Course Manual

On

AE 2221-Construction Works in
Biogas Plant
For

Year 2

Semester 2

Department of Alternative Energy

Tumba College of Technology

2011
 GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Course code: AE2221

Subject: Construction work in biogas plant
Category: AE
Semester: IV
No. of class week: 12
Duration/ week: 5 hours
Objective of the course:
 To give students practical skills on biogas plant construction and
installation of domestic gas distribution system.
 To make students able to test biogas flow and leakages.
 To give the students operation and maintenance tips.
Expected output:
o Students will be able to construct biogas plant and solve biogas related
problems.
o Students will be able to utilize the slurry in proper way.
o Students will be able to prepare tender documents.

Course content
1. Construction work of biogas plant as per the specifications

1.1 Site selection

1.2 Selection of construction materials

1.3 Method of excavation of the digester pit

2. Design of biogas plant as per the specifications

3. Construction of biogas plant

3.1 Selection of appropriate site for bio-digester construction

3.2 Excavation as per the selected size and dimension of bio-digester

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3.3 Checking the dimensions of the pit

3.4 Construction of round wall of the digester

3.5 Fitting inlet pipe

3.6 Filling the digester with earth/mud and shaping for dome casting

3.7 Casting of dome

3.8 Removing earth/mud from inside the digester

3.9 Making inlet/slurry mixing tank

3.10 Construction of slurry reservoir

3.11 Construction of turret

3.12 Compacting the dome with earth/mud

3.13 Plastering the inside of bio-digester

3.14 Painting the inside of dome with emulsion acrylic paint

3.15 Fitting main gas valve and gas exit pipe

3.16 Pipe fitting to connect gas to burner and lamp

3.17 Fitting of pressure gauze and gas flow meter

3.18 Maintenance of bio-digester

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 1. CONSTRUCTION WORKOF BIOGAS PLANT AS PER
SPECIFICATION

Biogas plants are appropriate to the technical abilities and economic capacity of third World
farmers. Biogas technology is extremely appropriate to the ecological and economic demands of
the future. The success or failure of any biogas plant mainly depends upon the quality of
construction works. To come to a successfully constructed biogas plant, the mason should not
only respect the dimensions as indicated on the drawing but also follow the correct construction
method. Hereunder, in a step-by-step fashion, the right construction method of the 2047 design
GGC model biogas plant is given.

INTRODUCTION

There are a broad range of strategies that are included under the construction work. They include
choosing the correct construction location (site selection), best orientation of the structure on the
site, capacity, the amount of ground disturbed during construction, and the types of surfaces that
will remain when construction is completed etc.

Construction work in the fields of architecture and civil engineering is a process that consists of
the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale
construction work is a fleet of multitasking. Normally in bigger construction the job is managed
by the project manager and supervised by the construction manager, design engineer,
construction engineer or project architect. For the successful execution of a construction project
or projects, effective planning has always remained the vital component. Beside, those involved
with the design and execution of the infrastructure in question must consider the environmental
impact of the job, the successful scheduling, budgeting, site safety, availability of materials,
logistics, inconvenience caused by construction delays, etc.

Although, biogas plant construction is thought to be a very minor construction in comparison to

mega construction projects, it too needs proper construction planning and adequate knowledge
regarding the technology and the benefits that it yields. This manual explains the construction
procedure step wise to provide student in-depth knowledge on the construction of a domestic
biogas plant.

Throughout the world, one can find many different types, capacity and propose of Bio-digesters.
The proper construction procedure also differ depending on design, propose and capacities of
these digesters. Biogas digesters (plants) are of various designs and capacities, designs vary with
the purpose, culture, location, availability of feeding materials, purpose of biogas plant,
availability of local construction materials etc.

In the developing countries, purpose of biogas digester is mainly for energy but in develop
countries it is used mainly to treat municipal city waste or Industrial wastewater and effluent
treatment and the biogas generated from this is used to generate electricity which is than supplied
to the grid. But in this manual we are not going to talk about the mega bio-digester or even the
different types of bio-digester that are in use, but will explain in detail on proper construction

4
procedure of a specific design (Modified GGC 2047) adopted by the Rwandan Government for
National Domestic Biogas Programme.

Before jumping into construction one should be able to interpret the drawing and the
dimensioning assertively which are provided according to the capacity of the biogas that is to be
constructed.

