A brick septic tank is a reliable structure for your own treatment system. Of course, you can get by with ready-made plastic structures and install them on your site, but if you want to build a well to collect sewage for many years, then you should think about brickwork. Brick in construction is considered a proven, traditional material, and you can lay it yourself, which will significantly reduce overall costs. It is possible to build brick septic tanks of complex design, which will provide the necessary wastewater treatment under very high environmental requirements.
Types of septic tanks
In general, a septic tank is a well for collecting and disposing of wastewater and sewage. It is considered an obligatory element of its own sewerage system in a suburban area. According to the principle of arrangement, septic tanks can differ in design, from very simple to multi-chamber.
The following execution options are distinguished:
- Storage septic tank. It is a sealed well in which all sewage is collected, and as it fills, sewage pumping is carried out.
- Two-chamber septic tank. Typically used for runoff volumes up to 10-12 m³ per day. In such a system there are 2 chambers: for cleaning the drain and its filtration discharge.
- Three-chamber septic tank. It provides complete purification of sewage in 2 chambers, as well as filtration of discharge in the 3rd chamber.
The following basic requirements are imposed on the design of septic tanks:
- tightness of the walls, preventing the seepage of wastewater into the soil and groundwater;
- mechanical strength, ensuring resistance to soil movement, freezing and other loads;
- a sufficient volume capable of collecting all wastewater;
- top protection, preventing the spread of gases, vapors and unpleasant odors into the atmosphere;
- manufacturability, i.e. ease of construction;
- durability;
- the possibility of carrying out repair work inside the well.
Treatment septic tanks are additionally required to be resistant to chemicals, and filter wells must have an effective bottom natural filter.
Why is brick chosen?
Despite the high labor intensity of brickwork, a do-it-yourself brick septic tank finds many admirers, which is facilitated by the expanded capabilities of such construction and versatility. The popularity of brick is ensured by its following advantages:
- Availability and reasonable cost, as well as the possibility of using used material.
- High strength, ensuring reliability and durability of the structure.
- The ability to do the masonry yourself, which significantly reduces costs.
- Versatility. With the help of brickwork, almost any well scheme can be created (both simple storage and multi-chamber of any complexity).
- Manufacturability, making it possible to use standard sealants with high efficiency.
- Possibility of constructing a well of any capacity, size and shape (round, rectangular, polygonal).
The main disadvantages of brickwork are increased labor intensity and the need to apply protective covers with increased waterproofing properties. Without surface finishing of a brick wall, direct contact with water and harmful components of wastewater gradually destroys the material. Most often, direct contact with an aggressive environment is eliminated using plaster.
When building a brick septic tank, it is important to choose the right type of material. The most common option is ordinary red brick. It meets the requirements, but its durability is about 14-16 years, and during operation it requires periodic inspection to assess the condition of the walls. You should not use white sand-lime brick, because... in direct contact with water it will not last long. Of course, reliable protection increases its performance, but then constant monitoring of its integrity is necessary.
Clay clinker bricks can be considered an ideal material for the construction of septic tanks. It practically does not absorb moisture and has very high strength. There is no point in covering it with a protective cladding. The only drawback is the high cost, but the significantly increased service life covers the costs.
Choosing a septic tank location
During the construction of any septic tank, incl. and brick, it is necessary to comply with sanitary standards establishing minimum distances to vital objects and public places. When designing your own wastewater system, drawings of the entire site and surrounding areas must be taken into account.
Current regulatory documents establish the following requirements for the placement of septic tanks:
- The distance from the fence of the neighboring area must be at least 1 m.
- A distance from 5 to 20 m to a residential building is allowed, depending on the type of building, soil composition and terrain.
- The source of drinking water (well, borehole) must be removed at a distance of 30-50 m, taking into account the composition of the soil (soil permeability, proximity to groundwater).
In addition to the standards for distance from objects, the standard for proximity to groundwater occurrence must be taken into account. The bottom of the septic tank should not fall closer than 0.9-1.1 m to the groundwater level.
