Research from the national estate agent, Keller Williams UK, reveals how many hometown properties some of the best-paid English Premier League footballers could afford to buy with their annual salary. It is no secret that Premiership footballers are extremely well remunerated for their work and talent and, as we’ve seen
CONSTRUCTION company Stepnell says that after a year of consolidation and planned improvement, the contractor has experienced a strong start to the financial year with a good level of orders secured for 2021/22 across its regions. The complete construction partner has reported a turnover of £104 million and increased net
Pupils in south east Edinburgh have started the new term in the new Frogston Primary School following the completion of works by Will Rudd Davidson (Edinburgh), consulting engineers. The new two-story building, designed by architect Holmes Miller, also offers great outdoor spaces to promote outdoor learning and a love of
People tend to cross bridges as quickly as possible; because you never know. Experts even have a term for this phenomenon: gephyrophobia or “bridge anxiety”. Yet these valley-spanning structures are true expressions of supreme engineering skill, as illustrated by the new Aftetal bridge in North Rhine-Westphalia. It’s a common enough
The classification, first introduced in 2019, highlights companies and investment funds listed on the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market or on AIM that are driving the global green economy. To qualify for the Green Economy Mark, an issuer must generate 50% or more of its total annual revenues from products
Innovation initiative targets diversity-focussed companies in latest recruiting round to help drive development of UK SMEs Of the Innovation Accelerator’s third cohort, two of the five SMEs have female CEOs or founders, and three have BAME CEOs or founders HS2 Ltd has launched a new phase in the development of
The Concrete Centre’s annual student Structural Concrete competition, in partnership with Laing O’Rourke, has been won by Ashley Andersen from the University of Surrey. The 2021 competition challenge for teams of engineering students was to design a civic centre comprising a library and council offices in a new garden town in the north west
Faulty or overflowing septic tanks can be a horrible sight for homeowners. Usually, septic tanks are buried deep under the ground, and you’ll probably don’t even notice its presence until you see some unusual signs. There are a couple of signs that are associated with septic tank issues: Gurgling/Bubbling sounds
Research from the national estate agent, Keller Williams UK, reveals how many hometown properties some of the best-paid English Premier League footballers could afford to buy with their annual salary. It is no secret that Premiership footballers are extremely well remunerated for their work and talent and, as we’ve seen this summer with big transfers for the likes of Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish, when players hit peak form, clubs will pay extraordinary sums to get them on the books. But what does a young man do with such vast amounts of money? The answer for many is property investment, often seen as an easy and reliable way of creating a legacy income for themselves once their playing days are over. Where better than their hometowns so they can combine visiting their family with managing their potential future buy-to-let portfolio. With this in mind, Keller Williams has analysed the salaries of English players and compared them to the average house price in their respective hometowns to work out exactly how many property investments each player could make in a single year. At the very top of this list, the player who can afford to buy the most hometown homes, is England’s sweetheart, Jack Grealish. Following a bumper transfer to Manchester City, Grealish now earns a base annual salary of £15.6 million. He was born in Birmingham where the average house price is currently £205,615. This means that Grealish could buy 76 hometown houses with his annual pay packet, more than any other player on the list by quite a distance. Second is Jordan Henderson, Liverpool’s no-nonsense captain who earns £7.3 million each year. He was born in Sunderland where the average home cost £127,857 which means Henderson could buy 57 properties with a single year’s salary. Marcus Rashford is third on the list. Widely praised for his vital work off the pitch, Rashford is also a handsomely