was located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, earshot from the Pocono Raceway. The trench drain was to be installed in a new equipment storage facility. The floor of the facility was being pour at the same time as the drain in order to pitch the floor toward the drain.

Initially, the excavator roughed out a trench in which to install the drain. The site was already installed with gravel, but was not compacted.

(This will probably cause a problem in the future. The gravel base for trench drain and all concrete floor projects need to be compacted. This floor has an excellent chance of developing voids underneath the concrete in the future.)

The position of the drain was determined and a level line was set. Then, the trench was cleaned of debris to assure that the channels could be set without obstructions.

Next, the channels were set along side the trench in order that they would be installed. The highest number channel (deepest) was set at the discharge invert. The smallest channel number was set at the beginning of the drain flow path. For this particular installation, the channel protector and grates were both left in place. The grates were later protected with plastic sheeting prior to pouring concrete.

The discharge water was designed to exit the end of the drain through 4” PVC pipe. A hole was drilled through the foundation of the building for this pipe to exit. It was later tied into a drain pipe that took the water to a sewer.

Installation started with the deepest channel first, then proceeding upstream. The channels were connected to each other with an installation bracket and connected to ½” rebar (#4). This particular installation bracket is patented and used exclusively with the Polycast system. It makes installation easy. However, in this case, the installation would have been easier if the excavator hadn’t used so many large stones in the base. At times, large boulders have to be removed in order to hammer the rebar in the ground. No matter, the bracket was adjustable enough to line the channel up perfectly, even if the rebar stakes didn’t install perfectly.

From the photo to your left, you can get a better idea on how the Polycast installation chair works. Bolts from the installation chair fit into the “dimples” of adjoining channels to hold the channel tight. The bolts can adjust in our out to help align the channels left or right. The chair can also be adjusted up or down on the rebar to keep the top of the drain (grate) on level.

Once the first few channels were put into place, the remainder of the installation went smoothly. The channels seemed to fall into the proper place when the installation chair was properly used. In the end, we had a 40 foot length of polymer concrete trench drain, suspended in air, and ready to be set in concrete.

I have to be honest. My interest in decorative trench drain grating is for material gain. I am looking for products to sell that give my customers selection and quality. The standard slotted and perforated grating, though functional, can get boring. I have had customers looking for products that give them a “look” that is in keeping with the theme of the house or community. Sometimes, galvanized steel slotted grating just doesn’t cut the mustard. Let’s discuss three manufacturers of ornamental or decorative grating.

Ironsmith – I’m starting with them for a purpose. This is a foundry in Palm Desert California with an additional manufacturing point in Mexico. They have a number of ornamental trench drain grating products. They advertise that they used 100% recycled materials to make their castings. I counted 8 different grating styles. However, only 3 of these had any “curviness” in the design. (I like curviness). Most grate styles were some variation of a standard slotted or perforated ADA grate.

The Ironsmith products are available in 4, 6, 8, and 12 inch wide grates. In addition, you are able to purchase grates in iron, aluminum or bronze. So the variety is good. They also have 12” x 12” catch basin grates and tree grates. And, if that was not enough, you can purchase the frame and trench to use when forming a trench drain system.

The folks at Ironsmith are nice people to work with. They are eager to help. Their prices are affordable for the west coast. I had difficulty getting an affordable product from them to sell on the east coast. Nevertheless, they seem to have a good product. For more information, go to www.ironsmith.biz.

Urban Accessories – I think these guys are the oldest of all the existing ornamental grate foundries in the US. Urban Accessories was founded in 1972 by an architect who was inspired by the vision of Louis Sullivan (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Sullivan) to enhance the urban environment. This is the Tacoma, Washington foundry that I promoted in my “Black Hill Trench Drain” blog entry. I also saw products of theirs in the Epcott Center in Orlando, Florida.

