best way/attachment to trench water main

[budepps3760]

I need to run a 2" water main to a house that I am going to build on my land. To make a long story short, my neighbor cut a new easement road for me to use to get to my land because he no longer wanted me to use the current road. I asked him to hold off on any further work on the road once the bulldozer did their part so I would be able to trench in soft field dirt. Instead he had 3" gravel laid and packed down hard, about 18" thick. There is no shoulder and trenching parallel to the road is not an option as it is thick forest that the road was cut through. I don't know if a plow would work. Any suggestions would be appreciated.:dance1:

 

[paulharvey]

I need to run a 2" water main to a house that I am going to build on my land. To make a long story short, my neighbor cut a new easement road for me to use to get to my land because he no longer wanted me to use the current road. I asked him to hold off on any further work on the road once the bulldozer did their part so I would be able to trench in soft field dirt. Instead he had 3" gravel laid and packed down hard, about 18" thick. There is no shoulder and trenching parallel to the road is not an option as it is thick forest that the road was cut through. I don't know if a plow would work. Any suggestions would be appreciated.:dance1:

At this point I would go down center of road with a vibro plow or ditch witch. As narrow as possible; at least 24" deep; unless your ground freezes.

 

[2458n]

Directional boring would work. My old machine was a 24x40 Vermeer and it was used on 8 inch gas lines. a 7x11 would easily do 400ft horizontal and pull back your 2 inch line with no reaming needed. You pick the depth to run. Our gas lines usually ran about 4 ft. down. If you need more than 400 ft. you move up and do it again. All the boring is done underground so driveways,curbs, and landscaping are left unharmed.

 

[lt190b]

2458n, that is interesting, I wasn't aware you could bore at that depth. What should that cost? lt190b

 

[bigtiller]

3" rock packed 18" thick could get expensive. You know we're all curious, whad-jew do to tick him off? :scratchchin:

 

[paulharvey]

2458n, that is interesting, I wasn't aware you could bore at that depth. What should that cost? lt190b

Directional drilling is fairly expensive, not something home owners would want to do as a first option.

 

[mikehaugen]

I've never personally had it done, but an electrician that I know was telling me he has a guy that does it for $9/ft. Don't know if there are any variables that affect that price.

 

[budepps3760]

I guess it ticked them off that I own my 80 acres. The neighbor died and left his 160 acres to his niece. They moved from Mississippi and decided that their 2 daughters would build houses there as well but they did not want me to pass by their daughter's houses and thus wanted to move the road that's been in use for 50 years. Things went back and forth between lawyers and we finally wound up with where we are. Shame I had to get a lawyer but lawyers are like nuclear weapons. Once one side gets one the other side has to lawyer up for protection.

 

[bigtiller]

That's really too bad it turned out that way. At least you have some land for a buffer zone, and your own driveway now. These things happen in town sometimes with shared driveways and things get real ugly. Good luck.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I would just get to the side of the road (centerline of the ditch) and put the line in with a backhoe about 4 feet deep. THAT should be plenty deep to avoid future damage from cleaning out he ditch. If you have frost line deeper, put it as deep as you need. It wont take much longer to dig another foot deeper. A back hoe or excavator might run you $85 per hour if you contract it. You could always rent one. IF renting, I would go with a tracked excavator. They dig much faster.