paid athlete with an annual salary from Manchester United of £10.4 million. Born and raised in Manchester where the average house price is £196,333, he could buy 53 hometown homes each year. Next is another Manchester United player, Harry Maguire, who earns £8.5 million a year. He was born in Sheffield where the average house price is currently £184,701. This means Maguire could buy 46 hometown homes every year. And then there’s Jordan Pickford, England’s animated man between the sticks. He plays for Everton where he is currently paid £5.2 million. Like Jordan Henderson, Pickford is from Sunderland where the average house price is £127,857. This means he could buy 41 hometown homes with a single year’s earnings. An interesting point of note is Harry Kane. The England and Tottenham Hotspur captain is one of the most high-profile and successful goal scorers in world football, currently earning £10.4 million a year. Despite this, Kane is placed towards the very bottom of the list, below many players who earn half of his salary. This is because Kane was born in Waltham Forest, an expensive borough in North East London where the average house price is £487,133. This means he could buy just 21 hometown homes with a year’s earnings, less than a third of Jack Grealish. Still, not too shabby for a potential property portfolio. Table shows how many homes each player could purchase in their home town at the current average house price Player Team Annual salary Hometown AveHP – May 2021 Number of ave homes per year Jack Grealish MCFC £15,600,000 Birmingham £205,615 76 Jordan Henderson LFC £7,280,000 Sunderland £127,857 57 Marcus Rashford MUFC £10,400,000 Manchester £196,333 53 Harry Maguire MUFC £8,464,300 Sheffield £184,701 46 Jordan Pickford EFC £5,208,320 Sunderland £127,857 41 Jamie Vardy LC £7,280,000 Sheffield £184,701 39 John Stones MCFC £5,200,000 Barnsley £140,058 37 Ben Chilwell CFC £9,880,000 Milton Keynes £281,140 35 Dean Henderson MUFC £5,200,000 Copeland £149,395 35 James Milner LFC £7,280,000 Leeds £210,358 35 Jadon Sancho MUFC £18,200,000 Southwark £528,767 34 Kyle Walker MCFC £5,720,000 Sheffield £184,701 31 Raheem Sterling MCFC £15,600,000 Brent £508,571 31 James Maddison LC £5,720,000 Coventry £201,331 28 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain LFC £6,240,000 Portsmouth £222,279 28 Danny Drinkwater CFC £5,200,000 Manchester £196,333 26 Harry Kane THFC £10,400,000 Waltham Forest £487,133 21 Ben White AFC £6,240,000 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole £299,301 21 Luke Shaw MUFC £6,240,000 Kingston upon Thames £507,702 12 Callum Hudson-Odoi CFC £6,240,000 Wandsworth £625,412 10 Sources Spotrac – EPL Salary Rankings Gov.uk – UK House Price Index (May 2021 – latest available data) Wage / Average House Price
CONSTRUCTION company Stepnell says that after a year of consolidation and planned improvement, the contractor has experienced a strong start to the financial year with a good level of orders secured for 2021/22 across its regions. The complete construction partner has reported a turnover of £104 million and increased net assets of more than £16 million for the year ended 31 March 2021 – with a net profit of £1 million – providing a solid foundation for the company going forward which compares favourably to other construction businesses alike. Tom Wakeford, joint managing director at Stepnell Ltd, said: “2020 was an extremely challenging year for many businesses, particularly for those in the construction industry. The year was dominated by the emergence of the global Covid-19 pandemic and economic uncertainties associated with Brexit. “Stepnell was one of a handful of contractors to continue on site throughout lockdown and the commitment of our employees and our supply chain relationships was fundamental – we were able to source materials and sub-contractor support across our projects. Our results reflect our decision to work with our clients through the pandemic which was a great achievement.” The family-owned firm increased its Net Promoter Score, which is used to assess performance and help measure client satisfaction, to +45 in May 2021, showing that the company is performing well above average and is committed to delivering the best service to its clients. Tom added: “We are delighted to have increased our NPS to +45 which is rated as ‘good.’ This is a tremendous performance and enormous credit to our employees and the companies we work with and is a great achievement, particularly in the current climate.” Stepnell has secured a number of exciting project wins and its current projects are performing well, including Stepnell Park – a new £10m business park adjacent to Stepnell’s head office in Rugby – which is now substantially let. Stepnell has also recently secured work at a number of hospitals including five schemes for Royal Berkshire Hospital, refurbishment works for Northampton Hospital and building works for Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, as well as starting on site at £9.7m retirement build Wooburn Green for Lifestory Group. The contractor has also recently secured a number of other healthcare wins and has started on site at two significant care home projects, including £6.5 million care facility Bennett Drive Care Home for repeat client Cinnamon Care and £4.3m refurbishment project to the existing Town Thorns care centre for Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund, both located in the Midlands. They have also been been appointed to build a £9m grade A office building for repeat client MHR as well as a new £2.5m refurbishment centre for National Grid in Leicester. Tom added: “Stepnell has secured orders which will enable it to deliver sales in excess of £100m during 2021/22, in line with our current business plan. The company has started the current financial year with an excellent level of secured work – circa 85% of the planned workload for the year – which we are really pleased with.” The 154-year old firm, which operates across central and southern England with a three-region model, prides itself on its unique complete construction partner approach offering a wide range of services including detailed risk management and partnership during pre-construction to work with its clients to solve the problems before they occur. Tom added: “We pride ourselves on our ability to be involved early in projects, to provide an end-to-end service where we can understand our clients’ objectives, offer enhanced solutions and work with them to achieve the best outcome. “Despite the challenges of the global pandemic and the uncertainty of Brexit, our focus upon service to our clients is the cornerstone of our business. The continuation of this ethos across the business has led to the majority of the work which has been secured for 2021/22 in respect of which we anticipate a similar level of turnover to 2020/21. “All of our regional teams have been working incredibly hard to secure new project wins and ensure that we emerge from this pandemic as best as we can. Stepnell has a more diversified range of projects than ever before, with the group also having the benefit of a property portfolio of more than £40m. “With our stable business model and continuing our selective approach to tendering for construction projects – to which its skill base is best suited and where terms and conditions do not impose unacceptable levels of construction risk – we are confident of our position to withstand market risks and continue our upward trajectory.” To find out more about Stepnell visit: www.stepnell.co.uk or join the conversation at @Stepnellltd.
Pupils in south east Edinburgh have started the new term in the new Frogston Primary School following the completion of works by Will Rudd Davidson (Edinburgh), consulting engineers. The new two-story building, designed by architect Holmes Miller, also offers great outdoor spaces to promote outdoor learning and a love of nature. To meet the architectural vision for the design, the Will Rudd Davidson team delivered complex engineering solutions to ensure no steel columns were present in the circulation spaces. The roof design also presented some challenges. William Taylor, Project Engineer, Will Rudd Davidson (Edinburgh), said: “The prominent roof arrangement makes a great feature with multiple peaks and troughs to replicate the Pentland Hills. To deliver the structure a series of inventive steel connections were adopted and we worked closely with the architect and construction team to ensure they did not compromise the architectural vision. We are really pleased with the finished result and the project is a great example of the complex engineering solutions we can deliver.” Situated on a greenfield site, Frogston Primary School is one of three schools that Will Rudd Davidson is currently working on for the City of Edinburgh Council, and will cater for a growing population in the south east of the city, accommodating pupils from new housing sites in the surrounding area.
