Anyone here familiar with or worked with this stuff? Specifically, NDS's "Spee-D" drain channel?
Any advice appreciated.
Note: Some installations may require a concrete collar to meet load rating. Loads are based on encasing product in concrete. Product must be installed using NDS instructions.
Note the words "*may* require a concrete collar".
The installation instructions say:
Which implies, at least to me, that the channels don't *always* need to be encased in concrete.
Is the "guy" expecting the drain to be under load or is he installing it in a place where nobody ever walks, bikes, or drives?
I'd find out exactly how/where he plans to use the product and call NDS to get their recommendation.
On 9/3/2009 7:16 PM DerbyDad03 spake thus:
Yes, it ain't exactly clear.
It's in a driveway (2 places, both get driven over, one regularly).
Then it seems like there is no question. From what I read at the site, concrete is a must for that application, unless he doesn't care about longevity or warranties.
Not true. The installation instructions for the product say that it may be installed with either a sand, soil or concrete. They specifically show a installation for light vehicular traffic where a concrete base may not be required. It's on page 27 of the NDS catalog.
However, from a practical standpoint, installing this into an EXISTING driveway would seem to me to a lot easier using concrete on top of an existing stable base. It would seen to be a lot easier to float it down into a bed of concrete, rather than try to get a base of compacted soil or sand perfectly level to precisely the right depth.
I'm planning on doing a similar job and that's how I plan to do it.
On 9/5/2009 7:56 AM snipped-for-privacy@optonline.net spake thus:
So a guy would, what? suspend the channel in the trough at the right height? Use "chairs" under it?
Getting the channel at the right height using a compacted base shouldn't be that hard, should it? Just add or remove material as required. They say it should be 1/8" to 1/4" below the top surface depending on whether it's a traffic or non-traffic installation.
This is going into an existing driveway (asphalt over concrete).
The above questions depend a lot on where in the existing driveway the new drain is going. If it's going at a perimeter location so that you can dig out around it and have full access from one side, then I would:
1- Cut out the rectangular opening in the existing asphalt/concrete 2 - Excavate down a few inches below where the bottom of the channel will go, assuming the soil at that level is compacted a firm. 3- Fit the drain and pipe in place, then temporarily remove. 4 - Place some form of rudimentary form along the long edges, could be just heavy cardboard or similar. 5 - Put enough concrete under the channel to allow it to be down into it as well as some on the far side. 6 - Put in the drain channel/pipe and bed it down to correct height 7- Fill in the exposed side around the channel with concrete.The above is how I'm planning to approach the work I'm going to do. If you don't bed it in concrete, I do not see how you can get a uniform perfectly graded compacted base for the entire channel to rest on. In my case, it's going next to new belgium block curb that's going to be installed, so it's not likely to have much if any vehicular weight on it. But just to be sure and also because I think it's easier to just bed it in concrete rather than try to screw around getting a perfect base in a small location where you have limited access, I'm going to use concrete. With vehicular traffic I definitely would bed it in concrete. Again, I think it's just as easy, if not easier than trying to make that pefect base and it's not worth the risk that when someone drives over it one side sinks down
1/4".If the drain is going in a spot surrounded by driveway on both sides, eg across where the driveway meets the garage apron, then you have a different situation. Then I would cut an opening a few inches larger on each side than the channel width. That gives you an opening large enough to do the job, bed it in concrete, fill it up the sides with concrete and finish it off.
On 9/6/2009 6:19 AM snipped-for-privacy@optonline.net spake thus:
This is exactly where the channel is going. There are actually going to be two runs; one well above the garage across the driveway, upslope, which will definitely be driven over. The other one in front of the garage apron will probably never be driven over, as the garage is populated by woodworking tools. So I'm thinking the upper channel should be embedded in concrete, while the lower one could be placed on top of compacted soil and then backfilled w/concrete.
The manufacturer, by the way, recommends 4" of backfill on each side (for the Spee-D channel), so I think it's wise to follow this.
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