Urban Accessories has a wonderful product line. Besides trench drain grates, they have a rich assortment of tree grates, bollards, building buttons, drain covers, manhole covers and more. You can purchase trench drain frames to go with their grates, as well. They have a nice catalog and good coverage with the architects who deal with hardscapes.

Too good to be true? Maybe so!!! I never had a very good experience trying to purchase product from these people. They were reluctant to work with me on requests for special items. I had a difficult time getting information from them or my phone calls returned. And, once I had made contact with my area sales representative, I didn’t feel confident that he really had all the knowledge required for this product line. In addition to all this, the prices for their products are very expensive. A reason for all of this is out there. Check out the next company.

Ironage – This is a new company that is making some waves in the industry. I think they are part of the reason that Urban Accessories seems “disorientated”. Apparently, a few of the top (and best?) Urban Accessories managers left and formed the new company - Ironage.

Compared to UA, Ironage’s product line is small. Don’t let this fool you. Their product line is growing, the design quality is great, and the marketing is the “missing link” in the industry. Listen to this……..Where all other foundries have promoted a cast-in-place philosophy for trench drain marketing, Ironage has decided to make ornamental grating that fits the vast number of preformed or pre-sloped trench drain products that are currently on the market. If you want ACO, Mea-Josam, Polycast, Polydrain or NDS trench drain, you can still buy it and use the Ironage decorative grate. It is a wonderful idea!!
Affordable??? The answer is YES! Of all the companies I have mentioned in this article, Ironage is the most affordable. They have inventory on the east coast which makes the shipping of small orders even less costly. I’m excited about their future. Look them up on-line at www.ironagegrates.com

The first part of my trip was to a city called Belo Horizonte. This is a city of over 3.5 million people and with a population in the metropolitan area of well over 5 million. It is located just 5 hours north of Rio de Janerio. Belo is in the heart of the state of Minas Gerias, which is known for mining, iron production, cheese and a rum-like drink called Cachaca. The terrain is hilly. The infrastructure is old. Housing is made from concrete and ceramic tile. The streets are a mixture of stone and asphalt patchwork. When it rains here, you see lots of fast moving water on the streets. The second part of my trip was to Rio de Janerio. While there, I stayed in the upscale area called Barra (pronounced ba ha) In contrast to Belo, the Barra has newer housing, a lot of construction, a lot of commercial property, concrete and asphalt streets and flat terrain. It is know for the beaches, night life and carnivaal. When it rains in Rio, the water doesn’t flow as quickly as in Belo. Still, trench drain abounds here, as in Belo.

Trench Drain In Belo Horizonte - The trench drain I saw in Belo was all cast-in-place. That is to say, that the channels were formed of concrete, generally with a iron shoulder to support a grate of some sort. Four types of trench grate were identified; none of which were heavy duty. These are:

1) No Grate – I was surprised how often grate-less trenches were used in sidewalks, streets, gas stations and parking lots to channel run-off water. If the channel is narrow or shallow, apparently it isn’t considered a pedestrian hazard.

2) Simple iron fabrication – Most grating I saw was formed from welded reinforcing bar or flat stock. The styles were rarely similar, indicating that they were fabricated with each construction effort. These were the most fun drains to find and were often on the hilliest slopes.

3) Cast Iron – In some of the more commercial residential areas, I found cast iron grating. The sections were generally a meter in length and seemed to be able to handle the small automobile traffic common to Brazil (Class C at best). I found some of this grating at a local hardware store. No brand names are available. And apparently, there is no attention given to market standardization.

4) Concrete – I did locate concrete grating in a couple larger residential applications. I saw concrete used more in municipal drains systems. I was told that in larger cities, people steal cast iron grates to sell for scrap. In these areas, concrete trench grates are becoming more common. 

Trench Drain In Rio De Janerio – In contrast to Belo, the majority of the trench drain I saw in Rio was associated with commercial property. But, as in Belo, I saw only cast-in-place systems. This time, however, the grates were wide and manufactured (rather than custom). I want to identify four types of grating that I saw: 1) Bar grating (steel) – This seemed to be almost an H-20 loading grate. What I saw was manufactured from welded bar stock . One particular parking lot had over 100 LF of 2 foot wide trench using this grating.