What is taken into account when designing
The choice of septic tank design is based on the volume of runoff and environmental requirements in the area. A storage (single-chamber) septic tank is suitable if it is necessary to dispose of waste within 1-2 m³ per day. If the discharge intensity does not exceed 1 m³ per day, then you can install a filtering, single-chamber septic tank (without bottom sealing, but with a bottom filter).
Two-chamber septic tanks made of brick are built with a sewer discharge of no more than 10 m³ per day. This design is most widespread in suburban areas and when installing sewerage in a private house. A three-chamber version with a full cleaning cycle is required when the flow exceeds 10 m³ per day or in the presence of increased environmental requirements (protection zones). In this case, biological treatment of sewage is mandatory, which leads to a more complex system.
The capacity of the septic tank is determined by the daily flow and depends on the number of permanent residents. It is generally accepted that each resident needs about 200 liters of water per day, i.e. The discharge should be estimated at about 0.2 m³ per day. The volume of the receiving septic tank is calculated based on 3-4 daily water consumption by residents. For example, if a family of 4 people permanently resides, the minimum volume of the septic tank will be 2.5-3.2 m³.
Construction planning stage
The initial stage of construction of a brick septic tank includes the design stage, selection and preparation of a site for construction, and digging a pit. After assessing the future flow and calculating the required volume, standard drawings of septic tanks with the required number of chambers are selected or developed.
The first stage of construction begins with digging a pit. The shape of the septic tank pit can be rectangular (square) or cylindrical. The rectangular option makes it possible to place all (2-3) chambers in one building, which are separated from each other by a brick partition. In this case, one pit of the appropriate size is dug.
The cylindrical shape implies the construction of separate septic tanks, which are connected to each other by pipes with a slope. For such a system, several round holes are dug in close proximity to each other.
Preparation for construction also includes marking supply lines and digging trenches for pipes. The trenches must have the required slope to ensure an inclined arrangement of sewer pipes for gravity flow of liquid.
Construction stages
The actual construction of a septic tank begins with the arrangement of the bottom. The filter well has a bottom in the form of layers of sand and crushed stone at least 30 cm thick. The remaining septic tanks must have a sealed bottom, which is formed in the following order. First, a cushion of crushed stone 10-15 cm thick is poured, on top of which waterproofing made of roofing felt and a reinforcing layer in the form of a lattice of steel rods with a diameter of 8-12 mm are laid. The sealed floor is made in the form of a concrete screed 12-15 cm thick.
Sometimes the floor of the septic tank is made of brick. In this case, a cement-sand mortar 3-5 cm thick is applied over the reinforcement. The floor is laid out in 1 or 2 layers of brick, protected with waterproofing material. The bottom is finally formed by plastering with a cement-sand composition with the addition of liquid glass.
The brick wall is laid in the usual ordinary way. Cylindrical septic tanks most often have a wall thickness of 25 cm. For a rectangular design, 12 cm is sufficient. A cement-sand mortar is used as a binder in a ratio of 1 to 3 based on M400 cement. It is recommended to add 250 ml of liquid glass for every 10 liters of solution, which increases the water resistance of the composition. The rows in the masonry are connected in a checkerboard pattern, i.e. the seam between the bricks of the bottom row falls in the middle of the top brick.
The brick wall of the septic tank must have reliable waterproofing not only outside, but also inside. The inner surface is coated with a primer and then plaster is applied.
Reliable waterproofing is provided in the gap between the wall and the ground. To do this, the outer surface of the masonry is covered with bitumen, on top of which roofing felt is laid. Protective properties increase when creating a clay castle. It is formed by pouring clay mortar into the gap with a seal. The thickness of such a layer should be at least 10 cm.
The top cover of the septic tank is usually ensured by laying a reinforced concrete well slab with a hatch with a diameter of 70-90 cm. It is best to use a ready-made slab, but you can make it yourself. A homemade ceiling is made of concrete 12-15 cm thick with mandatory reinforcement with steel rods with a diameter of 10-14 mm, laid in the form of a grid. After installing the ceiling, the joining seam is carefully sealed. The hatch must have a lid with a tight fit, and no smell should spread through it.
