Can anyone give me the definition of a pipe relieving arch? The IRC code states that any pipe passing through a foundation or under a footing shall be provided with a relieving arch or a pipe sleeve 2 sizes bigger. I know about sleeing, but what’s a relieving arch?
Thanks,
Replies
Half of a larger pipe at the bottom of a footing.
We use to lay clay roof tiles in the bottom of a footing and pour over them. Haven't seen it done in 25+ years.
Dave
We usually put a 4" corrugated sleeve in the bottom of ours and pour over it for a water line sleeve. Would that be the same thing?
John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
http://www.lazarobuilders.com
John, the guy I worked for back then had a dumptruck load of those old Spanish clay roof tiles. We would jamb one into each side of a trench footing and the lay a third one over the two ends tha butted each other. we would drive a stake at the "arch" location and pour the footing and lay the foundation walls. The plumbers would use our arches for gas, water, and sewer lines going beneath the footing. All they had to do was dig down to the tile ends we jambed into the footing sides and slip thier pipe through. I always thought it was to reduce the labor/time it took to dig under the footing, but when I ask the builder, he said it was more to maintain an undisturbed footing base. He did not want the plumbers to undermine his footing, and create potential settling/break points. Most of his homes were block foundation wall for crawl spaces. He also did not want anyone knocking holes in his block for the same reason. Made sense to me then, and I guess that is what it is referring to in the IRC.
I would be more inclined to use plastic pipe, than corrugatted for a sleave or arch. Concrete will eat up most metal sleaves after a few years, and then start degrading any metal pipe it was protecting. Of course that is not as big an issue now, with almost everything going in, through, or under a footing or foundation is plastic now.
Dave
Dave,
I'm sorry I meant black plastic corrugated pipe.
Thanks for the input.John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
http://www.lazarobuilders.com
What? You've never seen one of the footing guys making a relieving arch into a footing hole?
Nope.
Well, I was more or less looking for the definition of a relieving arch. If what Dave and I are talking about is actually the definition( sleeve under the foundation), then we do it all the time with corrugated plastic pipe. If you have a differnet definition, then I'm all ears.
John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
http://www.lazarobuilders.com
Edited 12/8/2004 8:27 am ET by JOHN_LAZARO
You must have some pretty well-behaved workers, or else there are too many prying eyes around the jobsite all the time.