To find the cost of earthenware sewers, scale the plans to find the number of lineal feet of pipe that will be required. To this amount add a certain percentage to allow for defective pipes and lengths which are broken in transit. Ordinarily, when the pipes have been carefully packed and are intelligently handled in getting them from the car to the trench where they are to be used, there is but little broken pipe. In proportion, however, as the pipe has been roughly handled, and the inspector strict, the allowance for breakage must be increased. As an average an allowance for breakage of 6 per cent. will be found sufficient for this purpose. To the cost of the pipe and the allowance for breakage must be added the cost of freight and drayage to the premises. The cost of freight and drayage can be figured from the weights of sewer pipes given in Tables II and III. Next will come the cost of cement; oakum must also be included. In Table IV can be found the length of sewer pipe of different sizes and the number of feet that can be laid with one barrel of Portland cement and one barof sand. To find the amount of oakum required allow one ounce of oakum at each joint for each inch in diameter of the pipe.

Table II. Weights And Dimensions Of Standard Sewer Pipe

Table III. Weights And Dimensions Of Double Strength Sewer Pipe

Having the quantities of materials required all that remains is to find the cost of the labor. Some contractors have handy laborers who, at a cost of two dollars per day, can lay tile pipe as well as a mason. Such a saving will go a long way, where much earthenware pipe is to be laid, toward keeping the cost of an estimate down to the winning figure.

Table IV. Cement And Sand Required For Earthenware Pipe

The amount of pipe a man can lay per day is the one unknown quantity of the cost of laying the earthenware pipe. The amount, of course, will depend on the size of the pipe, and will likewise be affected by the manner it is to be laid. If the pipe must have a firm bearing along each length on undisturbed earth, with cavities scooped out where the hubs come, the cost of getting the pipe to grade will be greater than if the same pipes are laid on top of boards which are laid with the proper fall. All these things must be taken into account when estimating the amount of pipe which can be laid. For instance, a good man can lay 100 feet of 4 or 5-inch earthenware pipe if the drain is run on boards, bedded on earth at the bottom of the trench, while 50 feet would be a good day's work when each length of pipe must be separately bedded along its entire length on undisturbed earth.