figuring slope

[homefarm]

how do you figure for 5% slope what angle is it .......When you run mainline what is the maxium slope you can have some hills around here is pretty steep say 45 degrees should i run it across the slope or up and down? thanks...... Chris.....

[Sugarmaker]

Chris,
Guys correct me if I am wrong. I havent looked this up in a while. I think 5 feet drop in 100 feet of run is 5% slope. Does that sound right? If correct I would have to pull out the old trig book to get the angle. I made a simple device that can hang on the tubing to tell you that you have some slope. Might be a picture on my photo bucket under maple stuff?

Chris C.

[brookledge]

Chris
You are correct. Also can be 1 foot drop in 20 feet which is the same as 5 in 100 feet of run
Keith

[ennismaple]

The new "maple bible" recommends you run your wet/dry line straight up the steepest part of the slope, run your 3/4" wet lines off the wet/dry trunk at 100' spacings across the hill (say 2% to 5% slope) and run your laterals straight up and down to the 3/4" wet lines. This is an "ideal" situation but trying to follow it should maximize your yield.

[PerryW]

A 5% slope is a 2.86 degree angle

a 100% slope is a 45 degree angle

Just take the ARCTAN or INVERSE TANGENT of your slope expressed as a decimal, i.e:

5 feet of vertical for 100 feet of horizontal is 5% or 0.05

ARCTAN (0.05) = 2.86 degrees

ARCTAN (1.0) = 45 degrees

[red maples]

OH man!!!! so this is where Calculus is used. I have never used it at all. who would have thought it would be used in maple!!!!!!;)

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Nope! It's trigonometry:)

[red maples]

yes yor right but when you need to derive it don't ask me I don't remember how to even though I made it through calc 3 well the first day of anyway then I dorpped the class!!!

[homefarm]

thanks for the info on slope next question what is wet/dry lines? Thanks .....Chris.....

[KenWP]

If you drive around watch for signs that tell you the grade of hills and that will show you percentage of grades. The railway also tried to never have more then a 3 or 4% grade as you have to add another engine for every percent after that to make the grade. I work a lot with 12 inch sewer lines and they actually work better with lower grades then with steep grades 4% would be steep for them and not have them plug up.