People tend to cross bridges as quickly as possible; because you never know. Experts even have a term for this phenomenon: gephyrophobia or “bridge anxiety”. Yet these valley-spanning structures are true expressions of supreme engineering skill, as illustrated by the new Aftetal bridge in North Rhine-Westphalia. It’s a common enough experience for all motorists: you reduce your speed, see a warning sign for slippery roads or side winds, plus the obligatory windsock – followed by the brief rattle of the transitions, which cause a slight bump in the road. That’s usually all you notice of a bridge. Travellers are rarely able to appreciate their true beauty. Who knows the name of a bridge, let alone the names of the companies involved in its construction? Probably only a handful of people are familiar with the team around Matthias Urban and Markus Mühlnickel from formwork expert Doka – although they are actually always on hand wherever a complex bridge project involving concrete is underway in Germany. This is true, regardless of whether the bridge in question uses cantilevering, incremental launching or launching-girder equipment/load-bearing systems. An impressive example is the steel-concrete colossus named the Aftetal bridge – almost 800 meters long, with around 66 metres high piers, some of them at distances of up to 120 meters. It is a valley bridge, which aims to ease the traffic situation in the Westphalian town of Bad Wünnenberg and facilitate travel between Brilon and Paderborn in the long run. Matthias Urban, the project manager, emphasises: “It is an imposing, very long and wide bridge, and the piers are very massive. You don’t get that very often.” And that says a lot: After all, Doka has been supplying equipment and engineering expertise for cross-valley and cross-river traffic routes such as the Lahntal, the Nuttlar, Pfädchensgraben or Tiefenbach bridge for some time now. Even after 15 and 27 years respectively on the job, the engineers stress, “our department is passionate about bridges”. Markus Mühlnickel, the group leader, quotes Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who wrote about the importance of teaching people to long for the infinite, vast sea, if you want them to build a ship. This is probably also true if you want to build a bridge: it is best to keep the image of free-flowing traffic in mind right from the start. This is how you encourage motivation and enthusiasm. A bridge, says the engineer, is always a prominent feature and decisively shapes the landscape. It feels wonderful to watch it grow and ultimately create connections between places and people. “Bridges are classic civil engineering,” says Urban, because they usually consist of abutments and piers, pier heads and a superstructure. Nevertheless, they only look alike at first glance. When you take a closer look, they actually entail quite different engineering technologies. And with the complexity of the bridge geometry, formwork requirements grow. From this perspective, the Aftetal bridge is one of the more challenging constructions – with its height, the complex geometry of its piers, the massive pier heads and not least because of its length and span. In principle, engineers tend to rely on standard systems for such a project as well. However, some aspects will always need individual solutions. Urban mentions the special engineering skills required for bridges and the special solutions and interface planning, which are indispensable at this level. A good formwork supplier does more than just supply components and systems. They also know how to make the most of its potential for the project at hand. It’s all about process, deadline and cost certainty. “Clients often give us their plans and expect that we already have a ready-made solution up our sleeves,” adds Mühlnickel. But for a bridge like this, there are no ready-made solutions. You have to sit down with the project partners, involve the team, plan, calculate, check, revise, meet again and continue to coordinate. “It’s about arriving at the best solution, which is ideally also the safest,” says Mühlnickel. “At the end of the day, the workers want to return home safely to their families.” After all, it’s not only about averting the risk of falling, it is also important to ensure that the equipment is ergonomic and minimises physical strain. It is up to Doka to provide its partners with good advice, and to show the advantages and disadvantages of various methods, to make the right decisions with regard to provision and operating time. On top of that, we must design solutions that are safe for life and limb – a “return on prevention”, as it is called in technical jargon. Studies have shown that every euro invested in safe and ergonomic working conditions pays off twice or three time over. In other words, before an actual bridge is built, we have to build interpersonal bridges. Only in this way great things – such as the Aftetal bridge – can happen. In the case of the massive piers, the responsible construction company Max Bögl relied on the principle of automatic climbing formwork. The high-performance, fully hydraulic system from Doka climbed accurately and precisely, every step of the way. The distances climbed were always between five and six meters, up to the V-shaped pier heads, which required