DRAWING AND DIMENSION OF MODIFIED GGC 2047 BIOGAS PLANT

Figure 1: Drawing of biogas plant

Biogas Plant Size

Sr Symbo
Components
. l Code
4m3 6m3 8m3 10m3

1 Length of Outlet Lo 140 160 170 190

2 Breadth of Outlet Bo 120 130 140 160

3 Height of Outlet Ho 50 55 60 62

4 Radius of Digester Rd 110 130 145 155

5 Radius of Pit Rp 140 160 175 200

5
 6 Height of Digester wall Hc 80 85 90 95

7 Depth of Excavation Dp 160 170 180 190

8 Height of Dome Hdom 65 70 75 80

9 Curvature Radius of Dome Rdom 126 156 178 190

10 Inner Height of Digester and Dome Hall 145 155 165 175

Height of Maximum Slurry

11 Hd 25 25 25 28
Displacement

12 Height of Outlet Passage Hop 105 110 115 123

Thickness of concrete in Dome

13 20-7 20-7 20-7 20-7 20-7
(side-centre)

60x6
14 Size of Manhole 60x60 60x60 60x60 60x60
0

1
Table 1: Dimension of biogas plant

Once you have full confidence in reading the drawing and dimension you can proceed to
construct the domestic biogas plant following the steps that are provided in this manual.

EXPLODED VIEW OF A 6 M3 BIOGAS PLANT

Before the construction of a biogas plant there are different circumstances which should be
considered. For instance the natural and agricultural conditions in the specific countries are as
important as the social or the economic aspects.

Failure or unsatisfactory performance of biogas plant occurs mostly due to planning mistakes.
The consequences of such mistakes may be immediately evident or may only become apparent
after several years. Careful planning and proper construction procedures are therefore of utmost
importance to eliminate mistakes before they reach irreversible stages. Since a biogas unit is an
expensive investment in the developing countries, it should not be constructed as a temporary
set-up.

Design and type of bio-digesters mainly depend on the purpose, and nature of the feeding
materials that is to be processed. But, in this manual deals with a biogas plant that utilize cattle

1
*All Measurements in Centimeters (cm) Re-calculated by Ravi Bhanu Chettri on June 6th, 2007. at Rwanda

6
dung as a main feeding material and is of continuous feeding type, because it is constructed for
the purpose of fulfilling cooking energy need of an individual households.

No matter what type or purpose the biogas plant is being constructed for, it needs to have these
basic six major components.

COMPONENTS OF BIOGAS PLANTS

Source: Ravi Chettri

Figure 2: Exploded view with different construction components

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Inlet pipe: The slurry is moved into the digester through the inlet pipe/tank.

Mixing tank or Inlet pit: The feed material like dung is gathered in the mixing tank. Using
sufficient water, the material is thoroughly mixed till homogeneous slurry is formed.

Digester: Inside the digester, the slurry is fermented. Biogas is produced through bacterial
action.

Gas holder or dome: The biogas thus formed gets collected in the gas holder. It holds the gas
till the time it is transported for consumption.

Outlet Tank: The slurry is discharged into the outlet tank. This is done through the manhole.
Beside outlet is constructed in a specific capacity depending on the size of the biogas plant to
generate driving pressure to push the gas from the dome to the appliances.

Gas Pipeline: The gas pipeline carries the gas to the utilization point like a stove or lamp.

In the construction of a domestic biogas plant following steps are involved:

1) Site selection

2) Selection of quality construction material / proper storing

3) Excavation of the pit for digester.

4) Foundation at the bottom of the digester and soling.

5) Construction of digester wall.

6) Fixing of inlet and toilet inlet pipes

7) Construction of inlet

8) Construction of outlet.

9) Outlet slab construction.

10) Plastering of digester and other components.

11) Dome construction.

12) Dome plastering (treatment / painting)

13) Construction of water drain

14) Laying of pipeline.

15) Installing pressure meter, biogas lamp and stove.

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16) Digging of compost pits

It should be emphasized that the above steps are not necessarily sequential. For example, steps
(9) and (11) can be executed simultaneously or the construction inlet pit in step (7) can be done
after step (14) etc.

REVIEW POINTS

a. What are the various considerations for site selection for the construction of biogas plant?

b. Explain the different components of biogas plant with label diagram.

c. What are the main tools used in the construction work of biogas plant?

9
1.1 SITE SELECTION

There are a broad range of strategies that are included under the Site umbrella. They include
choosing the location for the construction, placement on the site, shape, the amount of ground
disturbed during construction etc. One should always bear in mind that a significant part of
resources is spent on the construction of infrastructure mostly in developing countries. However,
these investments and associated development gains can be lost in seconds, in the event of a
natural hazard event. Therefore, we should select the construction site considering the negative
impact and natural hazards.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of the session students will be able to do the following:

a) Explains criteria for selecting site for bio-digester installation.

b) Carry out layout of different size of biogas plant correctly.

c) And can explain the possible problems that can occur if the points that are mentioned are
not followed.

