THE NEED FOR A WATERTIGHT DRAINAGE SYSTEM: ITS ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS TO THE PHILIPPINES SETTING

HENRY P. TURALDE
CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES

INTRODUCTION
This present generation is facing the challenge

problems of pollution, the contamination of the rivers, lakes, ocean and ground water search the appropriate wastewater disposal system design and construction, the accurate response brought by inappropriate waste water disposal practices

INTRODUCTION

The civil engineering profession should show concern to these problems. The PICE as a professional institution ought to respond to this crisis by designing and constructing an effective sewerage system.

WATERTIGHTNESS

Developed countries have long recognized that storm-water should be segregated from the domestic sewage. Separate lines were built each for storm and domestic wastewater Domestic sewage is collected, conveyed to the treatment plant, treated before disposing off; as storm-water may be directly discharged to river.

WATERTIGHTNESS

Watertight pipe and structures have been considered with sanitary systems Growing concerns related to leakages poses growing concerns

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Non-watertight drainage system poses the danger of infiltration and exfiltration. Infiltration may occur when sewer lines are placed below the water table or when rainfall percolates down to the depth of the pipe. Exfiltration may occur when the pipe is placed above the water table.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Issue: Infiltration The groundwater or the surrounding water may drain through the pipes. When pipes are located adjacent or through a wetland, over time, they will drain the entire wetland and adversely affect the sensitive ecology of the area. When storm drainage system is placed in the area with contaminated soil, polluted waters can leach into the system through the pipes. The outpour of heavy rain can flush these contaminants into the river consequently damaging the quality of the water.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Issue: Exfiltration As the wastewater leaks through the joints, pollutants can leach out anywhere along the length of the storm drainage system. Surface drainage pollutants entering the system from catch basins far upstream seep out through the leaking joints downstream. Over time, continuous leak of wastewater may contaminate the surrounding soil or the areas groundwater and may lead to eventual irrevocable damage.

TECHNICAL CONCERNS
Issue # 1: Soil fines settle inside the pipe
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The inflow of water carries soil fines from the surrounding backfill material. The soil fines that seep through the joints would settle at the bottom of the drainage line, and would harden. Over time, this hardened soil fines would accumulate and eventually block the pipe. Frequent cleaning of the pipeline would be required to keep the sewer functional. Extra-burdensome maintenance works could be avoided.

TECHNICAL CONCERNS
Issue # 2: Soil fines lost make pipesurrounding material unstable
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The slow but sure loss of soil fines would create void spaces around the pipe, making the pipe-surrounding material loose and unstable. When the sewer is under the road, this failure may result to the eventual collapse of the roadway a safety hazard to the traveling public. Costly damages and painstaking repairs could be prevented.

IMPLICATIONS TO PHILIPPINE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY To make the drainage system watertight, changes in the following may be required:
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Materials Construction methods Quality tests Cost of drainage project

MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS

The main cause of the problems that caused leakage is the mortared joints and non-gasketed connections. These types of joints do not provide watertight seal. The mortared joint may appear initially watertight but they can not accommodate pipe-to-pipe or pipeto-structure settlement resulting in cracking of this filler material and subsequent leaking.

DRAINAGE PIPES
REINFORCED CONCRETE PIPES (RCP) In the Philippines, ungasketed RCPC fabricated in one-meter length possesses excellent quality in strength and durability, but vulnerable to leakage through the mortared joints. In the US, reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) is widely used. RCP dimension ranges from 6 (150 mm) up to over 120 (3000 mm) in diameter x 16 (4.80 m) long, conforming to ASTM C-14, ASTM C-76 or ASTM C-655, with bell & spigot or tongue & groove ends. Joints are provided with rubber gaskets according to ASTM C-443 or ASTM C-361 standards. Watertight joints conform to ASTM
D3212.

DRAINAGE PIPES
POLYVINYL CHLORIDE PIPE (PVC) Plastic pipes are used for its lightweight, chemical resistance, non-corrosive properties and ease of making connections. In N. America, PVC pipes with bell and spigot ends, range from 100 mm (4) to over 900 mm (36) in diameter x 20 (6 m) long, made of material defined in ASTM D-1784. Joints are provided with rubber gaskets conforming to ASTM F-477, fitted and fixed with sealing compound per ASTM D2855.

DRAINAGE PIPES
HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE PIPE (HDPE) High-density polyethylene is one of the most chemically inert of all plastics and therefore is extremely chemical and corrosion resistant. HDPE pipe material is made of single compound manufacturer and conforms to cell classification set by ASTM D-3350 standards or better. This diameter of pipe is available from 6 (150 mm) up to 48 (1200 mm) x 20 (6 m) long. HDPE joints are equipped with elastomeric orings gasket conforming to ASTM F-477. Watertight joints conforms to ASTM D-3212.

MANHOLE AND APPURTENANCES

All manholes shall be reinforced concrete constructed of Portland Cement Concrete. Typical Type A sewer manhole (shown in figure 1) with a minimum of 48" (1200 mm) diameter may be used for pipes up to 36 (900 mm) diameter. Larger diameter manholes Type B or bigger may be used to accommodate larger pipe sizes. No manhole or chamber shall be built using concrete hollow blocks.

INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS
The civil engineering profession should show concern to these problems. The PICE as a professional institution ought to respond to this crisis by designing and constructing an effective sewerage system.

TESTS FOR WATERTIGHTNESS

The civil engineering profession should show concern to these problems. The PICE as a professional institution ought to respond to this crisis by designing and constructing an effective sewerage system.

PROJECT IMPLICATIONS
The civil engineering profession should show concern to these problems. The PICE as a professional institution ought to respond to this crisis by designing and constructing an effective sewerage system.

CONCLUSION
The civil engineering profession should show concern to these problems. The PICE as a professional institution ought to respond to this crisis by designing and constructing an effective sewerage system.