Soil piping is a condition where the inflow or outflow of water from a stormwater control measure does not take the intended path through the installed inlets, outlets, or drainage system. Typically, we will see water flowing around a pipe or through a compromise somewhere along the run of the pipe. This situation almost always results in erosion of the surrounding area. As the water flows out and around the pipe, it takes sediment with it and creates a void in the area.

Soil piping can be noticed by observing sinkholes where you know a pipe is buried underground. There are often sediment deposits downstream usually collected by a dissipater or plunge pool. These are a result of the erosion created by the soil piping condition. You can confirm a compromise by physically seeing large separations or compromising in pipe by using a camera system. Larger pipes can be walked or crawled.

In this project, pictured below, the compromise was two separated joints in the RCP outlet pipe. These pipes are installed in sections and sometimes they can settle overtime which results in the connections between pipes becoming loose. The fix is to excavate down to the pipes and establish the connection so there are no longer voids or compromises. In this case we poured a concrete collar around the repaired areas for extra stability. Finally, the area is put back together and stabilized with seed and straw.

If you have issues with soil piping on your SCM’s or need assistance with stormwater management, please contact us today to discuss your project. Our compliance repair team has years of experience and is ready to assist in getting your device in passing condition today.