OBJECTIVE OF SITE SELECTION

Adequate temperatures, accessibility, stable and slightly high ground, are the major governing
factor for the smooth trouble free operation of a biogas plants. Beside these factors, orientation
of the biogas plant has a great influence on the comfort condition of the biogas users, if planned
properly will lure users to follow all the operation instructions provided to them minimizing
frequent cost of time and resources of the company.

MEANING AND DEFINITION OF SITE SELECTION

The importance of the proper selection of a construction site cannot be over-emphasized. The
type of in formations to be collected for the selection of a site is essentially the same as that used
for mega engineering designs, more detailed information the better. But it is not feasible to
prescribe the detailed information required for a given site selection problem as each project
requires judgment in the development of an adequate program of investigation and analysis;
therefore, only the basic principles and considerations are included here. However, it is good to
begin your site selection process with a general survey or analysis of land availability of the
owner, and then narrow the search to specific sites considering as may attributes as possible.

When choosing a site for a construction, there are many attributes to consider:

The site should facilitate easy construction works.

The selected site should be such that the construction cost is minimized.

10
 The selected site should ensure easy operation and maintenance activities like feeding of
Plant, Use of main gas valve, Composing and use of slurry, Checking of gas leakage,
Draining condensed water from pipeline etc.

The site should guarantee plant safety

For proper functioning of the plant, the right temperature has to be maintained in the
digester. Therefore, a sunny site has to be selected.

To make plant operation easy and to avoid wastage of raw materials specially the dung,
the plant must be as close as possible to the stable (cattle-shed) and water source. If the
nearest water source is at a distance of more than 20 minutes walk, the burden of fetching
water becomes too much and no plant should be installed in such places.

If longer gas-pipe is used the cost will be increased as the pipe is expensive. Furthermore,
longer pipe increases the risk of gas leakage due to more joints in it. The main valve has
to be opened and closed before and after use. Therefore, the plant should be as close as
possible to the point of use so that the above problems are eliminated.

The edge of the foundation of the plant should be at least two meters away from the
house or any other building to avoid risk of damages.

The plant should be at least 10 meters away from the well or any other under-ground
water sources to protect water from pollution.

Sufficient space for compost pits should be available.

THINGS TO REMEMBER FOR SITE SELECTION

A golden rule is: the plant belongs to the stable rather than to the kitchen. Preferably, the mixture
chamber or the inlet should be constructed near the stable. A few meters of piping are more
economic than the daily transport of dung from the stable to the biogas plant.

The roofing of the stable should neither drain on the digester nor on the soil covering the plant.
Large amounts of water entering the ground around the plant weaken the soil and cause static
instability. Excess rain water may cool down the slurry in the plant and cause the gas production
to drop.

The overflow point should guide into farmland owned by the plant users. It has been observed
that plants which overflow in public or foreign land can cause social problems. A promise of the
owner to remove the slurry daily should not convince the planner

Water traps in the piping are constant source of trouble. If the site allows the plant and its piping
should be laid out in a way that a water trap in the piping can be avoided. This is only possible if
the pipes are sloping all the way back to the plant.

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The piping is the major cost factor. It should not be unnecessarily long. This criterion however is
given less priority than having the stable close to the inlet and the outlet directed towards the
farm land.

A fixed dome plant should not be located in area required for tractor or heavy machinery
movement.

Trees should not be too close to the plant. The roots may destroy the digester or the expansion
chamber. In addition older trees may fall and destroy parts of the plant. If the position of the
biogas plant is too shady, the soil temperature around the plant will be low in general. This leads
to a decrease in gas production.

The area around a biogas plant should not be a playground for children. This is less important for
underground fixed dome plants more important for floating drum plants and essential for balloon
plants.

ORIENTATION TO RECEIVE THE MOST SOLAR HEAT

Believe it or not, the orientation of a biogas plant can have a tremendous effect on its efficiency.
Biogas plant should be oriented to take advantage of solar exposure and heat gain. Generally this
means the biogas plant orientated from east to west or vice versa (longest section facing south).
This allows the most sunlight to fall into the biogas plant but, site conditions may not allow this,
so each individual biogas plant will need to be evaluated on a case by case basis.

As mentioned briefly above, the direction a biogas plant faces and its location affect the ability to
use passive solar heating harvesting. By analyzing the path of the sun at different times of the
year, the orientation of a biogas plant can be optimized to receive the most solar heat. Beside one
should avoid damp and cool place for effective functioning of biogas plant.

