taking the path of least resistance?
@@thetessellater9163 thanks for the reply, just out of interest, if that’s the case does the current storm water from house guttering go down the drain, or to a soak away?
@@duncanlane22 Some modern house builds have all the surface water drainage systems (gutters down pipes, channel drainage) connected to soakaways. It's part of a sustainable drainage system (SUDS). It is considered not to overload existing surface water drainage systems (from buildings/roads). However, it's effectiveness is dependant on the ground conditions (sand/gravel is much better than clay). There are requirements for separation from housing/structures (so that water dissipation from the soakaway does not cause damage).
That took me 2 hours to watch that in between calls. Just a couple of quick questions.......on the 90 bend just outside of the soakaway going vertical apart from p gravel do you have to put anything under the bend like a small pav slab for support? Also when digging a trench at what depth do you need to shutter it at or does it depend on soil type or how long its open? Thanks for the great videos....
I thought that too, with any excavations below 1.8 metres (or was it 1.5 m?) you should have trench shoring if a person needs to go in ! Fines are large for this breach if HSE might watch this? I seem to remember this from deep founds dug near trees back in my day!
@@thetessellater9163 I have to do a bit of a dig out and wondered what depth you had to shore up.....and did the soil have anything to do with it. Was trying to crib some knowledge...
Great work lads but that soakaway will not work at all in that clay it will just fill up and not go anywhere best to connect to the storm drain or the foul if no storm on site.
As stated above, you are not allowed to connect rainwater into the foul drainage system, in the UK. Nor will the water soak away in that clay, so a tricky situation; the customer may still have flooding in the garden, but maybe further from the house than before!
You can connect to the sewer but you need to demonstrate that other options are not suitable or available and BCO to agree. Then get permission from whoever owns the system on that area.
Hi Everyone Building a soakaway in clay soil can be challenging due to the low water infiltration rates achieved in most clayey soils. Some clay soils will achieve virtually zero infiltration and in these soils a soakaway will not be practical. Other clay soils will achieve a low infiltration rate which makes a rainwater soakaway in clay possible. However, in these soils a conventional soakaway pit is often only effective when it is built very deep to increase the infiltration surface and includes a large storage area to store water while it slowly soaks away. Soakaway crates in clay have the advantage of a large void space which can be advantageous in such conditions. Even in these cases the soakaway can struggle to comply with time of emptying requirements due to the low infiltration rate. Soakaway Design in Clay Soils Where a low infiltration rate is expected such as in clay soils it is critical that a thorough site investigation and infiltration testing is done before the detailed design of any soakaways. A site investigation may reveal better infiltration layers either in another part of the site or in strata beneath the clay layers. In this case sometimes a deep bore soakaway can be installed through the clay layer into the infiltration strata. One advantage of soakaways in clay soils is that the small pores are less likely to become clogged with sediments which build up within the soakaway. This can make soakaways built in clay soils more robust than some other soils. How to Build a Soakaway in Clay Soil Digging a soakaway in clay soil can be approached in the same way as in any other soil, as described here. Particular care should be taken to ensure that the excavation does not become smeared when using mechanical diggers. If smearing does take place the sides of the excavation should be roughened using hand tools. Other Ground Conditions The installation of a new soakaway can have significant effects on the surrounding soils. For this reason it is important that the existing ground conditions are assessed before the detailed design of a new soakaway is completed. Below is a summary of some of the most common issues; Poorly Consolidated Soils The installation of a new soakaway can cause instability in poorly consolidated soils. This is because the new source of water infiltrating through the soils can lead to wash out of fine materials from the soil. This can lead to significant voids forming over time which are then prone to collapse. In some soils the infiltrating water can also cause the soil to consolidate leading to settlement. Fill Materials Infiltrating water passing through loosely compacted fill materials can cause the fill to compact, leading to differential settlement. This is particularly significant in deep layers of fill material, such as infilled quarries or landfill sites. In some cases the fill layers can be protected from infiltration using impermeable liners. Shrinkable or Expansive Clays Some types of clay soils can shrink or expand depending on the water content of the soil. A new soakaway will have localized effects on the water content of the surrounding soils which can lead to shrinkage and differential settlement of some clays. All the best Tony 👍
my garden is on small slope its 8m x7 Square,,, theres 1800 mm paving at 12 inch high because of surface water used lodge. i need to put down a surface for my dogs. ,fake grass with eco drain at the foot of the paving with soak hole so the 2 are close toghter,, ,,how do i achieve what you done if my eco drain is at the foot of the paving your diagram maximise you water level ,can it be done when eco is close to hole
@@JurassicJungle christ.. unless you live in an aircraft hangar i cant see that being justified. What other options do you have? Are there any land drains nearby you can connect into?
