SETTING OUT SEWERS AND DRAINS A drain is a line of pipes and fittings, including inspection chambers, traps, gullies, etc., used for the drainage of one building and the yards and outhouses of one property. A sewer, on the other hand, is any piped drainage system not included in the above description. As such it may collect the drainage waste from several properties and may be private or public. Gradients: Drains and sewers are laid to gradients such that flow of water allows the drain to be self-cleansing. The old rule of thumb that 4-in., 6-in. and 9-in drains were laid to falls of 1:40, 1:60 and 1:90, respectively, is satisfactory for drains where the water flow is fairly low. Sewers are laid to shallower gradients than drains. Setting out the base line: In this case the base used is the centre line of the sewer. The lines of the new sewers are marked on the ground by placing a peg at each manhole or inspection chamber position. Manholes will be built at the following positions: Ata maximum of every 100 mon straight runs Atall changes of direction Ateall sewer junctions ‘At the head of each sewer or drain Excavation control: Sight rails are required in order to provide a line above ground parallel to the gradient of the pipeline below ground in order to control the excavation. The sight rails at each end of a sewer run are fixed horizontally to their supports ata height a whole number of half metres above invert level so that the line joining the sight rails is parallel to the gradient of the sewer.The traveller is a timber upright, the length from invert to sight rail, with a crosshead nailed to it for easier sighting. When its cross-piece is on the sight line over the rails then its base will be at invert level of the sewer. Using the traveller, a series of pegs are eventually placed along the bottom of the trench to control the excavation. Specimen question: A sewer run 80 m long is to be laid at a fall of 1:120 from manhole F16 to manhole F17. The reduced level of the ground peg at F16 is 17.210 m and its designed invert level is 15.360 m. The reduced level of the ground peg 2t F17 is 17.350 m. A 3-m traveller is available. Calculate the height above each ground peg at which each sight rail is to be fixed and the invert level of FI. Solution: The sight rail at F 16 must be fixed at a height of 1.15 m above the peg because the invert depth is 17.210 - 15.360 = 1.85 m. As the traveller is 3m long and 1.85 will be its length below the peg, 1.15 m, the balance of 3 m, will be above, up to sight rail level. The gradient of 1/120 indicates a fall of 0.667 m in 80 m. Invert level at F 17 will therefore be 15.360 - 0.667 = 14.693 m The level of the sight rail must be 3 m above this at 17.693 m Therefore the height at which the second sight rail must be fixed above the peg at F 17 is 17.693 - 17.3550 = 0.343 m.