Pretty sure there are instruments to measure these sorts of slopes, pitches, grades what have you

[u/Current-Struggle-514]

[u/Accurate_Koala_4698]

I think they're built with correct grade but there's a different engineering problem. The ground will compact while a drainpipe won't so you get the cobbles shifting. as you can see in the picture, because the sublayer either got washed out, or wasn't compacted enough or something

[u/mon_key_house → u/Accurate_Koala_4698]

Yep, likely worked the first few rains / months / years and never since again.

[u/bobspuds → u/Accurate_Koala_4698]

There's a pretty obvious flaw in the way its done that not many people pick up on.

The storm drain bottom is a concrete box, its typically set in concrete too - the drain is the only part that has what you could call a foundation, everything else will settle and sink, while it will tend to stay pretty much where it was set.

The right hardcore/background and proper compacting of the grades will almost completely stop it from happening, but eventually it will become an issue.

I've rectified these issues a number of times, it tends to be after 50+ years that these issues might arise.

The actual big problems come when manholes and chambers settle differently - a system that was perfect might flow backwards if the difference is enough to effect the heights

[u/bionicjoe → u/Accurate_Koala_4698]

Grate is setting on a concrete culvert which is a wide base which setting on deep soil.
The backfill soil around the culvert settles, but the culvert itself doesn't.
So you get this pic.

[u/MagmaTroop → u/bionicjoe]

He just said allat bro settle down

[u/DunkeyColdMedina → u/Accurate_Koala_4698]

It's not that much of a grade, or water either. Look at the curb. Works fine.

[u/lazyfacejerk → u/Accurate_Koala_4698]

It's that the catch basin is set on a base of compacted soil and stays where it should. Everything around it wasn't compacted during construction and settles some. Then after a few years it looks like this.

[u/GoatCovfefe]

So the drain will be reinforced stronger than the rest of the road/sidewalk (because its a hole) which means it wont settle as quickly as the surrounding area causing issues like this.

Of course there's easy solutions to the problem like offsetting the grade to compensate, but cities typically go woth the lowest bidder so you get what you pay for.

[u/Jacktheforkie]

More likely the ground sunk but the pipe was sturdier

[u/MisterEd_ak → u/Jacktheforkie]

Yep, the surrounding paving settled but there is a concrete soakwell under the drain. which stops it from settling.

[u/Jacktheforkie → u/MisterEd_ak]

Common issue here in the uk

[u/Unindoctrinated]

Every floor drain in my house is like that. Water will flow out my front door before reaching the height of any of them.

[u/nephelodusa]

Grade: F

[u/MrsTheBo]

I looked at this for way too long wondering why part of the photo was blurry

[u/AndrewDaPro → u/MrsTheBo]

You mean light refraction?

[u/MrsTheBo → u/AndrewDaPro]

I just couldn’t see the water as water - my little brain couldn’t make sense of it, lol

[u/scottzxc]

That's the storm overflow inlet

[u/MagmaTroop → u/scottzxc]

Well done Sherlock

[u/Embarrassed_West_195]

My garage floor is like this.

[u/gent861]

They just added delay so the system wont get overflown. /s

[u/Slosher99]

My last landlord had his friend retile the shower and he installed a drain like this. Their solution was to pour bleach in there to keep the mildew from the water down...

[u/teddbe]

It’s not thirsty anymore

[u/WigglyChurro20]

They had one job:D

[u/brushfuse]

That would be considered good work in the UK. Thumbs up!

[u/Accomplished_Emu_658]

That wasn’t built that way intentionally. The walk way sunk

[u/KeegsBruH413]

This is a repost from the days I first started browsing reddit

[u/ebrum2010]

Sometimes you want the parking lot to flood to a very specific depth.

[u/chitzk0i]

You get less callbacks for clogged drains.

[u/wenoc]

What would firing them help

[u/No-Zookeepergame9761]

An artists idea of the Netherlands

[u/OkRelation7259]

Nobody is getting fired. They will be promoted out of the position and make similar mistakes at a higher level

[u/Direct_Concept8302]

This sort of thing honestly isn’t completely avoidable. Even if they compacted the soil around it depending on where the water goes it can end up washing dirt out from under the road. That’s why you end up with sinkholes, the water at some point forms an underground stream and just eats away at the soil under the road.
Water is called a universal solvent for a reason.

[u/Jealous_Club_298]

Yeah, leveling devices.

[u/JB2315]

P poor engineering using minimum grade requirements is what caused this mess.

[u/Foreign_Implement897]

I have two of them factory installed in my skull.

[u/BicuriousSissy32USA]

2026? That's a promotion, not getting fired.

[u/rageofa1000suns]

at least it won't need cleaning or unblocking

[u/Sirosim_Celojuma]

What's probably happening is the drain has a better foundation than the surrounding pavers. The pavers got compacted with use but the drain has a massive concrete foundation, so they settle at different rates.

[u/megared17]

It's intentional, to keep the sticks and leaves and other junk from clogging the grate. It still drains water that rises above the designated level. It's not intended to drain the area completely dry, it's intended for overflow.

[u/DarthCloakedGuy]

r/mildlyinfuriating

[u/Torqyboi]

That looks like a third world country. The fact that there's one at all is an achievement.