@@ninety1464 We are adding 120m Sq of new roof space which doubles the current property. We have a stream with riparian rights which we could release water into but we have to show how we can attenuate. We did the infiltration test and the report came back with a soakaway of 6m x 1.2 x 1.5! There is a history of surface water flooding. What annoys me is the house across the road added a similar extension recently but was not obliged to add any soakaways at all.
@@JurassicJungle sounds like you have a nice property! have building control asked for or over seen the percolation test? ordinarily 240m² of roof would necessitate a soakaway just under 5m² (as im sure you well know).. building comtrol may be satisfied with that (unless youre not willing to take the risk yourself) If possible then utilise the stream as an overflow perhaps this would be sufficient
From HSE. Trenches 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep or greater require a protective system unless the excavation is made entirely in stable rock. If less than 5 feet deep, a competent person may determine that a protective system is not required.
Help stupid council wants a soak away , the ground is clay. It's also impossible to be 5m from building and boundary so should I just piggy in the middle 🤔
Love the channel, but like others have said, the soakaway will not be that effective. That said, you are stuck between a rock and a hard place. BCO and the sewer operator will not let you connect to the sewer and you are in heavy clay so soakaway don't work. Does the engineer not recommend infiltration testing is done first to prove soakways are not viable and then propose an attenuation tank with a flow control on it? That's what I would do, but again if you are just appeasing the BCO, you only need to design for the 1 in 10 storm where as the sewer authority would want the system designed for the 1 in 100 plus climate change. I can see why you did what you did and sometimes it is worth not making a meal of these things but that said, there are so many contractors that just think soakaway work irrespective of the ground conditions. Sizing then with all sorts of strange rules of thumb. The issue the domestic construction industry has is building control, they have so much power but quite often so little time and knowledge, applying the same solution time and time again without considering the variables. Sorry, rant over, great channel.
Hi Paul thanks glad you are enjoying the channel, Building a soakaway in clay soil can be challenging due to the low water infiltration rates achieved in most clayey soils. Some clay soils will achieve virtually zero infiltration and in these soils a soakaway will not be practical. Other clay soils will achieve a low infiltration rate which makes a rainwater soakaway in clay possible. However, in these soils a conventional soakaway pit is often only effective when it is built very deep to increase the infiltration surface and includes a large storage area to store water while it slowly soaks away. Soakaway crates in clay have the advantage of a large void space which can be advantageous in such conditions. Even in these cases the soakaway can struggle to comply with time of emptying requirements due to the low infiltration rate. Soakaway Design in Clay Soils Where a low infiltration rate is expected such as in clay soils it is critical that a thorough site investigation and infiltration testing is done before the detailed design of any soakaways. A site investigation may reveal better infiltration layers either in another part of the site or in strata beneath the clay layers. In this case sometimes a deep bore soakaway can be installed through the clay layer into the infiltration strata. One advantage of soakaways in clay soils is that the small pores are less likely to become clogged with sediments which build up within the soakaway. This can make soakaways built in clay soils more robust than some other soils. How to Build a Soakaway in Clay Soil Digging a soakaway in clay soil can be approached in the same way as in any other soil, as described here. Particular care should be taken to ensure that the excavation does not become smeared when using mechanical diggers. If smearing does take place the sides of the excavation should be roughened using hand tools. Other Ground Conditions The installation of a new soakaway can have significant effects on the surrounding soils. For this reason it is important that the existing ground conditions are assessed before the detailed design of a new soakaway is completed. Below is a summary of some of the most common