A brick septic tank, despite the labor-intensive manufacturing process, is widely used, captivating with its reliability. The durability of such wells increases significantly when using clinker bricks. Experience in operating brick septic tanks proves that excess costs when building your own sewer system are then paid off by its long-term and trouble-free operation.
How to make an inexpensive but effective septic tank yourself? To solve this problem, you can use several types of materials - reinforced concrete structures, plastic containers and even steel barrels. But they often forget about classic brick, which, due to its technical characteristics, is well suited for the construction of a wastewater treatment plant. Each technology has its own little secrets, and the construction of a brick septic tank is no exception.
The choice of brick as the main building material for the construction of a septic tank has good reasons. For construction, you can use not only new, but also so-called collapsible.
When buildings are dismantled, a lot of good brick remains, which costs an order of magnitude cheaper than new ones. But this is only part of the benefits.
In addition, a brick septic tank has the following positive characteristics:
- availability of manufacturing materials;
- possibility of stage-by-stage work. This can be important when building on your own. It is not always possible to allocate 4-5 days in a row;
- construction does not require special machines - cranes and excavators.
The properties of the brick allow it to be used in aggressive biological environments – sewage waste.
At the same time, it will not lose its qualities, will retain its integrity and will serve as reliable protection against the penetration of untreated wastewater into the upper layers of soil on the site.
The design of the future septic tank depends on the sewerage parameters - the daily volume of wastewater, the frequency of its receipt and the number of people living in the house.
Photo: diagram of a brick-lined septic tank
In the vast majority of cases, self-made septic tanks require additional cleaning of clarified sewage waste. To do this, they make either a well or a soil tertiary treatment well.
For a small summer cottage, the latter is preferable, as it takes up much less space. However, its construction requires a lot of effort and money.
To calculate, you can take the average water consumption for 1 person - 200 liters. The volume of the septic tank should exceed this volume by 3 times. Those. if 3 people live in a house, then the minimum volume of the treatment plant must be at least 3 * 200 * 3 = 1800 l or 1.58 m³
Depending on the required degree of purification, one, two or 3-chamber structures can be built.
Single chamber
They take up little space, but at the same time they cannot provide the necessary degree of cleaning. Their design is simple - just build the outer walls at the calculated depth.
Photo: single-chamber septic tank For this model, it is necessary to install an additional container for storage or additional purification of clarified water. This could be the same design, only with a gravel and sand filter instead of a cement bottom.
Double chamber
These are more difficult to construct septic tanks. The internal space is divided by a brick wall in which two overflow holes are installed.
Photo: two-chamber septic tank The entire mass of clarified water enters the second chamber through the lower overflow pipe in the wall. The upper pipe serves to prevent overflow of the receiving chamber in the event of a large volume of volley discharge of wastewater.
Important! During construction, it is necessary to take into account that each chamber must be equipped with an inspection well. With their help, accumulated solid sediment will be pumped out. This design can achieve up to 60% waste treatment.
Three-chamber
Brick septic tanks consisting of 3 chambers are erected much less frequently. They can take up a lot of space, but at the same time they will provide an optimal percentage of waste clarification.
Photo: three-chamber septic tank During the design process, it is necessary to divide the structure according to the following ratios to the total volume:
- receiving chamber – 50%;
- anaerobic purification chamber – 30%;
- output compartment - 20%.
With this ratio of septic tank containers, systematic filtration of waste, its decomposition under influence and final cleaning will occur.
How they work
Photo: ventilation pipe installation A reinforced concrete slab is installed as the top floor. It must have holes for installing sewer hatches. Their number and location are determined by the design.
After this, polymer pipes are installed and the external sewer pipe is connected. The septic tank is ready for use.
Photo: closed finished septic tank Construction cost
It is difficult to determine the final cost of construction for a brick septic tank.
To do this, it is necessary to take into account the main factors:
- building material and its quantity;
- attracting builders to carry out the work.
On average, with a completely independent construction of a two-chamber structure from new brick, the cost of a septic tank can be from 8,000 to 12,000 rubles.
Self-construction of a brick septic tank is a difficult task, but quite feasible. Considering its relatively low cost, the benefits will be obvious.
