Backhoe Using a Backhoe

[HoggyB]

Hi, all-

I'm getting ready to dig my trench for my utilities.

It will be either 4 or 5 feet deep, not sure yet.

How can you tell, when digging, how deep you are? Do you need an assistant? Or do you just guesstimate? Or can you tell using the boom?

Also, based on my BX23 manual, I'm figuring I'll get a 4' flat bottom at 5' of depth. Does this sound reasonable?

Hog

 

[sandyc]

You could get real fancy and use a laser level device but we have always just dug the trench using a tape to set the depth. After a while you will be able to judge the depth by looking at the angle of the boom at the bottom of the trench.

Good luck....don't fall in!

 

[MarkLeininger]

I use a water level, cheap and foolproof. You won't be able to guesstimate your depth until you've gained some experience, but for burying utilities it doesn't really matter if you're level or flat.

 

[JerryG]

Hoggy,
What I do the most of the time is dig down and measure a spot, then look and see where the top of the trench is on the boom when it is at the bottom of the trench. You can stay pretty close this way. I still spot check once in a while.

 

[rbargeron]

Which utilities are you burying? Gas? Water? Sewer? Phone? Cable? Electric? I only ask because I put elctricity, phone and cable into a ditch - only needed to be 2' deep.

 

[Jimbrown]

Do not know where you are or what kind of dirt you are digging but here in southern Arizona a 5ft hole is difficult with a BX and I would guess more like 2 ft of flat bottom at that depth. It would take you all day to dig a 50 ft trench.

 

[HoggyB]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Which utilities are you burying? Gas? Water? Sewer? Phone? Cable? Electric? I only ask because I put elctricity, phone and cable into a ditch - only needed to be 2' deep.

)</font>

I'll be putting in electricity and telco in separate conduits and they have to be separated by 12" of (vertical) fill.

I'm also planning on adding a third conduit for future use. That may require a 5' ditch, although I'm thinking that I might be able to get away with minimal depth on the third conduit, since I will be pouring concrete over the whole thing.

Hog

 

[HoggyB]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Do not know where you are or what kind of dirt you are digging but here in southern Arizona a 5ft hole is difficult with a BX and I would guess more like 2 ft of flat bottom at that depth. It would take you all day to dig a 50 ft trench. )</font>

The dirt is mostly decomposed granite. It should be nice and damp from all the rain we've had.

I'm really hoping to keep the trench to 4 feet of depth.

Hog

 

[rbargeron]

In western MA the electric cable (220v from a can on the pole)was direct burial with conduit only down the pole and for the first 10 feet underground - the phone company wanted 12" separation but was ok with lateral. They wanted their own conduit (2" pvc was fine) I put the tv cable in a second pvc conduit right beside the phone one. It's been in about 5 yrs - everything is fine. About 350' long. Only 24" deep (some places maybe only 20") They recommmend deeper if there is a lot of activity over it like a herd of cows on it every day.

 

[HoggyB]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( In western MA the electric cable (220v from a can on the pole)was direct burial with conduit only down the pole and for the first 10 feet underground - the phone company wanted 12" separation but was ok with lateral. They wanted their own conduit (2" pvc was fine) I put the tv cable in a second pvc conduit right beside the phone one. It's been in about 5 yrs - everything is fine. About 350' long. Only 24" deep (some places maybe only 20") They recommmend deeper if there is a lot of activity over it like a herd of cows on it every day. )</font>

Man, I can't believe that. My dad lives in NC and they did the same thing for him, direct burial from the street. It was a run of only about 100', though, so I don't know if that makes a difference.

My local power company wants 3" conduit all the way. I think I could get away with a 12" lateral separation for my telco also, but my BX23 won't dig that wide a trench, so I'm going for a 12" vertical separation.

That means a trench about 3 1/2 to 4 feet deep.

Hog