issues; Poorly Consolidated Soils The installation of a new soakaway can cause instability in poorly consolidated soils. This is because the new source of water infiltrating through the soils can lead to wash out of fine materials from the soil. This can lead to significant voids forming over time which are then prone to collapse. In some soils the infiltrating water can also cause the soil to consolidate leading to settlement. Fill Materials Infiltrating water passing through loosely compacted fill materials can cause the fill to compact, leading to differential settlement. This is particularly significant in deep layers of fill material, such as infilled quarries or landfill sites. In some cases the fill layers can be protected from infiltration using impermeable liners. Shrinkable or Expansive Clays Some types of clay soils can shrink or expand depending on the water content of the soil. A new soakaway will have localized effects on the water content of the surrounding soils which can lead to shrinkage and differential settlement of some clays. This is a great document we work to and BCO required us to do something all the best Tony 👍
Building a soakaway in clay soil can be challenging due to the low water infiltration rates achieved in most clayey soils. Some clay soils will achieve virtually zero infiltration and in these soils a soakaway will not be practical. Other clay soils will achieve a low infiltration rate which makes a rainwater soakaway in clay possible. However, in these soils a conventional soakaway pit is often only effective when it is built very deep to increase the infiltration surface and includes a large storage area to store water while it slowly soaks away. Soakaway crates in clay have the advantage of a large void space which can be advantageous in such conditions. Even in these cases the soakaway can struggle to comply with time of emptying requirements due to the low infiltration rate. Soakaway Design in Clay Soils Where a low infiltration rate is expected such as in clay soils it is critical that a thorough site investigation and infiltration testing is done before the detailed design of any soakaways. A site investigation may reveal better infiltration layers either in another part of the site or in strata beneath the clay layers. In this case sometimes a deep bore soakaway can be installed through the clay layer into the infiltration strata. One advantage of soakaways in clay soils is that the small pores are less likely to become clogged with sediments which build up within the soakaway. This can make soakaways built in clay soils more robust than some other soils. How to Build a Soakaway in Clay Soil Digging a soakaway in clay soil can be approached in the same way as in any other soil, as described here. Particular care should be taken to ensure that the excavation does not become smeared when using mechanical diggers. If smearing does take place the sides of the excavation should be roughened using hand tools. Other Ground Conditions The installation of a new soakaway can have significant effects on the surrounding soils. For this reason it is important that the existing ground conditions are assessed before the detailed design of a new soakaway is completed. Below is a summary of some of the most common issues; Poorly Consolidated Soils The installation of a new soakaway can cause instability in poorly consolidated soils. This is because the new source of water infiltrating through the soils can lead to wash out of fine materials from the soil. This can lead to significant voids forming over time which are then prone to collapse. In some soils the infiltrating water can also cause the soil to consolidate leading to settlement. Fill Materials Infiltrating water passing through loosely compacted fill materials can cause the fill to compact, leading to differential settlement. This is particularly significant in deep layers of fill material, such as infilled quarries or landfill sites. In some cases the fill layers can be protected from infiltration using impermeable liners. Shrinkable or Expansive Clays Some types of clay soils can shrink or expand depending on the water content of the soil. A new soakaway will have localized effects on the water content of the surrounding soils which can lead to shrinkage and differential settlement of some clays. All the best Tony 👍
Really impressed with your quality job guys, No cutting corners and an excellent job done! thank you for posting, I know what to expect of my workers coming in 2 days to do my soakaway!
Nice work boys....... gotta love the local clay contest in the ground!!!