The main thing is compliance with construction norms and rules and compliance of the characteristics of the future structure with the loads of the sewer system.
Factory-made plastic containers, ready-made reinforced concrete rings. But they forget that you can make a septic tank out of brick with your own hands - and completely in vain. After all, for such construction you will not have to purchase expensive materials, but you can get by with the remains of bricks after dismantling a building.
Using bricks you can achieve excellent results in the construction of an autonomous sewer system, since its advantages include the following:
- accessibility - it will not be difficult to purchase a brick: its cost will be affordable in any area;
- A brick septic tank is durable and reliable, designed for long-term operation;
- bricklaying does not require unique tools or specific knowledge - the technology is easy to implement;
- All models of septic tanks without exception can be made of brick - both open without pumping and sealed;
- With the help of bricks, you can make wells of any shape and size, which allows you to fit a septic tank into the existing area, regardless of its area.
However, brick is not characterized by high insulating properties, and therefore the material will have to be additionally protected from external influences. In addition, the process of erecting brick structures, although simple, is labor-intensive and costly in terms of time resources.
Existing types of septic tanks
Do-it-yourself brick sewer can be 2 types of septic tanks:
- without pumping (open)— suitable for soils with good permeability, but not designed for high daily loads;
- sealed- necessary in conditions of strict compliance with sanitary standards or if the soil of the site has poor drainage ability.
Septic tanks are also classified by the number of chambers (the degree of wastewater treatment depends on this):
Interesting to know, We have already talked about this.
How to design a brick septic tank - basic regulatory recommendations
A correctly designed do-it-yourself brick septic tank diagram is a drawing of a structure delimited into sections in the following percentage of the total volume (if we are talking about a 3-chamber septic tank):
- 50% - receiving chamber;
- 30% - anaerobic treatment chamber;
- 20% is output capacity.
The given ratio allows for high-quality filtration of waste, its bacterial decomposition and final purification. Although it must be said that this is often neglected and containers are made of the same size.
To calculate the volume of the tank, you will need information about the amount of wastewater produced by those living in the house. Of course, this can be calculated practically, but more often calculations are still performed using regulatory information.
It is believed that each person produces 200 liters of liquid waste per day. It turns out that 5 family members living in the same house will “add” about 1 cubic meter of liquid to the septic tank every day.
Volume about 1 cubic. meters can be disposed of using a septic tank without a bottom, for which forced pumping is not performed. The easiest way to build a brick septic tank without pumping is by yourself.
A two-chamber septic tank made of brick for a private house or cottage is optimal if the sewage flow is 1-5 cubic meters per day, and if the drainage is more than 10 cubic meters, then specific complex solutions are required that must be implemented by specialists.
Important: Regardless of the type of sump, the volume of the chamber must exceed the daily discharge of sewage water three times.
Regulatory restrictions are also imposed on the placement of septic tank chambers on the site. According to sanitary and hygienic standards, the following is required:
- the distance from the foundation of a residential building to the wastewater chamber is 5-20 m;
- from any outbuilding - more than 1 meter;
- the septic tank is not carried to the neighboring site, and therefore more than 1 meter must remain from the fence;
- the nearest source of drinking water is about 50 meters.
Important: When designing, do not forget to take into account the peculiarities of the climate - after all, during periods of floods or heavy precipitation (rain), the drainage properties of soils deteriorate very sharply.
What materials and tools are needed?
To build a brick one you will need:
- brick;
- cement - grade not lower than M400;
- sewer hatches for each compartment;
- bitumen mastic to protect bricks from external influences;
- 10 mm steel rods for reinforcement (if a sealed structure is being made).
For the construction of sewerage in a private house, brick is chosen solid clay brick, since this material is the most resistant to aggressive sewer environments. But even this requires additional protection in the form of a layer of mastic.
As for the necessary tools, their list is as follows:
- for measurements - plumb line, building level, tape measure;
- trowel for applying the solution;
- hammer;
- bayonet and flat shovels for excavation work;
- container for mixing the solution - the larger it is, the faster the work will be completed.