another special solution from the formwork experts. This is where the formwork preassembly team came into play. This Doka service pays off especially in the case of exceptional assembly activities, for example when assembling and dismantling or moving the formwork from one pier head to the next – especially since the in-house Doka service results in fewer interfaces and coordination work at the construction site. This is particularly relevant since, in addition to cost savings, it is always the time factor that makes project partners more open to innovative or unconventional solutions. For example, Max Bögl used two composite forming carriages at the Aftetal bridge to join the steel trough with the concrete of the deck slab. To create the cantilevered parapets with parapet wall, a composite forming carriage with two
The classification, first introduced in 2019, highlights companies and investment funds listed on the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market or on AIM that are driving the global green economy. To qualify for the Green Economy Mark, an issuer must generate 50% or more of its total annual revenues from products and services that contribute to the global green economy. The underlying methodology is the Green Revenues taxonomy developed by FTSE Russell as part of the FTSE Environmental Markets Classification System. It identifies industrial sectors and subsectors that are contributors to a greener, more sustainable economy such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, water, resource extraction, pollution and sustainable agriculture. SIG is committed to creating long term sustainable value for our stakeholders. To achieve this goal, we have aligned our operations with the Sustainable Development Goals, providing us with a framework to map against, created by the United Nations (UN). This framework provides a blueprint to achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. Our key focus areas in support of a greener, more sustainable economy are climate action, responsible consumption and production and Industry, innovation and infrastructure. We set our environmental objectives from our Low Carbon Sustainability policy, which aims to reduce our consumption of fuel, energy, water and waste, thus reducing our environmental impact. Where possible in the organisation, we focus on responsible consumption, aiming for high levels of recycling across our business, and our Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle policy supports our approach. In addition, our aim is to support industry, innovation and infrastructure through our position as leading supplier of specialist building materials, enabling organisations to complete infrastructure projects that have a positive impact upon the society it is created within. Steve Francis, CEO, commented: “SIG plays an important part in a critical industry. Our mission is to enable modern, sustainable and safe living and working environments in the communities in which we operate, and we fully recognise and commit to our responsibilities in driving efficient, sustainable operations both within the business, and in the industry. We are delighted to be recognised under this initiative by the London Stock Exchange and welcome the opportunity to input into a sustainable economy. We look forward to making further progress on our sustainability activities, such as the reduction of our carbon footprint and more robust waste segregation policies by better understanding the whole supply and disposal chain, and we will continue to focus on driving improvements for a more sustainable future.”
Innovation initiative targets diversity-focussed companies in latest recruiting round to help drive development of UK SMEs Of the Innovation Accelerator’s third cohort, two of the five SMEs have female CEOs or founders, and three have BAME CEOs or founders HS2 Ltd has launched a new phase in the development of the UK’s SME tech sector with the opening to a third cohort of its successful Innovation Accelerator programme, delivered in partnership with Connected Places Catapult and Bruntwood SciTech. The company delivering Britain’s new high speed rail network took a conscious decision to reach new and diverse thinking by focusing on small digital and data technology firms and building strategic partnerships with diversity-focused entrepreneurial SMEs. Putting measures in place to champion equality, diversity and inclusion, such as assessing applications blind and anonymously, enabled HS2 to secure a diverse talent pool. As a result, two of the third cohort’s five SMEs have female CEOs or founders, and three have BAME CEOs or founders. HS2 Ltd Innovation Manager, Rob Cairns said: “With the third cohort intake we focused on reaching a diverse range of businesses who we believe can bring fresh thinking and a new perspective to our mission of reducing HS2’s carbon footprint and improving the health and safety of our teams, as well as the security of our worksites.” Entering the Accelerator in August, the five firms were chosen to develop techniques for designing carbon out from the railway and to monitor and improve site safety and security. As one of the most sustainable high speed railways in the world, HS2 will support the UK in making the transition to a net zero carbon economy. It has