Source: BSP

Figure 3: Portraying house water source trees etc

Based upon the above mentioned factors, it is recommended to select the plant location. But
please note that it will not be possible to meet all the requirements as stated above, however,

12
SUMMARY OF SITE SELECTION

Selection of construction sites are mainly governed by the following factors:

The site should facilitate easy construction works.

The selected site should be such that the construction cost is minimized.

The selected site should ensure easy operation and maintenance activities like feeding of
Plant, Use of main gas valve, Composing and use of slurry, Checking of gas leakage,
Draining condensed water from pipeline etc.

The site should guarantee plant safety

Based upon the above mentioned factors, it is recommended to select plant location based
upon the following considerations. Please note that it will not be possible to meet all the
requirements as stated below, however, it should be ensured that as many as possible
points are considers.

For effective functioning of bio-digesters, right temperature (20-35°C) has to be

maintained inside the digester. Therefore it is better to avoid damp and cool place –
Sunny site is preferable.

The area to construct plant should have even surface.

The site should be in slightly higher elevation than the surrounding. This helps in
avoiding water logging. This also ensures free flow of slurry from overflow outlet to the
composting pit.

To make plant easier to operate and avoid wastage of raw materials, especially the
dung/swine manure, plant must be as close as possible to the cattle shed or pig sty.

To mix dung and water or flush swine manure to the digester, considerable quantity of
water is required. If water source is far, the burden of fetching water becomes more.
However, the well or ground water source should be at least 10 meter away from the bio-
digester especially the slurry pit to avoid the ground water pollution.

If longer gas pipe is used the cost will be increased as the conveyance system becomes
costly. Furthermore, longer pipeline increases the risk of gas leakage. The main gas valve
which is fitted just above the gas holder should be opened and closed before and after the
use of biogas. Therefore the plant should be as near to the point of application as
possible.

The edge of plant should be at least 2 meter away from the foundation of house or any
structure.

There should be enough space for compost-pit(s) as these are integral parts of the bio-
digester.

13
 The site should be at sufficient distance from trees to avoid damage of bio-digester from
roots.

Type of soil should have enough bearing capacity to avoid the possibility of sinking of
structure.

When space is a problem, the pig-sty can be constructed on top of the plant after proper
backfilling.

REVIEW POINTS

a) What are the various considerations for site selection for the construction of biogas plant?

b) Why the construction site is should be slightly higher compared to other ground level?

c) What should be the minimum distance of the biogas site from the water source and why?

d) Why should the biogas plant be properly oriented to take advantage of solar exposure and
heat gain?

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 1.2 SELECTION OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

The expected optimum benefits from a biogas plant mainly depend on quality and of
construction procedure followed. Correct construction procedure mentioned in sequential fashion
and described quality of construction materials that has been used. Therefore to derive to a
successfully constructed biogas plant, the mason should not only follow dimension as in the
drawing but also should be able to confirm the quality of construction materials that is going to
be used in construction such as cement, sand, aggregate etc. are not of good quality. Failing to
use good quality construction material will result in inferior quality of biogas plant even if design
and workmanship involved are excellent.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of the session, participant will be able to do the following:

Give verbal account of the quality of construction materials required for bio-digester
construction;

Understands how construction materials should be tested for quality;

Conduct bottle test (decantation test) independently; and

Can explain the possible consequences if inferior quality of construction are used

In order to select these materials of best quality, their brief description regarding the
specifications has been given hereunder.

1.2.1 Cement

Cement is a binding, substance that is used to bind other construction materials such as stones,
bricks, aggregates, sand together. The most important use of cement in biogas plant is to produce
mortar and concrete for bonding various construction materials to form a strong building
material which is durable in the face of normal environmental effects. Therefore, the quality of
cement is very much important for the durability of a biogas plant.

The cement to be used in the biogas plant construction has to be of high quality Ordinary
Portland Cement (OPC) from a brand with a good reputation in the local market and It must
be fresh, without lumps.

Storing cement in huge store

The other important part in how is it to be stored, therefore one should also be aware of properly
storing the cement. Cement is finely ground therefore it will easily absorb water and also
moisture from the air. Therefore to protect cement from getting damp – especially during the
monsoons season, following points needs to be considered.

Ideally, store cement in a weatherproof warehouse.

15
 Stack bags close together, to reduce air circulation, about 30 cm away from the walls and,
preferably, on wooden planks.

Keep the stacked pile up to a maximum of 15 bags high and about 3 meters in width –
alternately placing the bags lengthwise and crosswise, to safeguard against toppling.

For extra safety during monsoon, or when the bags are to be stored for long periods, cover
the pile with a polythene sheet.

When removing bags for use, do it on a "first in, first out" system. This means stacking
bags separately as they arrive, with date of arrival placards attached to each pile.