2) Bar Grating (polymer composite) – I’m still scratching my head on this one. I could swear I found grating made from polymer concrete. I would think that this grating would have to be wire or mesh reinforced. However, what I saw was cast and mineral based, and it seems to have a well thought out hold-down mechanism employed.

3) Cast Iron – Simple cast iron grating was found in some of the ramps I saw in parking garages. Unlike those in Belo, these seemed to be a more durable design capable of class D loads. Again, all grating was in one meter section, no mater of the width. I saw no locking devices.

 4) Frame and Grate – I want to single out on type of cast iron grate which I feel is significant. At a grocery store parking lot, I found the use of ½ meter square manhole frame and grates aligned in a series to make a trench drain. Though only 40 to 50 feet were found, it shows that excess money was spent to solve a drainage problem.

My observations of trench drain in the Brazilian cities of Belo and Rio are not exhaustive by any means. However, they are snapshots of what is being used in this country and have some value. Brazil currently has relatively cheap labor and “forgiving” building codes. The economy may not be ready for widespread use of the standardized trench drain materials currently used in Europe or North America. However, the infrastructure is ready. Architects and engineers need to start incorporating standardized drainage systems into the designs of new construction projects. Simple former systems (Econodrain www.econodrain.com) would be a logical place for this country to begin. And, as Brazil is a county rich with iron casting production, it seems that this trench drain system is a natural fit. To see more photos I took on this trip, visit www.trenchdrain.biz/brasil2006

Standard showers have an edge of ceramic or plastic flooring at the base of the shower door to help hold the water in while bathing.  However, this edge is a problem to a person in a walker or wheel chair that wants to take a shower.  It would be easier just to roll in and not have to worry about the ledge.  Some clever architects are designing showers to have trench drains in front of the doors or covering the entire floor of the shower.  In this way, water can be confined to the places you need without that pesky little ledge that can lead to a life threatening trip and fall. 

Two photos of the stainless steel drains available to use in this application are below.

Stainless Perforated Slot Grating - This is a 4″ wide trench that is 6″ deep.  The 3/8″ wide slots can be replaced with 3/8″ holes on a closer pattern, if desired.

For most shower applications, the drain is made to a 3′ 1″ length.  (Showers are 3 feet wide).  However, these products can be made to any length or width.

Stainless ADA Bar Grating - I’d say, this is my favorite grating.  Again, it can be made to most any width.  This particular photo is of an 8″ wide product.  It will fit into a stainless steel channel of your design (as long as our manufacturer can make it). 

I spoke to one architect that wanted to have an entire bathroom floor to be a drain so it would be easier to bath a wheel chair user.  For this application, a portable hand held shower would be used for the washing.  When water would fall to the floor, it would be easily be drained away.  The ADA steel bar grate would be perfect for this application.  The size of the grate would have to be 4′ x 6′, or so.    This is very common in the entry way of some commercial buildings now.  Why not in the home?

The architect’s request reminded me of the bathrooms I had seen in South America.  In my wife’s apartment (in Brazil), you can actually use the toilet and take a shower at the same time.  The all ceramic bathroom and concrete construction of the building lends itself to this design concept.  With the use of large area drains, this same design can be safely utilized in wood framed structures.

There are some stainless steel products and sizes that are commonly made by our manufacturer.  But, don’t be afraid of requesting a custom product.  Give me a call @ 610-882-3630 if you are thinking about a stainless steel trench drain for a shower (or any other) application.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Thanks for visiting TrenchDrainBlog.com.  Log on to TrenchDrain.Biz in your spare time.

Michael

 While checking out the monuments (and getting a little sentimental), I was able to look at some trench drain.  Let me show you two that were interesting to me.

