History of Drainage Tile
The utilization of field drainage tile was first used in America in 1838. A farmer named John Johnson was the first to use clay tile on his farm in Seneca County, New York. The invention of tiling was then changed in 1860 when a man named Henry French wrote his book, “Farm drainage: the principles, processes, and effects of draining land with stones, wood, plows, and open ditches, and especially with tiles.” This book changed the way that tiling was viewed and made farmers, as well as others take a different look on how useful drainage is in farming. In today’s era we use plastic tile as a more secure material, then the later clay tiles that started field drainage. Individual ceramic tiles of fired clay was what John Johnson started using, which lasted a little over a hundred years. After so long farmers had found that there was a better, and easier, alternative to clay tile. In 1967 the first commercially manufactured corrugated-wall high-density polyethylene plastic drainage tile forever changed things for farmers. The invention of plastic drainage tile made the process of tiling much easier and allowed for longer usage. Not only has the tile itself evolved, the technology and equipment needed has as well.
When clay drainage tile was first applied, it was dug and placed in the trench all by hand. It was soon to find out that digging and placing tile by hand wasn’t always done right and it required a lot of work. Steam powered trenching tiling machines were available in the early 1880’s. In that time many farmers didn’t have the extra cash to buy the trenching machine, so they continued to tile by hand. Trenching machines use a wheel like set up that digs a trench while setting the tile in the trench, where a tile plow drives the pipe into the ground without digging a trench. In 1971 field testing and demonstrations showed how the Laser-Beam controlled plow successfully put plastic tile in the ground. This changed the accuracy of tile grade forever. If the tile doesn’t have the right grade, or depth, then it will not move water correctly. Trenching tiling machines and tile plows evolved as the years went on and as tiling became more popular. The Laser-Beam controlled plow changed the effectiveness of tiling. With the invention of technology that helps get the correct grade, comes the utilization of GPS. Global positioning system (GPS) allows for there to be documentation of where the tile is placed. This allows for easier identification of potential drainage problems and a pinpoint as to where to start if more tile is in the future. Drainage tile is a concept that was started by a small farmer that wanted to increase yields, and it has now evolved into a something that will forever be used by farmers.
How Drainage Tile Works
Tiling is a complicated process, but it is done to fix simple problems. Drainage tile is used in multiple different ways. From relocation of excess ground water in a corn field with hopes to better the yield, to keeping water out of your basement, drainage tile is useful for many things. Many don’t think about how much tile actually lies in the soil today, especially in farmers fields. Tile is everywhere. All farms are different, which means that all farms require specific tiling needs. There is basics that each job requires. The first thing that has to be done when mapping out the farm and surveying the land, is identifying where the main tile is or will be. The main tile is normally in the lowest spot of the field and this is where the rest of the tile will run into. This is important to identify because the main is where all of the water will run through before it eventually runs into a creek or another tile. From there one has to map out where they need to run the rest of the tile lines. The most important part to all of the mapping out and planning is having and keeping the right grade. The depth of the tile is crucial to the flow of water. If the tile is too deep, then the water may not reach it, and if the tile is too shallow, then farm equipment could crush it. GPS systems have allowed for those tiling to automatically set the grade that they need to stay at, and the machine will do the rest. Trenching machines and tile plows are used to get all of the tile in the ground and track it at the same time. One of the struggles that comes with tiling is what to do with the existing tile in the field. Whether trenching or plowing the tile in, one is bound to hit tile that was put in prior. When something like that happens, it has to be fixed. That broken tile has to be tied into the new or capped off and abandoned. If the broken tile is not fixed it could cause bigger problems down the line. When fixing and connecting different lines, there is multiple different fittings and adaptors that are made for all cases. There are many things that have to be taken into account when tiling, however, the most important thing to remember is that all water runs downhill.
Value Financially For Tiling Businesses and Farmers
Tiling companies differ in prices all across the board and they set rates for what they think is reasonable. On average it costs a farmer $1.00 per foot of tile. To some that may seem cheap, but the costs add up. The costs also differ when it comes to the size of the tile and the job. It is going to cost a farmer less to put in 3,000 thousand feet of 4 inch tile, than 3,000 thousand feet of 8 inch tile. There is not a set price for every tiling job. The soil type, landscape of the field and the money the farmer is willing to spend, are all factors that effect the cost of tiling. One of the biggest expenses that farmers have to pay when it comes to hiring tiling jobs done, is the labor. Working outside in all different weather conditions is not an ideal job that people are dying to do. It takes someone who is willing to work hard and get their hands dirty. In order to find those employees that are willing to work hard, the pay has to be worth it. The labor is not cheap that comes with the tiling job, but one of the things that could add up the most is the cost of repairs and the fittings needed for those repairs. In most cases a simple internal, which connects tile of the same diameter together, could cost almost $6 a piece. It is the little things that add up and make tiling an expensive additive to farming. Not only do the repairs have to be taken into consideration, the heavy equipment that is required to get these type of jobs done don’t come with cheap rates. There are so many different elements that will drive the price of a tiling job up, and in some cases past what the farmer is willing to pay. So why would anyone want to pay this much money to put plastic in the ground? The answer is simple. You have to spend money to make money. Farmers will spend thousands of dollars in drainage tile to benefit their bank accounts. Most farmers will put tile in their fields to get rid of the wet spots in hopes of bettering crop yields in the future. With better crop yields comes more money for that producer. Drainage tile could also be used as a source of transportation for irrigation. There are multiple benefits for the farmer, but potentially one of the biggest is the value it adds to that piece of land. If that producer is looking to rent out that land or sell it, they are prone to get more money because of the tile that is in that soil. Tiling financially benefits the company in the present and the farmer in the future.
“Drainage tile will always be needed and will continue to keep improving.”
Wayne Whitman (my grandpa)
About the Author
Sources
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Drainage+Tiles%3A+A+Brief+History-a0595251200
Western Illinois University School of Agriculture 