set a commitment to reduce the carbon impact of construction on the project by 50%, as well as delivering low carbon journeys and cutting carbon emissions from other forms of transport. The Innovation Accelerator’s new entrants are: Looper, established by Yiqiang Zhao, is developing cutting-edge technology that analyses designs to ensure that the plans and materials use the least-carbon intensive options. HS2 Ltd believes the technology can be refined on Phase One of the project and deployed across later phases. Looper’s founder, Yiqiang Zhao, said: “The HS2 Accelerator provides an ideal platform for us to further validate, fine-tune and embed our solution into the biggest infrastructure project in Europe. It’s a great opportunity for us to help HS2 contractors automate carbon tracking and calculations through the design and build. In the four months of the programme, we hope to secure a pilot project and seek fundraising.” MachineMax is developing technology to monitor and improve the operating efficiency of worksite plant and machinery. It will identify where assets are working below capacity in order to cut emissions, accelerate works programmes and reduce costs. A key feature of Machine Max’s software is that it is “agnostic”, meaning it can be used on any make of site equipment. MachineMax CEO Shweta Saxena said: “We are so excited to be in Cohort 3 of the HS2 Accelerator. It is a great opportunity to work with best in class professionals and be part of the innovation that will leave a legacy in the UK for years to come. Our goal is to integrate MachineMax across the HS2 digital ecosystem and connect the entirety of the fleet to monitor and improve on-site emissions and efficiency.” Tended, founded by Leo Scott Smith when he was aged 22, enters the Innovation Accelerator to develop wearable technology for worksite teams. It works to improve worksite safety practices with a buzz to alert the wearer to a potential risk. In addition, by feeding the risk alerts back to a central database, the programme can build a site map and identify if hotspots are occurring so that the repeated risk can be remedied. Tended founder Leo Scott Smith said: “We’re very excited to be working with HS2. We share the ambition to transform safety on site and set the standards for others to follow. Working with HS2, we believe that Tended’s blend of technological capability and deep understanding of human behaviour can revolutionise site safety for HS2 and its supply chain.” FYLD’s technology uses artificial intelligence, language processing and machine learning to inform site teams’ safety, quality and productivity decisions. The solution’s safety features include high-risk job alerts and proactive fatigue management. Equipping teams with these data-driven actionable insights delivers safer, more productive, and environmentally-friendly operations. FYLD CEO, Shelley Copsey said: “We are confident that as the UK accelerates the progress of one of the most exciting transport projects in Europe, our technology will have a transformative impact on field workers and rail businesses alike. We’re looking forward to collaborating with both HS2 Ltd and the other cohorts as part of this programme as we make an impact through increased efficiencies, improved health and safety, and a lower carbon footprint.” Sensing Feeling’s solution for de-risking construction sites uses advanced sensing software powered by computer vision and machine learning to detect how people, machines and vehicles behave in real-time. Founder Jag Minhas said: “We’re super-excited to be joining some really smart companies in bringing innovative technologies to HS2. We’re looking forward to working with potential ecosystem clients and cohort collaborators to accelerate the use of advanced sensing products to make places safer for workers and customers.”
The Concrete Centre’s annual student Structural Concrete competition, in partnership with Laing O’Rourke, has been won by Ashley Andersen from the University of Surrey. The 2021 competition challenge for teams of engineering students was to design a civic centre comprising a library and council offices in a new garden town in the north west of England. The client has requested bids from design-and-build contractors for the construction of the building and its maintenance over the next 30 years. One of these contractors has commissioned an initial design for the new building at Porchester New Town, from a firm of consulting engineers. Entrants must respond as though they are the structural engineer responsible within the consultant’s team. This year, The Concrete Centre held a virtual prize giving awards ceremony via webinar, which took place on Thursday 19 August 2021, where the winners were announced to all delegates. The online event celebrated the winner’s highlights and achievements along with their fellow entrants and the judges. The 2021 competition attracted entries from across UK schools of engineering and three prizes were awarded. First prize – University of Surrey Runners up – Salford University Sustainability Award – Salford University Jenny Burridge, judge and head of structural engineering at The Concrete Centre said “This year’s project was a five-storey civic building comprising a lower ground floor library and four floors of offices. The judges