Separate & Combined Systems,

Types Shapes, Sizes and Materials

of Sewers, Sewer Appurtenances,
Pipe Strengths and Tests
 Separate & Combined Systems
Combined System
1. Same sewer for both storm water &
dry weather flow.
2. Size of combined sewer depends
mainly on the amount of storm water
flow (storm water flow is 50 to 60 times
larger than the dry weather flows)
3. Overflow structures at suitable
locations are used to discharge access
quantity of storm water to the nearest
point available and overflow structures
are very costly.
4. Combined sewers tend to get silted
during dry weather flow.
Separate System
1. Separate sewers for the collection of
storm water & dry weather flows.
2. In separate systems short lengths of
large diameter sewers are needed for
storm water disposal.
3. No need for overflow structures which
are relatively costly.
4. For separate systems sanitary sewers
can be designed to maintain self
cleansing velocities.
Criteria For Selection of Combined or
Separate Sewer System
Conditions
1. Narrow streets and roads
having underground pipes
and cables.
2. Wastewater requiring
pumping.
3. Wastewater which could be
discharged into a water body.
4. Low cost & low maintenance 4. Combined.
wastewater treatment.
5. Hydraulic performance
6. Environmental protection
System Remarks
1. Combined. 1. Construction of separate
sewers is difficult & costly.
2. Separate. 2. The advantages increase with
the volume of water & the
height to which water is to be
raised.
3. Separate. 3. This is cheaper than the cost
of large diameter pipe carrying
all the waste to the treatment
plant.
4. A single pipe is involved
5. Separate. 5. Self cleansing velocity is
maintained.
6. Separate. 6. Less expensive in the longer
run if an environmental plan is
anticipated.
 SEWER MATERIALS
1. Concrete
2. Asbestos cement
3. Vitrified clay
4. PVC
5. Ceramics/composites

CONCRETE
Precast concrete pipe is manufactured with specific
dimensions & strength.
Joints maybe made with compression rings and gaskets and
motion.
Fittings such as tees(T) & wyes(Y) are readily available for
concrete pipes.
All concrete pipe made in sizes grater than 610mm (24) is
reinforced
 SEWER MATERIALS
ASBESTOS CEMENT
Asbestos cement pipe is manufactured in
different sizes & classes.
Joints are made with a sleeve and rubber
gaskets that slip over the ends of adjoining
sections.
It is light in weight, corrosion resistant under
most soil conditions and they are locally
available
 SEWER MATERIALS
VITRIFIED CLAY PIPE
Vitrification means burning, and when clay is burned it
becomes glassy & smooth thin glassy & smooth
material can be molded into pipes and the pipe formed
are known as vitrified clay pipes.
Vitrified clay pipes are use in circular cross sections and
good quality pipes produce a metallic round when
struck lightly with a metallic objects.
The clay pipe must be cured properly to be impervious.
Clay pipe is manufactured when integral bell & spigot
end
 STRENGTH & BEDDING SEWERS
STRENGTH
Compressive strength is critical
Sewers are ordinarily not pressurized
They are more deeply buried than the water
mains
Effect of soil and other external loads is very
important
The static load on a burned pipe can be
calculated by the Mastons equation
W = CwB2 (W = Weight of Fill/Vol material; B = Width of the trench)
 STRENGTH & BEDDING SEWERS
W = Load on pipe per unit Length
C = Is a co-efficient that depends on the depth of the trench,
character of construction and fill material
C can be determined by
C = 1 e-2kH/B
2k
Where,
k = ratio of active lateral pressure to vertical pressure
= Coefficient of sliding friction between the fill material and
sides of the trench
H = depth of fill
B = width of the trench
STRENGTH & BEDDING SEWERS
Soil Type Max Value of k
Cohesionless granular 0.192
material
Sand & gravel 0.165
Saturated soil 0.15
Clay 0.130
Saturated clay 0.11
 STRENGTH & BEDDING SEWERS
BEDDING
Provision of proper bedding is very important in
developing the strength of the pipe especially in
unfavorable soil condition
Unfavorable soil condition include wet clays &
organic soils
There are four classes of bedding
Based on ASTM, Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D
 Corrosion of Sewers
Organic material is likely to accumulate in
sanitary sewers as a result of deposition at low
velocities
The cumulative material is gradually degraded
by the action of bacteria in sewage
The degradation may be accompanied by
biological reduction of sulphates present in
the flow.
The anaerobic decomposition of complex
organics involves the production of short
chain volatile organic acids.
 Corrosion of Sewers
The acids are water soluble and may depress
the pH
The combination of sulphate reduction and
low pH causes the release of hydrogen
sulphide into the air space of the sewer
The hydrogen sulphide may re-dissolve in the
condensed moisture at the crown of the
sewer
The oxygen available can be used by the
bacterium thiobacillus in the oxidation of
hydrogen sulphide to sulphuric acid
 Corrosion of Sewers

Wastewater pH and hydrogen sulfide gas phase

concentration in a sewer manhole (Nielsen et al., 2008 (I)).
 Corrosion of Sewers
In sewer made up of acid soluble materials
such as concrete, iron or steel
The acid formation may lead to the
destruction of the crown and finally the failure
of the sewer
Corrosion of Sewers