Brick Sewers

Group 5: S.Mohini Harsha(321225)

R.Harshitha(321221)
Santona Nayak(321224)
Rishi Kumar(321222)
Introduction:
● In ancient times ,mostly bricks were used as
sewer material.
● Later replaced by cement concrete sewers.
● They can be still used at places where materials
required for cement concrete sewers are
unavailable.
● Used in constructing:large size combined
sewers,storm water drains.
● Plastered on outer surface to prevent entry of
tree roots and groundwater through brick joints.
● Lined inside with stoneware or ceramic block to
render them smooth and hydraulically efficient.
● Lining also helps in resisting sulfide corrosion
which is not possible with ordinary cement
plaster as the same is easily attacked by sewer
gases like hydrogen sulfide.
Construction of Brick
● Sewers larger than 2 m are generally constructed
Sewers: in brick work.
● The brickwork shall be in cement mortar of 1:3
and plastered smooth with cement plaster of 1:2,
20 mm thick both from inside and outside.
● A change in the alignment of brick sewer shall be
on a suitable curve conforming to the surface
alignment of the road.
● The construction shall conform to IS 2212 in
general.
 Standard specification:
The standard sizes of the sewer bricks is as follows:

Length(mm) Width(mm) Height(mm)

190 90 90

190 90 40
Historical development:
History:
● Many large-diameter brick sewers were built in central Kolkata
India during the 1870s.
● over the past century they have deteriorated due to age,
changed land-use patterns, lack of adequate maintenance and
failure of limited past measures to upgrade them.
● In 2007, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation begin a major
project to renovate the most critical stretches of these
man-entry brick sewers with an estimated initial cost of £70
million. The first phase of this work is due for completion in
2014.
Currently: Layout of the five major brick sewers in
● In total, there are now about 180 km of brick sewers in Kolkata. Kolkata’s central ‘town system’, which was
● Of these, about 88 km are ‘man-entry’sewers – that is sewers completed to a British design in 1886 – all
above 1·07 m (42 inch) diameter. have now been cleaned and relined. Town
● It was designed for a 2 month storm frequency & much lower Outfall has yet to be rehabilitated. Map
population concentration and significantly lower paved area source: CMS (1862)
than they are now subjected to.
● The central area has started suffering from severe flooding due to the drainage scenario
worsening due to loss of retention ponds, storm-water reservoirs and open areas being
converted into paved surfaces to accommodate the additional population.

Rehabilitation:
● Rehabilitation plan in 2006 designed to restore the hydraulic capacity and structural
integrity of the sewers.
● The absence of screening for flow entering the sewers, indiscriminate dumping of solid
waste and lack of public awareness and the very limited and localised sewer maintenance
work were the main causes of siltation and deterioration.
● Reports also indicated degeneration of bricks and eroded mortar, causing structural
distress and failure in several places.
● Exposing brick sewers by open excavation for the purpose of laying other utility lines also
caused structural failure of sewers.
● Collapses reached an alarming level of almost five per week in 2006.
● Using grout injection and stabilizing the structure.

● Reinforced with fibre glass to strengthen the

existing structure.

● Most of the rehabilitation work was undertaken

during night hours when wastewater flow inside
the sewers was minimal. The only visible
evidence of work on the surface was some
barricading at certain places around access
shafts and manholes, which caused some
localised and limited restriction to traffic and
pedestrian movement.
Safety and sustainability:

● The use of personal protective equipment was mandatory, including clothing, helmet, gloves, boots,
belt, anchoring rope and face-mask, and a logbook was maintained for all workers entering the sewers.
● The complexity of the work and associated hazards were adequately explained to the workers by the
supervising authorities.
● All precautionary measures were adopted and strict adherence to these norms has resulted in no
fatalities in 4 years.
● Carrying out most of the installation works during night hours significantly helped to avoid possible
hazards associated with working during normal hours in such extremely congested urban areas.
● The working areas in congested roads and around access manholes were clearly demarcated, guarded
and isolated during daytime for traffic diversion and pedestrian movement.
● In addition to providing a significantly improved sewerage system with minimal social and environmental
impact, the liners were manufactured locally – creating further employment and reducing material
transport costs.
Challenges:
● Challenges were faced both by the contractors and KMC while working in what is one of the most
congested urban areas in the world.

● Very little reliable information about extensions to the main network so a detailed closed-circuit television
survey of the whole sewerage network was thus carried out after de-silting to record hydraulic properties,
interconnections, status and the presence of other utilities, such as water mains, high-voltage electricity
cables and communications cables.

● Before inserting liners, utility lines were isolated and relocated in coordination with relevant departments.
Due to the absence of available sewers for diversion, high-density polyethylene bypass pipes were laid
along main roads.

● In Kolkata, tidal effects in the River Hooghly prevented the use of self-priming pumps, so submersible
pumps with high capacity and head were deployed inside the sewers for effective flow diversion.
● Flow diversion in trunk sewers typically uses pneumatic balloons for short periods and
semi-permanent brick or stone walls for extended durations. Due to the unavailability of
sufficiently large balloons locally, shaped and stiffened steel plates were used.

● Later, reinforced-concrete-filled sections of a 0.3 m wide GRP liner were used, allowing
quick removal using powered winches during intense rainfall. Solidified silt, resembling
rock-like deposits, required tools such as chisels, jackhammers, ground breakers, and fork
lifts for removal without damaging the sewer structure.

● Liners, maneuvered through narrow city streets, were individually lowered through access
manholes for precise placement. Although major sewer connections typically occur at
manholes, unauthorized connections were discovered and temporarily blocked with
pneumatic plugs during lining work.
Advantages: ● Durable

● Ecofriendly

● Aesthetic appeal in historic districts

● Can be constructed to any required shape

and size

● Resistance to corrosion

● Provides structural stability

● Support heavy loads

Disadvantages:
● Higher cost

● Slow work progress

● Larger space requirement

● Susceptible to root intrusion if not

properly lined

● Potential for leakage due to mortar joints

● labor-intensive nature of construction

THANK YOU