Brick septic tank
After building and finishing his wooden house, each owner is faced with the question of creating amenities for a comfortable stay in it. And if electricity and water are a standard set of communications, then such a pleasure as a centralized sewerage system is extremely rare. This issue cannot be treated negligently, because if the work is not organized correctly when laying a sewer system with your own hands, there is a risk of polluting your land.
Now building a septic tank is not particularly difficult due to the large number of options for its construction. But no matter what steps progress takes forward, the most reliable and universal way is to build a brick septic tank with your own hands.
Why brick, you ask? After all, there are lighter options (for example, from Eurocubes). Yes, because only brick gives complete freedom of action and a lot of possibilities for designing your autonomous treatment system.
Scheme (drawing) of a brick septic tank
Advantages:
- Availability and low cost of bricks.
- Durability and reliability.
- Ease of construction.
- A large number of construction options.
- Versatility. Brick can be made either sealed or without pumping.
- Ability to complete all work alone.
- Practicality. Brick not only makes it possible to make the required volume, but also does not limit you in the form of construction (square, round, etc.), which is very useful when there is limited space for construction.
Flaws:
- The need for additional protection of bricks from harmful influences.
- Labor-intensive construction process.
A little theory and numbers about a septic tank for a private home
First, you should decide on the type of future sump.
If the house is built on soil with poor soil permeability or you simply care about the cleanliness of the environment, then you should choose a sealed sump.
And in cases where the drainage capacity of the soil and sanitary standards allow, you can get by with a more economical option for a septic tank without pumping. It is also preferable when the daily waste load is small.
If the planned volumes exceed 10 m 3 /day, a more careful approach to the removal of such amounts of sewage is required (it is advisable to contact specialists and it is better to choose the option of a septic tank made of concrete rings).
In both cases, the working volume should be at least 2.5 - 3 times the daily amount of wastewater.
Also, do not forget about sanitary standards when building with your own hands. There are the following number of restrictions:
- It is prohibited to be located on the outskirts of your land plot (at least 1 m from its boundary).
- In close proximity to a residential building. From 5 to 20m depending on the characteristics of the soil and building.
- In the vicinity (from 20 to 50m) from drinking sources, wells, etc.
- Above groundwater min 80-100 cm.
It is worth noting that these prohibitions mostly apply to settling tanks without a bottom.
Note: it is worth remembering that during periods of heavy rainfall and floods, the absorbency of the soil becomes lower.
From words to deeds
How to make a septic tank from brick? Having weighed all of the above and made the necessary calculations, let’s move on to land matters. Or rather, digging a pit for future sewerage. The shape can be arbitrary, the main thing here is to maintain the required volume and take into account the complexity of subsequent brick laying.
Advice: those that will drain wastewater from the house must have a diameter of at least 100mm. Their depth is below the soil freezing level, and have a slope of 1 to 3 cm/meter of pipe (depending on the diameter).
The pit for such a sump can be common to both of its chambers. If the septic tank is solid, which is preferable.
So it will consist of several pits, which will subsequently be connected by pipes. Applicable when it is not possible to dig a pit of the required volume. The septic tank chambers will be separate and may have different shapes.
Brick laying
The type of installation of the septic tank will further depend on the type you choose. But in any of the options for the sump it is worth using only solid clay bricks due to its greater stability and reliability. Also, do not neglect additional means of protection (for example: mastic).
Advice: devices around the outer wall of a clay castle of 20-30cm will have a beneficial effect on its waterproofing and filtering abilities.
- Septic tank without bottom (without pumping). A 20-30 cm layer of sand or crushed stone is placed at the bottom of the pit. Advice: at this stage, to improve the drainage capabilities of the septic tank, you can drill several wells with a diameter of 50-100 mm, insert plastic or asbestos pipes into them and fill them with large crushed stone from the inside (to avoid siltation). The first chamber should have ¾ of the total volume of the septic tank and is laid out in a continuous brick-to-brick pattern. The walls of the second section of the sump are laid out with a gap of 1/3 of the length of the brick (it turns out like a simple one, but with a filtration system).
