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Trench Dams / Pipe Slope Anchors

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martin888888

Civil/Environmental
Jun 15, 2010
157
I have an 12" DIP waterline covering slopes of 5%-38%. It's normal to provide a concrete anchor for slopes 20% and higer, so I included a detail that shows spacing for a range of slopes.

For slopes greater then 10% it's normal to provide Trench Dams to prevent erosion in the trench. I provided a concrete trench dam detail to be used for slopes 10-20% and showed the exact location of them on our profiles, spaced approx 40' apart.

Question is, even though the trench dam and anchor serve different purposes in the design they are the same exact structure. Seems odd to use 2 different details. Any of you run into this before and ideas on the best way to handle it?
 
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If both concrete structures can be properly served by the same detail, do not think it reasonable to avoid many field installation errors by requiring only one type?

Now! If a "trench dam" at 15 deg slope would FAIL if its detail were used as a concrete anchor at 35 slope, then - No. Use a sepcific detail for each slope and each purpose. If both can be functional, use one detail so people don't screw up trying to figure out which is correct. Because they will screw up (almost) every time.

"Give a willing and enthusiastic but untrained worker a 50-50 chance, 90% of the time they will make the wrong choice."
 
Have you considered pu foam trench breakers?. Something like this our search "foam trench breaker". Concrete seems a bit excessive to me.

My motto: Learn something new every day

Also: There's usually a good reason why everyone does it that way
 
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