Haha thanks for watching bud! 👍
sweet video. John's diagram/explanation about maximizing the water in soakaway was very useful. also thanks for the info re clay soil/soakaway in comments.
From what I get from other videos is that inch and half stone is better for french drain allowing more water flow instead of pea gravl
🔴 Hi, all that clay ?? did you eventually dig deeper until you came to permeable subsoil ?? because I understand the bend and vertical pipe to maximise the full use of the area of the soak away, however, the pressure of the soak away "being full" would just push water up the pipe anyway, and eventually fill your catch pit, ( unless you reach a depth where you find permeable subsoil. Obviously, soak away's have to be able to "Soak away" Let me know your view ?? Cheers
Jesus that garden is like a scene from the film tremors lol 🔥🔫🕳
😂
Better acting here though 😁
@@simonhughes6267 🤣
My god they just keep digging, more gravel, more concrete!
What are they going to build back there “The Shard”
🔴 Hi, me again ?? If you "cannot" reach permeable subsoil, you could incorporate a submersible pump in your catch pit/ silt trap, that would kick in, if the worse scenario happens. Cheers
guys bearing in mind you connected to the "soakaway" at a low level, please consider installing a vent pipe to the crates to let them breathe and for the water to drain as efficiently as it can it that clay soil.
good luck
Interesting as always. Looking forward to seeing the silt trap and how that works
Thanks for watching, have an awesome week 👍
Fwfuwbyh❤😅
Loving this series guys. Even the dirty, muddy work is interesting. Great workmanship as always.
Thanks David 👍
I can see the idea of putting a vertical piece of 110 mm pipe to raise the level but it’s only 110 and it won’t take much to fill that diameter / vertical pipe should the water raise to the top of the crate inlet pipe
It's almost 2 separate projects - 1. Groundworks/Draining 2. Extension Build. Client in good hands though.
loving this series!
Thanks! 👍
Sorry quick question, i'm assuming the ply wood does not stay on top of the crates? getting quotes for this sort of work and just want to understand the process a little better.. many thanks for this video.
Nice work lads
The teeth on that digger are a bit like mine, just in better condition. 😁 Good Job Guys.
Thanks Gino, have an awesome week! 👍
Do soakaways work without a feeder pipe? I mean if they are deep enough would the water in the garden naturally filter down taking the path of least resistance?
Hi, I always wondered how you avoid digging utility services under ground.
Great job as always boys.🤩 I presume you named the excavations, Tom, Dick and Harry.😆😎
Coming together nicely now 👌🏼. That soak away is a work of art 🧱👍🏼
Thanks guys 👍
@@BuildWithAE 🧱👍🏽
Great content! Why do you build a soak away, rather than just connecting to the rain water drains?
One might presume, as an older house, there is no separate storm water only drainage, and you're not allowed to connect to the foul drainage either !
@@thetessellater9163 thanks for the reply, just out of interest, if that’s the case does the current storm water from house guttering go down the drain, or to a soak away?
@@duncanlane22 Some modern house builds have all the surface water drainage systems (gutters down pipes, channel drainage) connected to soakaways. It's part of a sustainable drainage system (SUDS). It is considered not to overload existing surface water drainage systems (from buildings/roads). However, it's effectiveness is dependant on the ground conditions (sand/gravel is much better than clay). There are requirements for separation from housing/structures (so that water dissipation from the soakaway does not cause damage).
Another fantastic job 👍
Thanks for watching! 👍
That took me 2 hours to watch that in between calls. Just a couple of quick questions.......on the 90 bend just outside of the soakaway going vertical apart from p gravel do you have to put anything under the bend like a small pav slab for support? Also when digging a trench at what depth do you need to shutter it at or does it depend on soil type or how long its open? Thanks for the great videos....
I thought that too, with any excavations below 1.8 metres (or was it 1.5 m?) you should have trench shoring if a person needs to go in ! Fines are large for this breach if HSE might watch this?
I seem to remember this from deep founds dug near trees back in my day!
@@thetessellater9163 I have to do a bit of a dig out and wondered what depth you had to shore up.....and did the soil have anything to do with it. Was trying to crib some knowledge...
Another great video - keep digging 👍😳
Thanks, have an awesome week 👍
Fascinating.
Thanks for watching Maria! 👍
Great work lads but that soakaway will not work at all in that clay it will just fill up and not go anywhere best to connect to the storm drain or the foul if no storm on site.
IKR
You cannot connect rain to foul it’s illegal .
As stated above, you are not allowed to connect rainwater into the foul drainage system, in the UK.
Nor will the water soak away in that clay, so a tricky situation; the customer may still have flooding in the garden, but maybe further from the house than before!
You can connect to the sewer but you need to demonstrate that other options are not suitable or available and BCO to agree. Then get permission from whoever owns the system on that area.
Hi Everyone
Building a soakaway in clay soil can be challenging due to the low water infiltration rates achieved in most clayey soils. Some clay soils will achieve virtually zero infiltration and in these soils a soakaway will not be practical.
Other clay soils will achieve a low infiltration rate which makes a rainwater soakaway in clay possible. However, in these soils a conventional soakaway pit is often only effective when it is built very deep to increase the infiltration surface and includes a large storage area to store water while it slowly soaks away. Soakaway crates in clay have the advantage of a large void space which can be advantageous in such conditions. Even in these cases the soakaway can struggle to comply with time of emptying requirements due to the low infiltration rate.
Soakaway Design in Clay Soils
Where a low infiltration rate is expected such as in clay soils it is critical that a thorough site investigation and infiltration testing is done before the detailed design of any soakaways. A site investigation may reveal better infiltration layers either in another part of the site or in strata beneath the clay layers. In this case sometimes a deep bore soakaway can be installed through the clay layer into the infiltration strata.
One advantage of soakaways in clay soils is that the small pores are less likely to become clogged with sediments which build up within the soakaway. This can make soakaways built in clay soils more robust than some other soils.
How to Build a Soakaway in Clay Soil
Digging a soakaway in clay soil can be approached in the same way as in any other soil, as described here. Particular care should be taken to ensure that the excavation does not become smeared when using mechanical diggers. If smearing does take place the sides of the excavation should be roughened using hand tools.
Other Ground Conditions
The installation of a new soakaway can have significant effects on the surrounding soils. For this reason it is important that the existing ground conditions are assessed before the detailed design of a new soakaway is completed. Below is a summary of some of the most common issues;
Poorly Consolidated Soils
The installation of a new soakaway can cause instability in poorly consolidated soils. This is because the new source of water infiltrating through the soils can lead to wash out of fine materials from the soil. This can lead to significant voids forming over time which are then prone to collapse. In some soils the infiltrating water can also cause the soil to consolidate leading to settlement.
Fill Materials
Infiltrating water passing through loosely compacted fill materials can cause the fill to compact, leading to differential settlement. This is particularly significant in deep layers of fill material, such as infilled quarries or landfill sites. In some cases the fill layers can be protected from infiltration using impermeable liners.
Shrinkable or Expansive Clays
Some types of clay soils can shrink or expand depending on the water content of the soil. A new soakaway will have localized effects on the water content of the surrounding soils which can lead to shrinkage and differential settlement of some clays.
All the best Tony 👍
What can you use instead of the expensive crates fir the soke hole
More roofing videos please
Did you check your see if the system was a combined system?
my garden is on small slope its 8m x7 Square,,, theres 1800 mm paving at 12 inch high because of surface water used lodge. i need to put down a surface for my dogs. ,fake grass with eco drain at the foot of the paving with soak hole so the 2 are close toghter,, ,,how do i achieve what you done if my eco drain is at the foot of the paving your diagram maximise you water level ,can it be done when eco is close to hole
Was the blue pipe laid at a fall or level at point 6.42 on the video ?
1:40 to 1:80 is best. As a rule of thumb, an inch per metre to half inch per metre, to mix measures!