Storing cement at site

Bags at site should be stored on a dry, wooden platform, raised about 15 cm from ground level.
Keep the stocks to a minimum – preferably just the quantity of bags required for day’s
consumption. Cover the stored bags with tarpaulin or polythene sheets.

Such temporary storage at site should be avoided during monsoon.

1.2.2 Sand

Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral
particles. Sand has become one of the major basic raw materials, used in construction in the
modern world. The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources
and conditions.

Organic impurities in sand may be either due to decayed vegetation, humus, coal particles, or
organic slimes and industrial wastes depending upon the source of sand. However, clay, silts,
salts, mica and organic matters are the main impurities in sand. Sand should also be free from
shell, wood particles etc. Presence of large amount of impurities retard the setting of cement and
thus have deleterious effect on the strength of mortar, concrete and does not give satisfactory
results and many cause failures of the structure. Generally a maximum of 6 per cent silt, 2 to 3
per cent of mica is allowed in sand for mortar and concrete 2. However, when it comes to
determining before the sand is used in construction practically; all specifications have required
that the sand be clean, sharp, angular, hard and durable; free from clay, mica and soft flaky
pieces and the principal source of trouble is the sand is due to amount of organic matter that it
contains. Therefore the sand in biogas plant construction should not contain impurities more than
3% and if the allowable tolerance is superseded than the sand must be washed before it can be
used. Washing has the additional advantage of removing salts in sand.

Procedure to test the presence of silt and clay

To test the presence of silt and clay in sand can be done by rubbing a sample of sand between
damp hands and noting the discoloration caused. Clean material will leave the hands only
2
Building Materials by P.C. Varghese, Prentice-Hall of India New Delhi - 2005

16
slightly stained and if the hands stay dirty after the sand has been thrown away, it indicates the
presence of too much silt and clay.

The quantity of impurities especially the mud, in the sand can be determined by a simple test
using a clear bottle called the “bottle test” or “decantation test”. For this test, fill about half of the
bottle with sand and add clean drinkable water until the bottle is three quarters full than stirred
vigorously. The bottle is then left stationary for about an hour to allow the sand to settle down.
Clear sand will settle immediately because the particles of sand are heavier than that of mud so it
settles down quickly. Presence of clay will show the water muddy and any clay or silt will settle
slowly on the top of sand. If salt is added in water at the ratio of one teaspoonful to half a liter it
will speed up the settling process. After it settles you can measure the thickness of clay or silt at
the top layer of sand and divide with the thickness of clean sand to derive to percentage of
impurities the sand contains.

Example:

Impurity % = (thickness of clay on top of the bottle) X 100 …………………..equation

(Thickness of clean sand at the bottom)

What is the percentage of impurities in the sand if the thickness of clay at the top of sand in the
bottle is 3 mm and the thickness of clean sand at the bottom of the bottle is 100 cm?

Solution:

Using the above equation:

3 mm X 100 = 3 therefore it is 3 %

100mm

Figure 4: Bottle test of sand Source: BSP

Process to test organic impurities in sand

17
A simple test for determining the presence of injurious organic matter in sand is made by shaking
some of the sand in a transparent bottle with an equal volume of a 3 percent solution (100gm in 4
liters of water) of caustic soda and allowing the mixture to stand for 24 hours. The liquid above
the sand should not be darker than the light straw (pale yellow) color. If the color is a marked
yellow or brown the presence of excessive amount of organic matter is indicated.

Note: Coarse and granular sand can be used for concreting work but fine sand will be better for
plastering work.

1.2.3 Aggregate

Aggregate is yet another basic construction material; aggregate should be of the hardest and
toughest verity available; should be as much cubical as possible in shape and should be
reasonably well graded so as to achieve a dense and well interlocked mass. Excess of thin, flat,
elongated or flaky particles should be avoided as they produce harsh unworkable mix and are not
suitable for bearing concrete works and aggregate with rough surface also produce weaker
concrete. Besides, it must be clean and free from clay, loam, vegetable and other organic
materials. Clay and dirt coating on aggregates prevents adhesion of cement to aggregate, slows
down the setting and hardening of cement (concrete) and reduces the strength of the concrete. If
it is dirty, it should be washed with clean water.

Aggregate that is to be used in the biogas should not be too big or very small. It should not be
bigger than 25% of the thickness of concrete product where it is used in. As the slabs and top of
the dome are not more than 3” thick, gravel should not be larger than 0.75” (2 cm) in size.

