Don,
I think its a given that if you put in a culvert you have to fix
what you did with a shovel! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
When I put in my culvert, I had prepped the ground real good.
I had watched where the water went and planned the culvert
real careful. I think I ended up with 6 loads of ABC to cover
the culvert and I had it delivered over a couple of afternoons
so I would not be in a hurry to get things covered before the
truck came back.
As I got the gravel closer to the culvert. I got off the tractor
and used a shovel to fill under and around the pipe. I
eventually got to the point where I could drop, carefully and
slowly, ABC over the top of the pipe. Once I got the culvert
covered I started "bulldozing" the ABC over the pipe.
By the time I got to "bulldozing" it was the end of the day. I
was tired. I wanted to finish and go home.
Is that enough of a hint to tell you what happened
next? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I had to move bit of ABC down to one end of the pipe. I
opened the 4n1 so it was "bulldozing." The angle had left only
a very small lip on the bucket about an inch or so to move
the ABC. As I got the end of the push I was a little slow on
starting to raise the bucket as I got near the culvert....
The culvert is plastic.
Double walled thank goodness....
The corner of that bucked on that one inch lip managed to
spear the culvert!!!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
I was raising the bucket and moving forward at the same time.
GRRRRRRRR!!
Only about an inch of bucket hit the culvert but that was
enough to spear the plastic so that the piple got moved up
and over!!!!!!!!!
And that ABC ran right where the culvert needed to go.... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
NOT HAPPY to say the least.
With the shovel I got it somewhat back in place. Thankfully
I was not moving fast or I really would have made a mess....
One thing my father in law had told me was the culverts are
self leveling. Eventually the sediments will fill up from grade
to the bottom of the culvert. So I should be fine.
And it has not had a problem with all of they heavy rains we
have had in the last year.
So put in a culvert get out a shovel!!!! You are in good
company! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Later,
Dan McCarty