@@thetessellater9163 Thanks for the reply, keep digging boys you might hit oil soon.👍👍👍
Theres a lot of clay in the ground there.. just wondering if that would pass a percolation test
I was just wondering that having just done that test myslef and the calculations coming back with a pretty big 11 cubic meter soakaway!
@@JurassicJungle christ.. unless you live in an aircraft hangar i cant see that being justified. What other options do you have? Are there any land drains nearby you can connect into?
@@JurassicJungle have a look online at the suds hierarchy if you haven't done so already
@@ninety1464 We are adding 120m Sq of new roof space which doubles the current property. We have a stream with riparian rights which we could release water into but we have to show how we can attenuate. We did the infiltration test and the report came back with a soakaway of 6m x 1.2 x 1.5! There is a history of surface water flooding. What annoys me is the house across the road added a similar extension recently but was not obliged to add any soakaways at all.
@@JurassicJungle sounds like you have a nice property!
have building control asked for or over seen the percolation test? ordinarily 240m² of roof would necessitate a soakaway just under 5m² (as im sure you well know).. building comtrol may be satisfied with that (unless youre not willing to take the risk yourself)
If possible then utilise the stream as an overflow perhaps this would be sufficient
Use geo textile and if you don’t know why you don’t know
From HSE. Trenches 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep or greater require a protective system unless the excavation is made entirely in stable rock. If less than 5 feet deep, a competent person may determine that a protective system is not required.
Is anything actually going to "soak away" into that clay? Looks like horrible stuff!
👍🏾
Help stupid council wants a soak away , the ground is clay. It's also impossible to be 5m from building and boundary so should I just piggy in the middle 🤔
Think the company name should be changed to 'Dig with A&E' instead of 'Build' with the amount of digging they do😅
Love the channel, but like others have said, the soakaway will not be that effective. That said, you are stuck between a rock and a hard place. BCO and the sewer operator will not let you connect to the sewer and you are in heavy clay so soakaway don't work. Does the engineer not recommend infiltration testing is done first to prove soakways are not viable and then propose an attenuation tank with a flow control on it? That's what I would do, but again if you are just appeasing the BCO, you only need to design for the 1 in 10 storm where as the sewer authority would want the system designed for the 1 in 100 plus climate change. I can see why you did what you did and sometimes it is worth not making a meal of these things but that said, there are so many contractors that just think soakaway work irrespective of the ground conditions. Sizing then with all sorts of strange rules of thumb. The issue the domestic construction industry has is building control, they have so much power but quite often so little time and knowledge, applying the same solution time and time again without considering the variables. Sorry, rant over, great channel.
Hi Paul thanks glad you are enjoying the channel,
Building a soakaway in clay soil can be challenging due to the low water infiltration rates achieved in most clayey soils. Some clay soils will achieve virtually zero infiltration and in these soils a soakaway will not be practical.
Other clay soils will achieve a low infiltration rate which makes a rainwater soakaway in clay possible. However, in these soils a conventional soakaway pit is often only effective when it is built very deep to increase the infiltration surface and includes a large storage area to store water while it slowly soaks away. Soakaway crates in clay have the advantage of a large void space which can be advantageous in such conditions. Even in these cases the soakaway can struggle to comply with time of emptying requirements due to the low infiltration rate.
Soakaway Design in Clay Soils
Where a low infiltration rate is expected such as in clay soils it is critical that a thorough site investigation and infiltration testing is done before the detailed design of any soakaways. A site investigation may reveal better infiltration layers either in another part of the site or in strata beneath the clay layers. In this case sometimes a deep bore soakaway can be installed through the clay layer into the infiltration strata.
One advantage of soakaways in clay soils is that the small pores are less likely to become clogged with sediments which build up within the soakaway. This can make soakaways built in clay soils more robust than some other soils.