Source: BSP

Figure 5: Measuring aggregate

1.2.4 Water

Water is mainly used for preparing the mortar for masonry work, concreting work and plastering.
It is also used to soak bricks/stones before using them. Besides these, water is also used for
washing sand and aggregates. It is advised not to use water from ponds and irrigation canals for
these purposes as it is usually too dirty. Dirty water has an adverse effect on the strength of the
structure; hence water to be used must be clean and of drinkable quality.

1.2.5 Bricks

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Bricks must be of the best quality locally available. When hitting two bricks, the sound must be
clear. They must be well baked and regular in shape. The surface should not be too smooth as
otherwise mortar will not stick to it. Its surface should be hard and must not get scratched by the
finger nail. Crushing strength of bricks are variable, and may vary from 30kg/sq. cm to
150kg/sq.cm for handmade bricks while machine pressed brick may have compressive strength
as high as 450 kg/cm2 and even 500kg/ cm2.

Before use, bricks must be soaked for one hour to minimum fifteen minutes in clean water to
avoid absorbing of moisture from cement mortar.

Process of testing the strength of brick

A good quality brick should not break when struck against another brick or when dropped flat
from a height of about 1.2 to 1.5 meters.

1.2.6 Stones

Stone is one of oldest construction material known to humans. The chief requirements of a
building stone are; strength, density and durability with reasonable facility for working. A good
building stone should be hard, tough, compact grained and uniform in texture and color. Stones
with uniform color are generally found to be durable. Brown and red shades and mottled color
indicate the presence of injurious materials. However a building stone should have a crushing
strength of at least 100kg/sq. cm and should be free from decay, flaws, veins, cracks and sand
holes. The freshly broken stone should be bright, clean, and must have uniformity of texture
without loose grains and be free from any dull chalky or earthy appearance. Mica is a source of
weakness in a stone and stones having two percent of mica are not suitable for structural
purpose. Mica flakes are either white or dark brown or black and shine with metallic luster. If
stones are to be used for masonry work are dirty, they have to be cleaned using wire brush and
water.

Testing of stone

There is several method of testing the durability of stone but for biogas all these testes are no so
necessary. The recommended simple field test is hardness test which may be tested by scratching
with a penknife, which should not make an impression on a hard stone and the toughness may be
tested by breaking the stone under a hammer. Structural test can be conducted by putting a small
piece of stone in a glass of water for about an hour and then shaken vigorously. If the water gets
dirty it indicates the particles are no properly cemented together.

SUMMARY OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL

 The success or failure of any biogas plant mainly depends upon the quality of
construction material and works. To obtain successful result on biogas construction, the
mason should not only follow the dimensions as stipulated in the drawing but should also

19
 be able to select quality construction materials and should also follow the correct
construction procedure solemnly.

 Cement should be of Ordinary Portland Cement and should not contain lumps and must
be fresh.

 Should not be stored directly on the floor; it should be stored on the wooden plank which
is 15 cm high from the ground.

 As far as possible temporary storage in the construction site must be avoided, only the
quantity that is to be used that day should be taken to the site.

 Sand should not contain > than 3% of impurity.

 Bottle test (Decantation test) should always be done to check quality of sand before
starting the construction work.

 Size of aggregate is to be used in the construction dome must be of 2 to 2.5 centimeters

when measured from the longest side and of regular size.

 Water used in the construction must be of drinkable quality

 Bricks of best local quality needs to be use with regular sides and shape and must pass
the drop tested.

 Brick must be soaked for at least 15 minutes before using to avoid brick soaking moisture
of the cement mortar.

 Stone must be clean and hard, no impression must be visible when it is scratched with a
pen knife.

REVIEW POINTS

a. What should be the quality of sand, cement, stone, gravel and bricks to be used for bio-
digester construction?

b. What are the testing methods for sand impurities?

c. How is the stone tested?

d. What should be the minimum height of the wooden from the floor for storing cement?

e. Why is Decantation test done?

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 1.3 METHOD OF EXCAVATION OF DIGESTER PIT

WHY ARE DIGESTERS CONSTRUCTED UNDER THE GROUND?

There is a close relation of biogas production between fermentation temperature and stable
fermentation temperature. Stable or constant fermentation temperature has to be maintained for
the normal state of biogas fermentation. Experience tells that the generation of biogas will slow
down perceptibly if there is an abrupt increase or decrease of five degrees in the fermentation
temperature while a great change in temperature will interrupt biogas production. Therefore, in
order to speed-up biogas fermentation and consequently raise the biogas yield per cubic meter of
the digester, some measures must be taken to keep a considerably high but relatively stable
fermentation temperature.

Therefore, most of the low cost biogas digesters have to be constructed under the ground to
maintain stable fermentation temperature and to preserve it from normal temperature variation
that occurs between night and day. Beside the structures that are constructed underground are
stronger and last longer without additional cost.

