Can any one help? I want to pump water into perforated pipes at the bottom of a 6" surfaces so that the water is held and the surfaces remains moist. I have found pipes that are holes at the top or holes at the bottom and established I need the holes at the bottom. Do I need more than one entry point for the water? I am covering an area of 1200 sq M and cant get my mind around how the water will get any further than the first few meters of pipe and simply flow out there! I need it to cover the whole area evenly.
I am going to line the base with industrial pond liner to retain the water and stop it soaking down into the ground, place all pipes and then lay the surface material over. Will I need to dig trenches to put the pipes in? I am hoping not.
there are specific drip feed systems for watering plants etc, have specific sized holes in pipes to allow water to drip out at a specific rate, using 4 inch perforated pipe would be ok but will require a large pump and laying the pipes in a ring format to keep the flow going round them rather than just accumulating in the first part of the pipe like you said. if there is no surface there you can lay they then carefully lay the surface over.
there are a few companies offering similar systems for sand schools for horses, keeps the riding surface at a specific humidity. but they are ridiculously expensive, whats it for?
Giles
Groundworks and Equestrian specialists, prestige new builds and sports pitches. High Peak, Cheshire, South Yorkshire area.
Its for an Indoor Riding arena, I put in overheads some ten years ago but they are not doing it effectively. I want the water to soak from the bottom up so that the underneath of the surface is completely stable.
It should also be more cost effective because once the water has been run under the surface to whatever level I chose to fill it to, then I wont need to add more water for ages, except occasionally as it evaporates a bit - also I can adjust the 'going' if I put in an exit water pipe through a chamber with a 'stop gate' of some description in it I can lower the level of the water or increase the level to adjust the surface accordingly.
At the moment I keep watering it, only to find it has hardly penetrated the surface at all and the underneath is still soft and mobile. I am on a water meter to so that doesnt help. Hence I have decided to chuck the whole lot out, lay liner/pipes and put in new sand surface, totally soak it with water from the river initially, then top up as required from mains, thereafter it will be like a beach!
I have all the theory and have worked it all out (mostly) its just a couple of technical details to work through now and then get a digger!!
I looked at 'leaky pipes' but I want the bottom of my surface to 'sit' in 3" to 4" of water constantly and with 'leaky pipe' I think I will have to run water into it and 'manage' it to much.
3 years ago i worked on towerlands in braintree in essex,sand school was 100m*120m a german company did it,
dug out, and made a raised soil edge approx 300mm high, covered it with pond liner and sealed it to make 100%water tight,laid perforated pipe up and down in lines and linked togher,filled half full with water, filled with silica sand and geotextile chips ,pipe connected to a lagoon to allow water to drain away, but in dry times the water is pumped back in reverse from lagoon to keep sand moist buy automatic pumps and moisture readings ,i have some pics about some where,
message me if you need anymore info or call me MSH
Thats fantastic!! I am half hour from Towerlands and go to their shows all the time. I am basing my system on a friends indoor and outdoor arenas in Holland, (the Dutch and Germans are streets ahead of us!) he said it is really very simple and not expensive. He has also sent me drawings but I want to get it all clear in my mind before I try and explain how I want it done to any men I may need to help me ..... otherwise I will just get that whole 'teeth sucking and head scratching' procedure they are all proficient in just before they suck in some air and say 'it wont be cheap' ! The only thing I dont need is the lagoon because I wont have extra water from rainfall to 'drain off'.
I will try to message you, but only just joined this forum yesterday so not sure how to do it yet, also what does MSH mean?
