Activity: Install irrigation systems: Project dates: 7th, 8th & 13th OCT.
Site- Clarence Campus, vegetable garden.
This was to be quite a large project for us to learn about installing a new irrigation system. We were to install 4 new lines, 3 of which would have 4 new sprinklers and the 4th line would have 3 sprinklers. These would be attached to a pre existing 40mm ring main.There would be a distance of 10 mts between each sprinker. The 4 areas were marked as A4, A5, A6 & A7.
We were given an irrigation site plan to work off which showed us exactly where everything was going to go. The first thing to do was to get a list of all the fittings that we needed. Then we layed out all the fittings on the floor of the workshop. This would give us a good idea of how everything would fit together.
We then prepared the site where the trenches were going by clearing and then marking out the ground. The trenches were dug out and bedding sand was placed along the bottom. We were now ready to start installing the pipe and fittings. The first job was to connect a saddle clamp to the the exposed ring main. We turned the water off at the mains. Once connected and at the correct angle a hole was drilled through into the ring main. Next a solenoid was connected to the saddle clamp and then the gate valve attached to the solonoid. The solenoid was connected to the existing wiring with silicon connectors. About a 50cm section of 25mm poly pipe was then attached to the gate valve. At the end of the poly pipe was a tee junction where the pipe in the trench would attatch to. On one end of the tee junction was 25mm poly pipe and on the other end was 20mm poly pipe. Each length of poly pipe was 10 metres.
At the end of each pipe was a rural elbow, then attached to that was a 900mm riser.
Attached to the riser was the sprinkler head. This process was then repeated for the other remaing sections.
Once all work had been completed it was time to turn the ring main back on and test out the system. Each section was tested individually by over riding the solenoid. The gate valves were adjusted to the correct pressure. The sprinkler heads were also adjusted for the right amount of water coverage.
Once we were satisfied the system was working properly it was time to back fill the trenches.
PPE: Hat, safety boots, gloves, safety glasses.
OH&S: Muscular from digging, spider and insect bites, falling in trenches, hacksaw cuts, getting hit with shovels or mattocks.
Tools: Wheel barrow, hacksaw, file, post hole shovel, trenching shovel, spades, rakes, mattocks, stakes, wooden mallet, hammer, drill, flouro paint.