How to Build a Soakaway in Clay Soil
Digging a soakaway in clay soil can be approached in the same way as in any other soil, as described here. Particular care should be taken to ensure that the excavation does not become smeared when using mechanical diggers. If smearing does take place the sides of the excavation should be roughened using hand tools.
Other Ground Conditions
The installation of a new soakaway can have significant effects on the surrounding soils. For this reason it is important that the existing ground conditions are assessed before the detailed design of a new soakaway is completed. Below is a summary of some of the most common issues;
Poorly Consolidated Soils
The installation of a new soakaway can cause instability in poorly consolidated soils. This is because the new source of water infiltrating through the soils can lead to wash out of fine materials from the soil. This can lead to significant voids forming over time which are then prone to collapse. In some soils the infiltrating water can also cause the soil to consolidate leading to settlement.
Fill Materials
Infiltrating water passing through loosely compacted fill materials can cause the fill to compact, leading to differential settlement. This is particularly significant in deep layers of fill material, such as infilled quarries or landfill sites. In some cases the fill layers can be protected from infiltration using impermeable liners.
Shrinkable or Expansive Clays
Some types of clay soils can shrink or expand depending on the water content of the soil. A new soakaway will have localized effects on the water content of the surrounding soils which can lead to shrinkage and differential settlement of some clays.
This is a great document we work to and BCO required us to do something all the best Tony 👍
F** me lads you shouldnt been down that without shoring, higher then any 1.2
Another total waste of time and money for the customer, soakaway has no chance in working in clay ground like that
Building a soakaway in clay soil can be challenging due to the low water infiltration rates achieved in most clayey soils. Some clay soils will achieve virtually zero infiltration and in these soils a soakaway will not be practical.
Other clay soils will achieve a low infiltration rate which makes a rainwater soakaway in clay possible. However, in these soils a conventional soakaway pit is often only effective when it is built very deep to increase the infiltration surface and includes a large storage area to store water while it slowly soaks away. Soakaway crates in clay have the advantage of a large void space which can be advantageous in such conditions. Even in these cases the soakaway can struggle to comply with time of emptying requirements due to the low infiltration rate.
Soakaway Design in Clay Soils
Where a low infiltration rate is expected such as in clay soils it is critical that a thorough site investigation and infiltration testing is done before the detailed design of any soakaways. A site investigation may reveal better infiltration layers either in another part of the site or in strata beneath the clay layers. In this case sometimes a deep bore soakaway can be installed through the clay layer into the infiltration strata.
One advantage of soakaways in clay soils is that the small pores are less likely to become clogged with sediments which build up within the soakaway. This can make soakaways built in clay soils more robust than some other soils.
How to Build a Soakaway in Clay Soil
Digging a soakaway in clay soil can be approached in the same way as in any other soil, as described here. Particular care should be taken to ensure that the excavation does not become smeared when using mechanical diggers. If smearing does take place the sides of the excavation should be roughened using hand tools.
Other Ground Conditions
The installation of a new soakaway can have significant effects on the surrounding soils. For this reason it is important that the existing ground conditions are assessed before the detailed design of a new soakaway is completed. Below is a summary of some of the most common issues;
Poorly Consolidated Soils
The installation of a new soakaway can cause instability in poorly consolidated soils. This is because the new source of water infiltrating through the soils can lead to wash out of fine materials from the soil. This can lead to significant voids forming over time which are then prone to collapse. In some soils the infiltrating water can also cause the soil to consolidate leading to settlement.
Fill Materials
Infiltrating water passing through loosely compacted fill materials can cause the fill to compact, leading to differential settlement. This is particularly significant in deep layers of fill material, such as infilled quarries or landfill sites. In some cases the fill layers can be protected from infiltration using impermeable liners.
Shrinkable or Expansive Clays
Some types of clay soils can shrink or expand depending on the water content of the soil. A new soakaway will have localized effects on the water content of the surrounding soils which can lead to shrinkage and differential settlement of some clays.
All the best Tony 👍
9 3:54 😅 4:20 @@BuildWithAE