Pushing conduit under gravel road

Mtjohnso · Nov 22, 2016

I am moving power from above ground to below ground on piece of property. There is a gravel road that belongs to neighbor that I prefer to not dig up. The gravel road is about 20 ft across. I have dug a trench on one side 13 ft long and a 3 ft trench on opposite side. Trench is about 24 inches deep.
I have already had locating company come out to determine where telephone, power and water lines are located. So I am clear of those.
I plan to use a 10 ton ports pier unit to push pipe under road. I wanted to use rigid metal conduit but it was $100+ for a 10 ft section. The plastic conduit is $18 for 10 ft section. So I will try the plastic first
So will put pipe in trench , level it and use ports power to push it through.
No rocks in trench so I think I have clean soil to go through.
Anyone else do this ? Success/failure? Problems?

Sparktrician · Nov 22, 2016

As a electrician, I cannot imagine much success pushing PVC conduit as you intend.....I don't think it will remotely do it....RMC will, PVC, I doubt it

farmerwithmutt · Nov 22, 2016

Seen it done using a backhoe to push it through .

comfortking · Nov 22, 2016

What diameter is your pipe? I have pushed pvc pipes through by hooking a waterline to it and let the water
eat the hole out as it goes

Tony in SD · Nov 22, 2016

I don't think PVC will work. But if I was to try I would use at least Schedule 80 PVC. Im assuming your using 3". Also there is an intermediate metal pipe called IMT It is less than Rigid but more than EMT that you may consider.

Stephen Newell · Nov 22, 2016

Unless the ground is incredibly muddy I don't think you can just push a pipe 20' through. The utility companies use horizontal boring equipment for this purpose.

Barts Dad · Nov 22, 2016

Back in the early sixties, Grandfather and Uncle pushed 1 1/2 diameter black pipe through a raised railroad bed in order to get current for an electric fence on the other side of the tracks. They used a John Deere M with a front blade. Probably not legal now...maybe not then either lol.

big tee · Nov 22, 2016

Why can't you push an old well pipe or some kind of rod through it first then pull a chain with a knot in it then slide the pvc im by hand?

Tramway Guy · Nov 22, 2016

The "spaghetti factor" will be a problem; it will just kink over when you start to push on it. Unless you can push near where it enters the soil.
I like the idea of using water to mine out the soil ahead of the pipe. But friction on the side of the pipe over that distance will not help.

Al Baker(pumpman) · Nov 22, 2016

Have you ever seen someone jet one under a road with water? Simple and easy. Ive seen neighbors do it with just the pressure from the well. They just smashed the end of a pipe and drilled a few small holes facing forward. Then hooked to a garden hose and push and twist. Goes smooth if you don't have stony soil. Al

flying belgian · Nov 22, 2016

Thinking out loud. I wonder if you could slip a solid steel shaft in the pipe and push it through that way? I think instead of digging the 16 ft. of trench on the sides, I would have dug the trench across the road. You would have the wire buried by now.

C. Amick · Nov 22, 2016

How much is a 10 ft. section of steel pipe or tubing?

JMS/.MN · Nov 22, 2016

I think running water thru a steel pipe would work. Also google BorZit...tool that does the same thing.

TomH in PA · Nov 22, 2016

I've run it under sidewalks with a piece of iron pipe and a sledgehammer. No reason it wouldn't go under a wider road unless it's rocky.

OliverGuy · Nov 22, 2016

I bore under drives like this for putting sprinkler systems in. Maybe you know a landscaper to call with a vibratory plow, trencher, borer combo? I do side jobs like yours for less than $200 usually-people who want power under, driveway alarm wire, security system wire, etc. just an idea

rrlund · Nov 22, 2016

Use water pressure. We ran a two inch black plastic under the paved road a few years ago that way.

Greg K · Nov 22, 2016

Denny K · Nov 22, 2016

I did a bore under a road of about 20'. I used 2" sch. 40 pvc and rigged 1/2" steel pipe and pushed the 2" in as I pushed the 1/2" with about 40 psi water inside the 2". In less than 1/2 hour I was all the way through and left the 2" in to feed the electric cables through.

crankhead · Nov 23, 2016

I put a 1 inch metal pipe under a paved road one time by attaching a home made spray nozzle on the front end and pumping water through it. The only reason I did that was because of the pavement. Since you have a dirt road, I would be inclined to take the path of least resistance and just dig a ditch.

HenryO · Nov 23, 2016

WE did that all the time while remodeling gas stations. I used a 3/4 inch pipe with a hose connection on it to wash it through. Lots easier than port a power and quicker also. Usually 60-100 pounds pressure will do the trick.

dr sportster · Nov 23, 2016

The minimum burial depth for that would be 24 inches . No closer to the road. I have only seen the pipes pushed under railroad tracks and it was rigid pipe. Pvc is the same burial depth 24 inches.

kyhayman · Nov 23, 2016

I've got a piece of hoe ram chisel welded into a 2 inch steel coupling. Thread it on a piece of pipe and push section at a time with a D4. Pushed many a conduit that way. 40 feet is the longest so far.

The Dukester · Nov 23, 2016

Back in the 1970's I worked for a trenching contractor digging trenches for joint utility services to.privare and commercial buildings. Often the job would require crossing long established streets and roads, sometimes major thoroughfares and multi lane avenues. In such situations the utility company (Pacific Gas and Electric) had to try to auger under the street and only if that failed, and it often did, could they dig a trench across the street which was usually very time consuming and expensive. Besides the usual asphalt and/or cement surface layer there was often around a foot to18 inches of compacted base rock.....sometimes concrete treated, that took great effort for the backhoe and often a 90 lb. jackhammer to dig out. A lot of work was put into these augering jobs and often the backhoe positioned to do the pulling on the angering equipment which was usually powered by a compressed air motor/gearbox unit driven by a compressor unit on one of the utility company trucks. Real challenging job sometimes, believe me..........

Pushing conduit under gravel road

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

New User

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Similar threads