This method allows for maximum sewage drainage efficiency, but can negatively affect the soil and groundwater in the area.
- Sealed. In this case, at the bottom of the pit, after the sand cushion, a foundation is formed (minimum 30 cm) which is reinforced (see foundation reinforcement). After it hardens, brick laying begins. The minimum thickness of the walls of such a septic tank should be 25 cm, and the partitions between the chambers should be 12 cm. For more reliable sealing and protection of bricks, after the walls are built, they should be treated with mastic.
To drain wastewater from such a sump, it is necessary to equip a network of special drainage pipes, or equip it with an additional filter well.
Photo report of construction
Laying plastic sewer pipes to the septic tank
Digging a pit
Brick wall laying
This is what a brick sump laying looks like
groundwater appeared
absorption well made from old tires
top view of the absorption well
Walls of the second compartment
Well, this is how the septic tank turned out
Covered with concrete screed
The final stage of work
The last thing left to do is shut off the septic tank.
In the case of a brick septic tank without a bottom, it will be enough to cover it with a board, additionally insulate it with roofing felt, and sprinkle it with earth. The pumping hatch can be abandoned as unnecessary.
For a sealed sump, reinforced concrete slabs or concrete screed are suitable. It is desirable that the surface of this septic tank protrudes slightly above the ground so that moisture from outside does not flow into it. Do not forget to build a ventilation pipe to remove harmful fumes from the compartments. And also make a hatch for pumping out sewage. As an alternative to the hatch, you can make another pipe with a diameter of 100 mm (this is the diameter required for sewage disposal machines) which will be 10-15 cm higher than the bottom of the septic tank, which will subsequently serve for pumping out waste.
- The drain pipe from the house to the septic tank should not be fixed too rigidly, otherwise there is a risk of damage to it due to soil shifts.
- To save money, you can use used bricks.
- To simplify the closure of a sealed septic tank, you can bring only one pipe to the surface (required<100мм) которая будет выполнять функции и вентиляции и трубы для откачки.
There are several ways to set up a local treatment plant on site. To solve this problem, you can use concrete rings, cast a monolithic structure, or purchase a ready-made plastic container. However, one of the most affordable options is a brick septic tank. If you have experience working with classic bricks, you should not have much difficulty during construction. Nevertheless, there are some nuances, without knowledge of which the construction of a septic tank for domestic wastewater will turn into a rather difficult task. Using the recommendations given in this article, you will learn how to lay out a septic tank and properly organize activities for its arrangement.
Even taking into account the rapid development of new technologies in the field of construction, brick is still one of the most common materials used in the construction of various objects. Among its main advantages are reasonable price and excellent performance characteristics. And if there is a brick structure on your site that has been waiting for a long time to be dismantled, then you can save even more on material - old brick is quite suitable for constructing a septic tank.
To lay out a septic tank, it is not necessary to use new brick
Other advantages of using bricks in the construction of a sump are:
- reliability and durability of the structure;
- ease of installation;
- freedom to choose the shape of the septic tank;
- performing work without the use of lifting equipment.
The disadvantages of brickwork include the length of the process, especially when it comes to a large wastewater treatment plant. You will also need additional waterproofing of the walls - the septic tank must be absolutely sealed so that untreated wastewater cannot penetrate into the ground. However, if time is not the main criterion for you, then you can turn a blind eye to these shortcomings.
Design diagram
Structurally, septic tanks for private households differ in the number of treatment chambers. The more chambers, the higher the percentage of water purification, but also the more complex the design.
- Single-chamber. They are used for small volumes of wastewater (up to 1 m³). Such settling tanks are often used in summer cottages that are not intended for permanent residence.
- Two-chamber. More complex designs capable of processing up to 10 cubic meters of waste. Inside the septic tank there is a brick partition with two overflow holes.
- Three-chamber. Such structures are rarely used in private households due to their bulkiness. However, they provide the highest percentage of water purification.
Scheme of a two-chamber septic tank made of brick
Clinker or sand-lime brick
Even people who have only a vague understanding of the construction industry know that there are two types of bricks - red and white. So which one is better to build a septic tank from? To understand this issue, you should know the composition and production technology of each type.
