Trench drainage collects water and runoff by digging a trench in sloping land. It can be used for roadside ditches, French drains, and irrigation. It’s easy to install and can address short-term drainage issues.
A trench drainage is drainage that is made by sinking a trench into the ground to collect water and runoff so it can be diverted to other places. Drains are among the most basic and oldest of drains and can be used in a wide variety of applications. They’re also very easy to install, which can make them a good choice for addressing short-term drainage issues.
In its most basic form, a trench drainage is made by digging a trench in an area where the land slopes down. The downward slope of the land will encourage water to flow in the direction of the drainage, while the trench will collect the water. Some drains have grates designed to keep large debris out of the drain so it stays clean in inclement weather, although the grates will need to be cleaned periodically.
Roadside ditches are a common example of drainage ditches. In this case, the road is built with a sloping surface that encourages the road to pour water, with ditches catching the water so it can’t rise and flood the road. Ditches in turn displace water into a lake or other body of water, where it can be discharged. Ditches can also be combined with culverts, which run under intersecting roads.
In one version of the drain known as a French drain, a perforated pipe is fitted to the bottom of the drain and the drain is filled with sand or gravel. The water seeps down to the bottom of the trench, where it flows into the pipe for disposal, with the gravel acting as a filter. One of the main advantages of french drains is that once installed, they do not interrupt a surface such as a lawn or path, unlike ditches, which will create distinctive dips.
Trench drains can also be used for irrigation, with sluice gates being closed or opened as needed to move water around a trench drain system. This crude method of irrigation has been in use for thousands of years, making it one of the oldest agricultural tools in the book. A pit drainage system that connects to a stream or lake can greatly increase the amount of arable land in a given region, allowing people to expand their farms and cities.
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