What We Do On Our End – Understanding Sanitary Articulation Reporting

When you engage us to produce a sanitary articulation report, you might be wondering — what exactly do we do, and why does it matter? In this blog, we’ll give you a simple breakdown of how the process works on our end and why these reports are an essential part of a compliant and long-lasting plumbing installation.

Step 1: We Review Your Site Classification Report and Plans

Once you send through your site classification report and site plans, the first thing we do is review this information in detail. The site classification report is especially important — it tells us the sites soil class and provides insight into the soil conditions on your block.

We’re looking for things like:

• Whether the soil contains uncontrolled fill;

• The presence of trees or vegetation;

• Reactive soil types that expand and contract; and

• The estimated soil movement (Ys value) for where the building and plumbing works is proposed

  
  

Step 2: We Analyse the Expected Soil Movement

Soils naturally move — they expand and contract due to moisture, temperature, and surrounding conditions. Some types of soils (like clay) are particularly reactive. If your block has trees, poorly compacted fill, or high clay content, this movement can be significant.

Why does this matter? Because this movement can stress your underground plumbing.

Without proper articulation (flexibility) in your pipes, this movement can lead to:

• Cracked or broken pipes

• Leaks and contamination

• Tree root intrusion

• Blockages or system failures

So understanding how much the soil is expected move is vital to informing plumbing for your building work that will remain functional over time.

Step 3: We Design to Allow for Movement

Using the information in your soil report, we determine how much movement is expected and then design your plumbing articulation accordingly. This includes specifying:

• The minimum required movement to accommodated within pipe joints

• Locations where movement needs to be absorbed

• Suitable detailing around pipe penetrations

This design ensures that your toilet, shower, sink, and other waste pipes can move with the soil — without breaking or pulling apart.

Step 4: We Deliver a Report and Drawings

Once our assessment is complete, we compile a clear, professional Sanitary Drainage Articulation Report. This includes:

• A written summary of the site and soil conditions

• Our recommendations and articulation requirements

• Articulation Details showing plumbers exactly what to do

This report is suitable for plumbers, certifiers, and council submission and shows that proper engineering consideration has been given to how the site conditions affect pipework longevity.

Why This Matters to You

At the end of the day, this process protects your home or building works. It ensures:

• Your underground pipes don’t crack as the ground moves

• You avoid future plumbing failures and costly repairs

• The risk of contamination, leaks, or blockages is minimised

Whether you’re a builder, a certifier, or an owner-builder navigating the approvals process, a properly prepared articulation report gives everyone peace of mind that the plumbing system is designed for your specific site conditions — not a one-size-fits-all guess.

Need a sanitary articulation report? We make it easy. Get in touch with our team and we’ll walk you through what’s needed and deliver a clear, engineer-certified report ready for construction.