LAYOUT OF BIOGAS SYSTEM

Immediately after selection of the construction site, layout needs to be carried out to be familiar
with the general arrangement plan and designs. Furthermore, it is required to check the
dimensions of the site in line with the design requirements. For uneven locations; having greater
gradient, it is necessary to clear and level the ground before initiating layout so as to ensure the
accuracy of layout.

Source: Ravi Chettri

Figure 6: Layout should portray

When a suitable site clearance and leveling is accomplished, a small peg has to be stuck in the
ground at the centre spot of the digester. A cord has to be attached to this peg with a loose loop
so that it can be rotated without obstruction or knot getting tight in the center peg.

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Now according to the capacity of the biogas plant that is to be constructed, the length of pit
radius varies and the recommended correct measurements must be chosen from the construction
drawing measurement table indicated under dimension “Rp” (Radius of pit). Section of the
measurement is given at the table 2 below.

Figure 7: Dimension table indicating “Rp” row

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After finalizing the radius of the pit another sharp peg must be tied to the edge of the marked
cord and must be rotated on the circular fashion stretching the cord to form the pit
circumference. The pit depth is indicated on the drawing under dimension “Dp” (Depth of pit).

Source: BSP

Figure 8: Layout for the digester pit

Since the unskilled labor or the biogas plant owner who is helping with digging may not be
familiar with the measurement therefore a dipstick should be prepared for them with at least
having 5 to 7 centimeter shorter than the recommended depth to avoid backfilling due to
excessive digging. Frequent measurement should be taken when the desired pit depth is being
reached to avoid excessive digging and later requiring a backfilling to maintain the correct depth
beside the pit bottom also needs to be leveled by scraping the top surface.

Biogas Plant Size

Sr. Components Symbol
4m3 6m3 8m3 10m3

5 Radius of Pit Rp 140 160 175 200

7 Depth of Excavation Dp 160 170 180 190

TABLE 2: DIMENSION OF PIT WITH RADIUS AND DEPTH

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SUMMARY OF LAYOUT

Construction works of bio-digester starts with the process of layout works. This is the activity
carried out to mark the dimensions of plant in the ground to start the digging work. For this
purpose, first a small peg has to be stuck in the ground at the centre spot of the digester. Then the
following steps should be followed:

Level the ground and determine the centre line of the digester, outlet tank and inlet pit
(generally called as hart-line)

Decide the reference level. It is better to assume the leveled ground level as the reference
level. The top of the dome (outer) should exactly be in this level.

Select the outer radius of the pit (digester diameter plus wall thickness plus space for a
footing projection of at least 10 cm) as shown in the drawing under dimension ‘Rp’ and
mark it in the rope or chord.

Insert a stick or wooden peg in the leveled ground at the centre of the proposed digester
pit. With the help of this pole and the chord prepared earlier, make a circle, which
indicates the area to dig.

From the centre point where the central line meets with the perimeter line, draw a tangent
and measure a length equal to half of the breadth of outlet plus wall thickness (for outlet
chamber) and half of the size of manhole (30cm) plus wall thickness for manhole, on
either side of this tangent. Mark the manhole ensuring that the inner size is 60 cm x 60
cm.

Draw horizontal parallel lines from the points in either side in the tangent, which will
meet the dome. From the centre point where the central line meets with the perimeter line,
measure the length of outlet plus wall thickness to decide the outer dimension of outlet.

Check the size diagonally to ensure that the corners are exactly at 90 degrees and use
colored powder to mark the dimensions.

Decide the location of slurry pits while laying out plant digester and outlet.

DIGESTER PIT EXCAVATION

The excavation work should only be started after deciding the location of inlet pit, manhole and
outlet tank. Therefore after properly marking the layout with white lime, indicating outlet and
inlet re-checking must be done to observe if the maximum criteria have fulfilled or not. Once
you have done the re-checking you can now proceed for digging of the digester pit.

There are two kinds of methods for excavating the digester pit; e.g. excavation with vertical wall
and with side slopes. The excavating method depends on geologic and hydrologic circumstances
of the construction site and the digging depth. If the construction site has low ground water and

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its soil is of natural humidity, or if the ground water level is high, yet the digging depth of the pit
is less it is advised to adopt the vertical-wall excavating method, the recommended allowable
value is listed in table 02. In addition, the vertical-wall method can also depend on experience.

