I have a 4" PVC septic pipe leaving my house on the cinder block wall about 4 feet below my house. There was a crack inside of the part where it leaves the house and I need to replace it (from settling/35 years old). I am going to do the digging and replacing of the soil myself, but was wondering what was recommended for backfilling? Right now the dirt is a sandy/clay like substance with random bricks and rocks in it. I was wondering if it is okay to use the same dirt to backfill or if I should use pea gravel (or something else) around the PVC pipe whenever I backfill the soil. This will be an area about 5 feet long and 5 feet wide. The pipe will go into the house (so backfilling around pipe and next to my house).
Thank you in advance for your help!
Best Answer
I'd use pea gravel, sand, or flowable fill. You want to avoid settling which could cause stress on the pipe and possibly break it or cause it to leak. So fill materials that need little to no compaction are best.
The dirt that you took out will not compact well and it will settle over time. I'd only use it on top of the fill that covers the top of the pipe.