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THE SELECTION OF MATERIAL FOR THE SEWER
PIPE IS GOVERNED BY THE FOLLOWING FACTORS: 

  1) Carrying capacity of the pipe .

2) Durability, strength and life of the sewer pipe .

3) Imperviousness and weight .

4) Resistance to corrosion and abrasion .

5) Type of sewage to be conveyed and its possible
corrosive effect on the sewer pipe material .
6) Cost of material of sewer should be moderate and
reasonable.
7) Maintenance cost and repairs etc. 
THE MATERIALS FOR
SEWERS
• Following material are found to be suitable
for the sewer construction
• Bricks
• Vitrified Clay
• Cement Concrete
• Asbestos Cement
• Cast Iron
• Plastic
• Glass fiber reinforced Plastic
• Sewers made from the above material are
• Brick Sewer
• Stoneware or vitrified Clay Sewers
• Asbestos Cement Sewers
• Cement Concrete
• Plastic Sewer Pipes
• Glass fiber reinforced plastic Sewer Pipes.
BRICK

•This Material is used particularly for construction of

large diameter combined sewer or
particularly for storm water drains.
• Advantage-
Can be constructed to any required shape and size
• Disadvantage-
higher cost
Slow work progress
Larger space
requirement
• To prevent ground water
infiltration
The pipe are plaster outside surface
with mortar using sulphate resistant cement
to Avoid entry of tree roots and ground water
through brick joits.
Inside surface mortar + high
 CONCR
•
ETE
Advantages
–Relative ease with which
required strength may be
provided
– Wide range of pipe
sizes
– Rapid trench backfill
• Disadvantages
–crown corrosion by
sulphide gas
–mid depth water line
corrosion by sulphate
– outside
deterioration by
sulphate from soil water
PLAIN CEMENT CONCRETE OR REINFORCED CEMENT
CONCRETE

•Strong in tension as well as compression.

•Resistant to erosion and abrasion.

•They can be made of any desired strength.

•The carrying capacity of the pipe reduces with time because of

corrosion.
 PRECAST CONCRETE
•Commonly used for branch and main sewers
• Two types
– Non-pressure pipes
• used for gravity flow (sewers running
partially full)
•Plain (I.D. 80mm-450mm; thickness: 25mm-
35mm)
•Reinforced
– Pressure pipes
•used for force mains, submerged outfalls,
inverted siphons and for gravity sewers
where absolute water-tight joints are
required.
• Reinforced

•These pipes have plain ends or spigot

and socket ends.
Vitrified Clay
• Vitrified Clay is a product of clay. This material is widely
used for manufacturing of sewers. The surface of
vitrified clay sewer is very
 smooth and impervious and has high
durability. The material has
 high resistance to corrosion and erosion, it is easily
available and has good performance.
• Vitrified clay sewers pipes are used for small sewage
discharges and hence their diameter are also small.
Their maximum dia is restricted up to 60 cm
• Normally vitrified clay sewer pipes are constructed for
60 and 120 m lengths having socket and spigot type of
joints
VITRIFIED
CLAY
 ADVANTAGES

•Resistant to corrosion ,hence fit for carrying

polluted water such as sewage.

•Interior surface is smooth and is hydraulically

efficient.

•Strong in compression.
DISADVANTAGES

•Heavy,bulky and brittle and hence ,difficult to transport.

•These pipes cannot be used as pressure pipes,because they are weak

in
tension.

The pipes are highly Impervious.

•These require large number of joints.

 ASBESTOS CEMENT

• usually used in sizes ranging from 80 mm to 1000 mm in diameter

• Advantages
– Non corrosiveness to most natural soil conditions,
.
– good flow
characteristics,
– light weight,
– ease in cutting, drilling and fitting with specials,

– ease of handling,
– tight joints and
– quick laying and backfilling are to be considered
• Disadvantages
–subject to corrosion by acids, highly septic sewage and by highly acidic
or high sulphate soils
– Cannot stand high super imposed loads and may be broken easily
 CAST
IRON
•Available in diameters from 80 mm to 1050 mm and are covered
with protective coatings
• supplied in 3.66 m and 5.5 m length.
• Classified according to their thickness.

• Application:
Cast pipes with a
variety of jointing methods are
used foriron
pressure sewers, sewers
above ground surface, submerged
outfalls, piping in sewage
treatment plants and occasionally
on gravity sewers where absolutely
water-tight joints are essential or
where special considerations
require their use.
• Advantage:
long laying lengths with tight joints, ability when
properly designed to withstand relatively high internal
pressure and external loads and corrosion resistance in
most natural soils.

• Disadvantage:
– corrosion by acids or highly septic sewage
and acidic
soils

• Inside coating shall be by Cement

mortar and outer coating shall be coal tar
STEEL

•Pressure sewer mains, under water river crossings, bridge crossings,

necessary connections for pumping stations, self-supporting spans,
railway crossing and penstocks are some of the situations where steel
pipes are preferred
• Advantages
–withstand internal pressure, impact load and vibrations much
better than CI pipe.
– more ductile and withstand water hammer better.
• Disadvantage
–cannot withstand high external load
–main is likely to collapse when it is subjected to
negative pressure
– susceptible to various types of corrosion
•Inside coating by high alumina cement mortar or polyurea and
outside by
epoxy.
DUCTILE IRON PIPES
•made by a metallurgical process, which involves the addition of
magnesium into molten iron of low sulphur content.
•The ductile iron pipes are usually provided with cement mortar lining at
the factory by centrifugal process to ensure a uniform thickness
throughout its length
•available in the range of 80 mm to 1000 mm diameter, in lengths of 5.5
to 6 m
• Advantages
–excellent properties of machinability,
– impact resistance,
– high wear and tear resistance,
– high tensile strength and ductility
–corrosion resistance.
– strong, both inner and outer surfaces are smooth,
–These pipes are approximately 30 % lighter than
conventional cast iron pipes UPVC Pipe (unplasticized
polyvinylchloride )
 – resistance to
corrosion,
–light weight for
transportation,
– toughness, rigidity,
–economical in laying,
jointing, and maintenance and
– easy to fabricate .
HIGH DENSITY
POLYETHYLENE (HDPE) PIPES
• It is a kind of thermoplastic which is
famous for its tensile strength. Its unique
properties can stand high temperatures.
• Advantages
• Offer smooth interior surfaces
And relatively higher resistance to
corrosion. They are available in solid
wall
When laid in straight gradients
without depressions, they can easily
offer longer life cycle
•Joints are usually fusion welded or
flange jointed depending on
straight runs fittings.
PLASTIC SEWERS (PVC PIPES)
 Plastic is recent material
used for sewer pipes.
These are
 Used for internal
drainage works in house.

These are available in size 75 to 315 mm

external diameter and used in drainage works.

 They offer smooth internal surface.

 The additional advantages they offer are resistant to

corrosion, Light weight of pipe,economical in laying.
 GLASS FIBER REINFORCED PLASTIC PIPES

 This martial is widely used where corrosion resistant

pipes are required.
 Glass fiber reinforced plastic (GRP) can be used as a
lining material for conventional pipes to protect from
internal or external corrosion. It is made from the
composite matrix of glass fiber, polyester resin and
fillers.
 These pipes have better strength, durability, high
tensile strength, low density and high corrosion
resistance.
 These are manufactured up to 2.4 m diameter and up
to 18 m length .