Methods of Bedding Drain Pipes

Types of Pipes

• Drainage pipes can be made from a variety of materials. The type of pipe you have will, in part, determine the bedding method that is appropriate. According to Pavingexpert, pipes can be made from "vitrified clay, PVC, concrete, iron and asbestos." Pipes made from semi-flexible materials such as PVC require a specific bedding technique.

Trenches

• The first step in properly bedding a pipe is to dig a trench. Individual communities have their own building codes and regulations for the excavation of trenches. For example, building codes in Sacramento County, Calif., require that vitrified clay pipe have a minimum trench width of the outside pipe diameter plus 12 inches, while the minimum trench width for flexible pipes is the outside pipe diameter plus 24 inches. Once the pipe is nestled in the trench, it is braced and supported and covered over with one of a variety of materials to complete the bedding process.

Bedding Materials

• Just as individual communities have specific codes and regulations for trench excavation and depths, they also have regulations for the types of materials that can be used for covering over the pipes. Sacramento County, for example, requires different material depending on the type of pipe being buried: clean crushed rock for storm drains and graded sand for water distribution. Sand and gravel are the most common materials for completing the bedding process.