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Methods for boring and installing a 3" pipe under a raised shared road?

Greg Payton

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posted 2 years ago

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We have a driveway that's shared by a few families. Digging out a trench isn't an option unfortunately given relations and demands.

I need to install a 3" pipe under the raised (it's actually kind of on a bank/hill) that goes from one lower level up at an angle of about 25º to another side of our property. I believe I need some kind of a boring device and methodology, but I'm just not very familiar with such options for boring a hole and installing such a pipe. At one (lower) side it will be (start) about 9 feet below the road top and at the other side it will come out at about 2 feet below the road top (estimate). It's about 25 feet across. All of these figures are kinda spitballed, so I need to get some more details, but was hoping to get the ball rolling here for some thoughts and discussion about options that could work.

I'll try to add a sketch/diagram here later to give more precise details.

Anyone have any thoughts on ways to bore out such a pathway with a pipe that water can be transferred through?

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Amy Gardener

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posted 2 years ago

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Water under high pressure is an effective boring tool if your material is sand, silt or clay (not rock or wood or roots). While industrial applications (water jet cutting) use high pressure unavailable to most individuals, the idea of using pressurized water jet could be useful here.
In a smaller bore-through challenge, I made an attachment to the garden hose using a threaded, rigid, 4’ long, 3/8” inner diameter PVC pipe attached to a garden hose with an adapter. I pushed the small pipe under a cement slab thereby blasting a pilot hole through the subsoil with the aid of basic home water pressure. Once the small pilot hole went through the subsoil, slowly increasing the outer diameter of the hole using a garden hose allowed me to get a 3” pipe 6’ to the other side of the slab and under an 8” deep wall footer to exit at a trench about 2’ deep. This is muddy work but on a hot summer day it’s kind of fun. Not sure if this would scale up for your 25’ application but it’s a cheap and relatively easy approach to try that could work under the right soil conditions.

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Greg Payton

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Very nice feedback and interesting @Amy Gardener. Thank you. I do, unfortunately, think there's a relatively high chance of hitting sandstone boulders/rocks during the boring process. It might be worth trying it to see how far we can get. I wonder if I could make or find some kind of contraption that would enhance the pressure significantly enough to go through sandstone.

It seems like if I can get the process going with the pipe and thread while I go, it could work out, but the problem would be getting the angle right since it's not straight across. Is there any creative way to determine and control angle for such a long run?

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Amy Gardener

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Interesting challenge Greg. I have no idea about increasing the pressure other than purchasing a high power irrigation pump and reducing the inner diameter of the pipe tip.
Regarding the angle, how about starting at the high side and building a temporary ramp or chute at the proper angle for the rigid pipe to slide down into the soil?

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Greg Payton

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Nice thoughts again @Amy Gardener. On possibly starting on the high side, it's unfortunate but I cannot do that. The water hookup and power are all on the low side and someone is going to blow a gasket if I have things on the road. I know, I know, it sounds ridiculous, but it is what it is and I have to deal with it.

I do, though, think there is some merit to the ramp. I could start up higher than the base of the low side and maybe run it up the ramp to try to establish an angle...

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Ben Zumeta

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I’d strongly consider going with a half pipe arch instead of a round bottomed pipe. Unlike any pipe, which will eventually fail when clogged up with debris at the low point, and will be often filled with tree roots, the half pipe with a flat bottom , (as described in Designer’s Manual) will not. If not, I’d go as big as possible with the pipe if the function intended is flood/drainage control, as a pipe blow out is often worse than if it wasnt installed altogether. Keep in mind the volume capacity goes up exponentially relative to diameter. 3” is also much less resistant to weight on top than 4”.

For the water/power issue, it sounds like a PITA neighbor problem really, but I’d get a tank as high above as possible for pressure, and pump it full above the road at an agreed time that will not inconvenience them. That or do it one IBC in the back of a truck at a time, with a generator for a pump to aid with pressure if gravity is insufficient.

This is all just my opinion based on a flawed memory

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Greg Payton

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@Ben Zumeta thanks- we do have very, very good county water pressure with a reservoir tower about a mile or so away, but I still have my doubts on being able to cut through sandstone. I might try to find or modify a power washer to have a straight end and upgrade the hose. Hmm.

Good feedback on the piping. Thank you. It's actually, in theory, going to receive water from a spring up the hill for more direct collection.

I really think, yeah, the neighbor problem is a bit unsurmountable and doing any kind of visible work could create unneeded/undesirable ruffled feathers so I have to pretty much do this on the sly / out of sight insomuch as is possible.

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Amy Gardener

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Like Ben, I thought the high side would be an essential starting place for initiating the bore-through. But on second though, the need to work from the low side up the ~25 degree slope would allow gravity to clear the channel and wash away the debris into a gravity-fed collection site. Letting the debris wash down hill could make the drilling easier by using gravity to unblock the artery. Reducing the muddy mess on the high side will certainly make your neighbor happier. Creating a ramp model would surely work very well for establishing the exact angle up the watercourse as well as down. Good luck with this challenging project Greg!

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John C Daley

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As a Civil Engineer I have to ask why?
What end result are you looking for?
Its a big job and Amy's idea is good, particularly with the low side additional comment.
Realistically there is nothing you can do about large rocks, other than shifting the starting point and trying again.

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R Scott

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You can supercharge Amy’s idea by using a pressure washer.

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John C Daley

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I just read about the 'sly " need.
Now I would think that in itself may be a bigger cause for trouble than asking everybody in the first place.
If there is agreement you could bore just 12 inches below the surface and sort things out and miss any rocks.

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