Trench Drain at the Lincoln Memorial Steps - These drains must have looked beautiful when they were originally installed at the base of the granite steps leading up to the Lincoln Memorial.  Now they sport a handsome green oxidation coat- the original finish must have been a brilliant bronze or brass.   These 4″ wide drains are filled with dirt and sediment, an indication that they probably are not pre-sloped.  (Maybe, also, an indication of the maintenance budget.)  I’m not certain they are really needed here, any way. 

No matter, the monument would look nicer if these drains were again put in service.  Any volunteers to help clean these out?

Trench Drain at the Native American Museum - If you like Native American Culture and artifacts, this museum has something for you.  I was impressed with a number of aspects of the buildings architecture.  The granite trench drain grates running through the courtyard and water sculpture areas caught my eye.

These grates are probably the most expensive pedestrian grates I’ve ever seen.  Let’s not even talk about the percent open space for efficient water drainage……  You can see they are ADA approved, but I’m not certain if they are heel proof.  Are those holes 3/8″ diameter or smaller ???

No matter, the weekend was beautiful and educational.  Maybe you have a unusual trench drain system or grate you want to share.  Let me know.  Thanks……………….Michael 

(Q)  When a driveway slopes down from the road toward the house, there is the propensity for rain water to flow into the garage and lower house during heavy down pours.   How can this be corrected? 

(A)  Any drain system installed in the driveway will help.  However, you need to know how much run-off water to expect on a heavy down pour.  A simple 12″x12″ square drain might be adequate.  However, watch out for the clogging of small drains by leaves and trash which will put your garage and basement ”back in the drink”. 

If you are going to install a drain in an existing driveway, I recommend putting in a trench drain.  You will need to cut and patch the concrete or asphalt driveway no matter which system you use.  There will be more cutting and patching with the trench system.  However, with the trench drain system, you will receive far more drainage for the amount of work applied to the project. 

Again, the size of the trench drain will depend on the driveway dimensions and anticipated rain fall.  For small driveways with light automobile traffic, a 4 inch wide (inside dimension) trench drain with a Class B grate should be adequate.  For longer driveways that generate scary amounts of water, use an 8 inch wide trench with a cast iron grate.  Make the length of the drain 80% - 100% the width of the drive. 

You are going to need to drain the rain water away from the trench drain, as well.  To do this, you will have to dig a trench in your yard and place a drain pipe from the drain system to the nearest storm sewer or hillside.  Use the flexible perforated 4″ diameter black pipe that is commonly used in french drains.  Be sure to place coarse gravel around the drain pipe so that you don’t fill the perforations with dirt.  This drain pipe will help keep your  yard drier, as well.

                                                                                Michael

Let’s look at a couple classic contributions to the current day trench drain:

1)  Aquaducts of Rome (initiated 312 BC) -   Built of stone, brick and mortar, eleven (11) separate aquaduct systems were put in place that carried drinking water from the areas surrounding Rome into the heart of the city.  The aquaducts were an essential tool in making it possible for up to 1 million people to inhabit Rome. 

 www.dl.ket.org/latin2/mores/aqua/intro.htm

2)   Sewers (egouts) of Paris - Paris initiated it’s first sewer system in the 1200’s which consisted of a common trench down the middle of the street.  These early “open sewers” contributed to the spread of the Black Plague.  By the mid 1800’s, the system had moved underground and is currently in operation today.  During this time, metal grates were used to cover the catch basins.

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist255-s01/mapping-paris/Paris_Sewers_Page.html

 3)  Moats of England (14th and 15th Century) - Moats were mainly for defense purposes, though there was a design element focused on water drainage.  At the gate house, the moat resembled more a culvert with a removeable lid (draw bridge).  By a stretch of the imagination, you can imagine this to be a large trench drain.  But really, it was just a bloody culvert.

  www.moats.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk

The need to control waste water drainage always seems to follow population growth.  And problem solvers as we humans are, we work with the materials which are at hand to solve the problems that we have at hand.  This first guy that designed and built a trench drain, I can imagine, probably didn’t like water coming in his from door everytime it rained.  Maybe he dug a trench in front of the door, lined it with stone and then fitted flag stone or brick on top of the trench to allow water to flow away from the door.  Wha - la.

