"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
I have a sloping down double driveway and when we get heavy rains it
looks like a waterfall. At the bottom and off to the side I installed
a drain box and connected a tube that runs around the house into the
backyard. It works well and carries off the water quickly---no more
problems. I clean out the box once a year--usually about an inch of
dirt collects there. You can do something similar. Look at the
driveway edge and find the wettest area during a rain storm---that's
where you want to install the drain box. The problem with putting in
a grate is that some women have narrow high-heel spikes.


On Tue, 1 Aug 2006 09:11:02 -0600, "James \"Cubby\" Culbertson"
wrote:

Hiya Folks,
I live in the arid SW although recently it's feeling more like Ireland
these
days! Anyway, my house is at the end of a sloping (down) driveway. The
driveway is made of 8" or so of crusher run compacted. Anyway, with the
increased rains this year, the water is just running down the drive and
pooling at the edge of the house and a new adobe wall I constructed (water
+
Adobe = Not Good). So I'm looking for ideas to keep this water away.
I'm
able to divert it to the west side of the drive and create a large dry
well
easily enough. I was thinking of digging a trench across the driveway
approx. 18" wide by say 12" deep at the east end and sloping pretty
significantly down as it moves west towards the dry well. I was thinking
of pouring a 6" footer slab in the trench with 5" walls on either side,
put
a notch in the tops of these walls and putting in grating. My thoughts
are
I'd catch the water running down the drive and divert it to the dry well.
Any thoughts on this approach? I'm not sure if a 6" footer and 5" walls
are enough for vehicular traffic or even if this is a viable idea. A
french
drain is not an option. The rains fall heavy and the water is just
surface
water that flows quickly. Should I be thinking about creating a "web"
if
you will by pouring supports between the two walls (obviously with a pipe
through it )? Something like this (looking from above):

Before you start building forms, check out the prefab drains at your local
concrete specialty products dealer. They have those in plastic and slotted
galavinized culvert pipe now. With whatever you use, I would plan on at
least a couple of feet paved up top, to reduce gravel being washed in.

aem sends...