were pleased by the level of design knowledge shown in the entries and the work that had been done to understand the requirements of the brief.” Ashley Andersen from the University of Surrey impressed the judges with his very high standard submission that included exciting ‘tree’ columns in the library which framed rooflights to allow more daylight into the space. Ashley’s drawings were clear and well presented. Daniel Dickinson from the University of Salford came a close runner-up with his submission which included long span post-tensioned beams. Daniel was also awarded the sustainability prize for his report, which included an embodied carbon calculation. This was Daniel’s second year in the competition, having won last year. The brief for the next competition “Structural Concrete 2022” was also launched at the event and is to design a school building within an existing school development in the suburbs of a large UK city. More information can be found at http://www.concretecentre.com/competition
Faulty or overflowing septic tanks can be a horrible sight for homeowners. Usually, septic tanks are buried deep under the ground, and you’ll probably don’t even notice its presence until you see some unusual signs. There are a couple of signs that are associated with septic tank issues: Gurgling/Bubbling sounds coming from the plumbing system Damp area or standing water near the septic tank Toilet not flushing properly Foul smell near your lawn or from the drains Water draining slowly or backing up All these signs indicate there is some problem with your septic tank, and it needs prompt action. It’s a signal that your septic tank needs urgent maintenance or repairs. But do you know why such a situation arises? Let’s explore some of the common septic tank issues and how you can solve them? Common Septic Tank Issues And Their Solutions Ground Movement Even the slightest ground movement can put considerable pressure on the septic tank. This can cause cracks or even fractures in the walls, causing a set of problems such as Backing up in your septic tank Your septic tank needs need to be emptied more often The tank will fail to separate liquid from solid waste Ultimately, there is no way out than replacing the septic tank in a ground movement. Tree Root Damage Septic tanks are wet places that attract nearby shrubs or plants to go through the tank’s walls. As the plants grow over time, the roots get stronger, causing cracks and damage to the tank. The infiltrated roots not only block the pipes leading to the property but prevent the tank from working properly. The root damage will let the liquids from the tank escape and water from the ground to get in. You can get the roots removed by performing a septic tank and pipe cleaning. Root infiltration can be prevented by installing newer, plastic pipes capable of withstanding damage from roots. Also, you can treat your lines with root growth inhibitors to prevent root growth. Collapsed Baffle A baffle is like a barricade within the septic tank that stops the solids from escaping into the soakaway system. Yoursoakaway system allows the dirty water from the septic tank to percolate through the soil around it. This is a kind of treatment for the wastewater as it is dispersed into the surrounding soils to prevent any nasty smells. A collapsed baffle is a serious situation as it allows the solids to enter into the soakaway system and stop the treatment from happening. You can see the collapsed baffle by peeking into the septic tank. If your septic tank baffle is lost or damaged, it can be refitted to prevent the solids from flowing to the soakaway system. Damaged Dip Pipe A dip pipe has the same function as a dip pipe. Depending upon the design of the septic tank, you will either have dip pipes or baffle, or both. It makes sure that the waste gets separated and the dirty water flows into the soakaway system. If you notice it at the base of the septic tank, you need to get it repaired. As mentioned earlier, if the solid waste enters the soakaway system, it backs into the house. It can be solved by lining inside of the tank, making it watertight, or refitting the dip pipe. Old Septic Tank Septic tanks can be as old as 100 years and may not fit into the requirements of modern houses. For example, they might not have dip pipes and have a single instead of double chamber structure. Such old septic tanks might start giving problems to the new homeowners. Also, the soakaway systems might not work after some time, causing problems. When the tank is too old, then it’s better to get it replaced than repaired. Lack Of Maintenance Your septic tank must get cleaned every year. For a 1,000-gallon septic tank, you can do it every 4-5 years. You can get it cleaned by calling a professional plumber who can pump, empty, clean your tank and do the essential maintenance and repairs. Understand that you can’t do the septic tank repairs yourself and seek professional help. Check out the local plumbing services in your area and schedule an inspection so that they can figure out the actual septic tank issue and give you appropriate solutions. It is advisable that you only call a licensed and insured plumbing service as installing a septic tank or soakaway or fixing them is a complex task that can only be done by an experienced professional.