With time, our construction materials have changed.  Trench drain products, as we know them in North America and Europe, are a direct result of an evolution of construction materials.  Cast-in-place concrete trenches with metal bar grating, once the standard, are less common.  Increasingly, the trend is to replace the labor intensive trench drain construction practices with labor saving, lightweight engineered polymer trench forming products.  Advances in grating materials have also been responsible for the shift in trench design.  Simple cast iron or steel grating is now giving way to a wider assortment of strong lightweight materials with designs to compliment the surrounding architecture. 

In countries where labor is less expensive than engineered materials, traditional cast-in-place and precast concrete still dominates.  Expensive materials for infrastructure aren’t in the budget of construction projects if the skilled labor can perform the task with a little more “elbow grease”.  In my travels to South America and Asia, I have never seen a polymer concrete or fiberglass trench drain system.  They probably exist in the expensive hotels and shops (a reason why I never saw them).  However, the economy of their construction practices haven’t reach that critical point to where you would see them on a grand scale.

So what am I really trying to say here?  The need for drainage systems and the evolution of trench drains as a method of drainage is a function of:

• Local population and infrastructure
• Environmental considerations
• Construction material costs
• Labor costs

We’ll continue to see changes and improvement in drainage products as these factors continue to change. Know your options!!

                                                                                 Michael

Trench drain is commonly seen in our daily lives and frequently overlooked.  Look around the sidewalk at your local outdoor plaza or down the ailses of your neighborhood garden center.  You’ll see it in a parking lot or at the base of a driveway sloping down to a loading dock or garage door.  These are typical examples of trench drain being used for stormwater evacuation.  The fluid being evacuated is rain water that is usually directed to a storm sewer. 

Trench drain used inside a building is usually associated with a sewer system.   Quite often, trench systems in an automotive center, fire station, chemical plant or food processing plant are used for collecting spills or water used for washing down the work area.  Fluids from these sites contain contaminants (oil, grit, organics, chemicals) that need to be isolated from storm water.  The contents from “in-door” trench systems are often passed through a oil-water separator or neutralization chamber prior to being routed to the sanitary sewer line. 

With so many different applications for trench drain, it is no wonder that there are many different manufacturers of trench drain and so many different materials are used for making trench drain.  This variety makes product selection a little difficult for the contractor or home owner who rarely needs to purchase a trench drain system.  For me, this is what makes trench drain so interesting.  TrenchDrain.Biz is hear to help you through this selection process.  Look at our website www.trenchdrain.biz or contact us by phone (610-638-1221) if we can be of service.               

                                                                                                  Michael

The construction industry has been about 5 years behind the rest of the industries in embracing the internet as a tool for selling products and services.  More often, a contractor will have an immediate need for a supply because he has neglected to plan.  That forces him to buy locally and at a higher product price.  He ends up having to absorb the cost of their supplier carrying the inventory and processing the order twice.  His lack of planning leads to his incurring higher construction costs.  This has a number of related effects, not among the least are lower profits and lower value to the customer.

This is slowly changing.  The old guard in the construction industry is being replaced.  Younger engineers are entering the work force who are computer and internet literate.  Plan rooms are becoming harder to find as project plans are being posted to GC web sites.  Better project planning and purchasing practices are helping companies to finish their projects on time and under budget.

TrenchDrainBlog.com is a part of this trend.  We are one location that you can find information about trench drain products, installation, application and selection.  Expect to see more web sites and blogs that deal with seemingly mundane topics like this one.  What else did you expect from the internet???  I hope to hear from you soon.   Michael