×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Can Wells be used for Draining Roads?.
3

Can Wells be used for Draining Roads?.

Can Wells be used for Draining Roads?.

(OP)
In a recent visit I made to a Settlement projects in the Island of Abaco, The Bahamas, I was surprised to see that all the Streets and Roads drain to wells. Approximately every 1,000 meters of roads they drill a 14" Diameter Well close to the center line of the road or Street, Culverts are placed from the lateral drains of the road towards the well, making something like a tee, actually the two ends of the culvert are inlets; a grill is placed on top of the well, but since is under the road is very difficult to reach for cleaning.
This particular Island is narrow and very long, close to the sea the soils are sandy but as you move away from the sea soils are calcareus (Marl), terrain is actually very low maybe 14 meters above sea level.
I have never seen something like this, and thought that maybe in this forum somebody can explain why is it done this way and if the system is really efficient.

RE: Can Wells be used for Draining Roads?.

I worked in Hawaii for a while, and I saw drywells used for storm water runoff in a number of rural areas on the outer islands.  I was told that this was the preferred method, as both the overburden and the underlying basalts seemed to percolate pretty well.  

There were guidelines in place for this use of drywells.  One of them was a not-so arbitrary line that marked where the use of drywells for stormwater runoff could not be used above (in an altitude sene) this line.  This line was established so that the runoff would not find its way into the bedrock aquifers that are used for the water supply.

RE: Can Wells be used for Draining Roads?.

it is done quite frequently here, but only to drain retention basins; and only when the soil will percolate well.  drywells usually can't handle peak flows without a large chamber or basin to handle the surge.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources