Driving over underground waste pipes (Ed.)

[madge1]

Hi

When we did our extension 10 years ago, we gravelled over part of the garden (with a proper sub base) to enable us to park there. It went over the main waste pipe - roughly 45-70cm down (we live on a hill). If memory serves, it was concreted over at the time, under the sub base.

Obviously now the kids are 10 years older, we need another car, so we need somewhere to park it. The benefit of hindsight. We need to extend the parking area another 6-8ft width wise.

Anyway - is 70cm down deep enough to drive over - with small cars - without cracking the pipe? Should I concrete over the pipe? I have a load of old school heavy concrete paving slabs which I could lay over the top of the pipe (to spread the load), under the sub base, and gravel. Could do all this myself if so.

Or - should I just get it all done properly, as the pipe will crack even with a fiesta size car on top.

thanks

 

[Wayners]

Plastic or clay pipe?
Pea gravel around pipe.
Type one over.
Be fine as we have similar.

I don't know what regs say through

 

[noseall]

I don't know what regs say through

I'm not sure there is a reg. They should have cover - yes. Probably enough to prevent cold weather affecting.

 

[Wayners]

60cm deep to prevent cold effecting. Well that is for clean water pipes

Drainage I don't know depth. I don't think there is one as two big to freeze up.
Most of our drains are shallow

 

[^woody^]

700mm should be OK, and if you think it's already concreted over, that would be fine.

For good measure, if the pipe is where the wheels would be when parked, you could put your old slabs 350mm or so.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Clay or plastic?

Old or new?

There are huge differences. I found our drainage was dependent upon a pipe made of sawdust, asbestos and tar from the 1950s. Needless to say it wasn't very well.

If old clay then it will be fragile, especially at the joints. The risk probably isn't a pipe outright collapsing, but the joints leaking from movement so washing away the supporting ground and/or soil and roots getting in.

Concrete over the top isn't that useful, it could end up resting directly on the pipe, which may not be supported underneath. The concrete needs to surround the pipe to take the load from it.

 

[Nige F]

Clay or plastic?

Old or new?

There are huge differences. I found our drainage was dependent upon a pipe made of sawdust, asbestos and tar from the 1950s. Needless to say it wasn't very well.

The infamous Pitch fibre pipes - half of them were like bananas when put in - now squashed bananas