Maximum allowable depth by vertical wall method

Maximum allowed depth by vertical-wall method

(from the datum mark of the digester body wall to on)
Soil Type
Without ground water, soil is With high ground
of natural humidity (m) water (m)

stacked-filling sandy and

1.00 0.60
sand gravel soil

sandy loam and loam 1.25 0.75

Clay 1.5 0.95

particularly compacted
2.00 1.20
soil layer

TABLE 3: MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE DEPTH BY VERTICAL WALL METHOD

In dry areas with very little rain, the allowable vertical digging depth of the pit wall is often very
great, whereas in rainy areas the vertical excavation depth is comparatively small, for it is more
likely to cave in, especially at the time of rain and areas where there is difficult drainage.

The construction site unsuitable for vertical-wall method should be excavated with side slope.
The size of side slope of the pit wall has something to do with soil. The specification for the side
slope digging of different soils are given in table 03

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Specification for side-slope digging of different soil

Soil Slope Soil Slope

Sandy soil 1:00 Loam 1:0.50

Sandy loam 1:0.78 Dry loess 1:0.25

Clay 1:0.33 Soil with gravel and pebbles 01:0.67

Table 4: Specification for side-slope digging of different soil

Usually, sand soil and soil containing more gravel and pebbles are comparatively loose, thus
requiring a greater size of side slope. High water table soil also needs a larger side slope digging.

Source: Ravi Chettri

Figure 9: Side slope for different type of soil

While digging, the excavated soil should be thrown at least one foot to one meter away from the
lay-out, so that it does not fall inside the pit when the construction work is in progress. After
digging the pit, a suitable arrangement must be made for the inlet pipes (toilet connection and
inlet pipe). If the right depth could not be achieve due to hard rock or underground water, some
protective measures have to be constructed so that the walls of outlet and dome is supported well
from outside after completion of the structure.

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 Source: Ravi Chettri

Figure 10: Rock at the bottom of the pit

The diameter of the pit should equal the base diameter plus the width of the stone used for lining.
The hole should be dug to the full diameter, straight down to a depth as recommended as per the
capacity of the biogas plant in column “Dp”.

The radius of the digester pit is calculated as:

a) For Stone wall - Rd (radius of digester) + (wall thickness)

Rp = Rp + (30)

Example:

Radius of pit of a 6 m3 biogas plant is 130 + 30 = 160 cm

b) For Brick wall - Rd (radius of digester) + (wall thickness) + (working space)

Rp = Rp + (10) + (15)

Example:

Radius of pit of a 6 m3 biogas plant is 130 + 10 + 15 = 155 cm

Note:

When the biogas plant is built with bricks; excavation quantity is reduced to some extent.

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 Source: Ravi Chettri

Figure 11: Space between stone and brick wall

Frequent measurements should be taken when the desired pit depth is being reached to avoid
excessive digging requiring a backfilling to maintain the correct depth. If the digester base is laid
on the backfilled soil, the digester floor develops cracks due to compression when it is filled for
operation due to the weight of water and dung mixture.

Soil at the pit bottom must be leveled by means of a spirit level and the earth must be untouched.
Surface is then wetted with water and rammed with a heavy rammer for further compaction.

SUMMARY OF EXCAVATION

After completion of lay-out work, excavation of digester pit has to be started. Tools like,
crow-bar, picks, spade, shovel and basket should be available at the site. The following
points have to be followed to dig the pit.

Digging should be done as per the dimensions fixed during layout

As far as practical the cutting in ground should be vertical, however, if the soil is
cohesion-less and angle of repose needs more slope cutting, scaffolding may be needed.
If the water table is high and digging to the required depth is difficult, a deeper pit has to
be constructed near the digester pit. Water accumulated in the digester pit has to be drain
to this pit through underground pipes. Water should be pumped from this pit.

Once the depth of digging is equal to the dimension ‘Dp’ as shown in the drawing, the
work of leveling and ramming the base has to be done. The pit bottom must be leveled
and the earth must be untouched.

Always ensure that the excavated earth is deposited at least 1 m away from the pit in each
side to ease the construction works.

Be careful to avoid accident while digging near the sides as soil may collapse.

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 Dig the foundation for the manhole (first step of outlet tank) along with the foundation
for digester as per the dimensions in the drawing during the layout.

Now horizontal poles have to be placed in the ground level crossing each other at 90
degree in the centre. Ensure that the poles rest at leveled ground.

If because of hard rock or underground water, the right depth cannot be achieved, some
protective measure have to be constructed so that the walls of outlet and dome is
supported well from outside

REVIEW POINTS

a) Mention why the excavated soil needs to be at least 1 meter away from the digester pit?

b) Why is necessary to provide side slope when digging in sandy soil?

c) What is the recommended slope ratio for dry loess soil?

d) Why must be the digester placed deep inside the ground?

e) What does the code “Rp” in the dimension table represent?

f) What is the reason of making the dip stick shorter by 5 to 10 centimeter?

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