What is a Trench Drain, Various Applications and Installations
By: John Garcia | Date Posted: November 4, 2021
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Improper drainage of surface water could be problematic for many residential and commercial properties. According to the Insurance Information Institute, 1 in 50 homeowners tenders a claim of water damage per year. Installing a trench drain to replace old drainage systems would prevent future headaches and expenses.
Trench drains are a kind of floor drain that helps promote drainage over a large surface area. Essentially, they are elongated drainage systems that catch, collect, and convey water from one location, such as a catch basin or an outlet. Comprising various components like channels, grates, catch basins, end caps, and end outlets, trench drains play a crucial role in efficient water management.
Furthermore, it’s important to delve deeper into the subject to understand more about trench drains, exploring their various installations and applications. As you read on, you’ll gain a comprehensive insight into the versatility and effectiveness of trench drain systems.
Types Trench of Drains
Depending on the materials and applications, trench drains are majorly classified into concrete trench drains and high-density polyethylene (HDPE).
Concrete Trench Drain
They are ideal for areas with significant and prolonged weight-bearing responsibilities like roads and highways. There are two kinds, precast and cast in place.
- Cast in place: they are also known as the original trench drains. They are created on-site, labor-intensive, and more expensive than others. They are usually more accurate because they’re poured on-site. They do not require joints, machinery for lifts, and transportation. Curing concrete requires a lot of time to attain full stability. Therefore, whether elements like humidity, temperature, and precipitation affect the curing process
- Precast: they are premade using metal molds with predetermined measurements of height, depth, and width. Unlike cast-in-place, the curing process can be regulated under ideal optimum climatic conditions. They allow for special modifications to be included in the manufacturing process. They on the other hand require joints, lifting machinery, and transportation.
Both precast and cast-in-place concrete trench drains are very reliable, strong, and durable. If done properly with the right materials and adequate curing time, they could last a lifetime.
High-Density Polyethylene Trench Drains
HDPE trench drains are made with pipes constructed from durable and lightweight polymers. Similar to precast concrete drains they are also pre-made in a factory and conveyed to the site for installation.
The lightweight materials used make HDPE trench drain installation easy, fast, and cost-effective. Unless reinforced with concrete encasement they are not suitable for areas that carry significant and prolonged weight load.
General Installation Process Trench Drains
So it doesn’t come as a surprise to you, here are some essential steps to expect from the installation process:
Excavation
The first step is to identify the location around your property most suitable for the installation of the trench drain. This will help you properly specify your trench drainage system. The slap thickness and expected load of the location must be taken into consideration.
Also, the drain needs to be structured in a way that prevents build-up and adheres to sanitary and safety standards. The trench should be built to accommodate 4 inches of concrete and extensible joints around the channels.
Channel Layout and Assembly
After the excavation process, the next step is the channel layout. Subsequently, the channel layout is done backward from the deepest point to ensure the drainage flows efficiently towards the outlet. Following this, an end cap will be fastened to the shallow end.
Moreover, channel sections are assembled using silicone sealants. To prevent misalignment of joints, construction covers are positioned to overlap each joint.
Rebar Installation
Rebar will then be initiated into the anchor hooks located on both sides of the channels, it will then be plunged into the ground. With this, adjustments could be made to each channel section to correct elevation.
Concrete Pour
Concrete pads are installed after the channels are set in the final position, and rebars are incorporated and fastened with wire or screws. Pads should have a minimum of 4-inch thickness and will be regulated to the correct depth below the slap. They are positioned around the rebar and on the sides of the channel.
Vibration is used to impede any voids while pouring. Expansion joints are positioned on both sides of the channel. Coupling is used to affix drain pipes to the channel.
Inspection
Construction covers should be removed after the concrete has been allowed to set. A minimum of 24 hours should be allotted for it. Then it’s necessary to inspect the channels and piping, removing all debris. Then, the grating can be installed and fastened with screws.
Various Applications of Trench Drains
Trench drains are so versatile that they have both indoor and outdoor applications. Here are some of the various applications of trench drains.
Trench Drains for Roads and Highways
Roadway design can be segmented into four main categories: sheet flow, restricted or triangular gutter flow, retrofit or repair work, and curb return applications.
Trench Drains for Fountains and Water Features
Trench drains are useful in collecting and containing the water that splashes or strays off the water feature. Fountains serve as aesthetically pleasing focal points wherever they are installed. Therefore, trains used require decorative gratings and or on a radius.
Trench Drains for SeaPorts and Intermodal Facilities
For seaports and intermodal facilities, trench drains are used to retain and treat stormwater. Trench drains are especially suitable for this because of the need for simple slopes and long flat sites. Heavy machinery like forklifts and trucks makes this one of the most weight-bearing linear applications.
Trench Drains for Airports and Aircraft Hangers
Airport sites have little to no longitudinal slopes. Hence, this makes them ideal for trench drains. With a proper slope inside the trench channels, water can be removed from the airport grounds without complex grading. Examples of a few trench drain applications at the airport include:
- Vehicle parking areas
- Fueling and fuel storage areas
- Hanger doors
- Terminal areas
- De-icing areas
Trench Drains for Swimming Pools
For indoor swimming pools, drains only need to collect water spattered out of the pool or trickling off of swimmers. In this controlled environment, they encounter no issues with debris, UV light, and varying temperatures. Consequently, a 2″ or larger trench is deemed sufficient for indoor pools.
For outdoor pools, on the other hand, UV light and debris do cause problems. Therefore, trench drains should be UV-resistant and have removable tops for cleaning debris.
Trench Drains
An overview of what’s been discussed should be enough to provide you with key information on what a trench drain is, the types, the process of installation, and several useful applications. With trench drains, it will all go down the drain like it’s supposed to. Remember to cultivate a good drainage maintenance culture.
Thank you for reading!