Red (clinker) brick is made from special clay, which is subsequently fired to obtain the necessary strength and wear resistance. This material is widely used in construction - from the construction of load-bearing and self-supporting walls to the installation of foundations.
White (silicate) brick is made using the autoclave method from quartz sand and air lime. It has many advantages (environmentally friendly, frost resistance, sound insulation), but has poor water resistance, so it is not used in the construction of foundations and sewer sumps.
Conclusion. For the construction of a septic tank, it is necessary to use exclusively clinker bricks. Silicate is not suitable for such purposes.
It is not advisable to use sand-lime brick for arranging a septic tank due to the fragility of such a design
How to properly lay out a brick septic tank
If you decide to build a brick septic tank with your own hands, then during the construction process follow the recommendations given below.
Pit preparation
The location of the pit is selected depending on the location of construction and natural objects on the site. There should be at least 5 m to a residential building, and 30-50 m to a natural water supply source (well, borehole). It is better to build a septic tank not far from the road. It is advisable that the distance to the roadway does not exceed 5 m - this is the length that the corrugated hose of a sewer truck usually has. Also, do not place the septic tank in close proximity to the neighbor’s fence. To avoid conflicts, it is better to retreat 2-3 meters.
The size and depth of the pit must correspond to the dimensions of the future structure. In this case, it is necessary to provide a small horizontal margin in order to be able to waterproof the walls of the septic tank from the outside.
Pit for a brick septic tank
Bottom device
Before laying the walls for the septic tank, you should carefully prepare the base. To do this you need:
- Level the bottom of the hole and cover it with a layer of crushed stone (20 cm) and then sand (50 cm).
- Compact and moisten the bottom generously.
- Pour the first layer of concrete 10-15 cm thick.
- Mount reinforcing mesh on top in increments of up to 60 cm.
- Fill the structure with a second layer of concrete.
- Wait until the foundation hardens completely (5-10 days).
Note. The final thickness of the concrete base must be at least 30 cm.
Wastewater treatment plant foundation
Masonry and sealing of walls
To arrange the walls you will need the following materials and tools:
- clinker brick;
- M400 cement and sand for mortar;
- bitumen mastic;
- trowel;
- bushhammer;
- building level;
- container for preparing the solution.
The septic tank is laid out of brick according to the chosen scheme - with one, two or three chambers. It is imperative to provide openings for inlet/outlet pipes and overflow pipes. The surface is sealed with bitumen mastic from the outside. From the inside, the walls are treated with cement-sand mortar.
Two-chamber brick sewer sump
Floor construction
The ceiling can be made from a ready-made reinforced concrete slab or cast it yourself. Each chamber is provided with a hole for a hatch and a ventilation outlet.
Advice. The ventilation device is carried out using a polymer or asbestos pipe.
After the main construction work has been completed, the entire structure is covered with clay. Why clay? Unlike sand, this material has excellent water-resistant properties, so it will additionally protect the septic tank from the effects of precipitation and groundwater.
Clay castle for septic tank
In order to properly lay out a brick septic tank, in addition to construction aspects, the following nuances should be taken into account.
- The volume of the sump is calculated in such a way that it can accommodate wastewater produced in 3 days (on average, one person produces 200 liters of wastewater per day).
- The minimum volume of the receiving chamber must be at least 1 m³. In the case of a two-chamber design, the receiving compartment occupies 75% of the total volume of the septic tank.
- The supply sewer pipe is located 0.5 m above the overflow hole.
- The depth of the sump cannot be less than 1.2 m, but should not exceed 3 m, so as not to complicate the cleaning process. In this case, the groundwater level must be at least 1 meter from the bottom of the chamber.
- The brick treatment plant can be made in either a square or round shape. There is no fundamental difference between them.
Round brick septic tank
By completing the preparatory work, taking into account all the recommendations, and correctly laying out the brick septic tank, you will receive a reliable treatment facility that will perform its function for many years. If this process seems too labor-intensive for you, then you can turn to specialists and thus save time and save yourself from large physical costs.