Driving over Schedule 40 PVC

[cbgb00]

Still asking questions here....someday I hope to answer some.....

Anyway, I'm curious about driving my tractor over Sch40 PVC. We have an area that easy access to would include driving over the septic drain line from the house. It's buried a couple feet down. I recall that Sch40 is supposed to be heavy duty and withstand a lot of weight, but does anyone know if driving over it with a tractor is okay? I have a JD3320 and its weight is approximately 3000lbs. Will the pipe handle that load, or is this a bad idea?

Thanks all.

 

[johnrex62]

I would hope so. I brush hog my drain field all the time. I was told not to drive cars or trucks over it or to build any structures over it, but before I got my own tractor my mowers ran their tractors over it all the time. Other then the inspection ports getting run over and broken by the mowers, I have observed no discernable damage over the last 5 years.

 

[JD15302155870]

I don't know what the correct answer is. All I know is I have been driving over mine for the past 25 years. My JD weighs 4800 not counting the water in the tires.

 

[k0ua]

In my opinion, no problem. I bet you could drive that tractor over the pipe laying on top of the ground, as long as it wasnt on a sharp rock. But 2 foot down in soil?.. no problem

James K0UA

 

[Rustywreck]

I'm using a 10' piece as a culvert under my driveway. It only has a couple inches of gravel over it, and it has survived well with my tractor, car and truck driving over it.

 

[EddieWalker]

When driving over a burried pipe, the amount of soil over it and the size of the pipe will dictate how much weight it can hold. Basic rule of thumb is half the width of the pipe is how much soil you need above it to carry the load. With little pipes, a foot of dirt over it will carry anything you can drive over it if the soil has been compacted after filling the trench. If the soil is new, and loose, then it doesn't do anything to carry the load and the pipe may be damaged from movement.

If it's been in the ground awhile and a half a foot or deeper, then you can't hurt it. Schedule 40 is thicker and able to handle more pressure and abuse, but when burried in the ground, thinwall pipe is capable of handling the same loads driven over it as schedule 40 or thicker pipe.

Eddie

 

[cbgb00]

Thanks for the input. I always felt I was being too cautious...but I'm glad to hear that I can drive over it.

 

[belah]

As was said above, you could drive over it lying on top of the ground and you won't hurt it. I've got an 8 in piece under my driveway and it's been run over by my Kubota M4030 with an 1100lb 6ft rotary cutter attached and water in the tires. It doesn't even bend it any !!! It's HARD to break schedule-40.

 

[SSdoxie]

I have 4" schedule 40 about 2' deep going across by drive the drain field. Propane truck backs in over it to fill the tank with no problem.

 

[LBrown59]

Still asking questions here....someday I hope to answer some.....

Anyway, I'm curious about driving my tractor over Sch40 PVC. We have an area that easy access to would include driving over the septic drain line from the house. It's buried a couple feet down. I recall that Sch40 is supposed to be heavy duty and withstand a lot of weight, but does anyone know if driving over it with a tractor is okay? I have a JD3320 and its weight is approximately 3000lbs. Will the pipe handle that load, or is this a bad idea?
Thanks all.

Driving your tractor over it won't hurt a thing.

I don't know what the correct answer is.
1* All I know is I have been driving over mine for the past 25 years. My JD weighs 4800 not counting the water in the tires.

1*Got ya beat.
Been driving over mine for 40 years with no problems.

In my opinion, no problem.
2*I bet you could drive that tractor over the pipe laying on top of the ground, as long as it wasnt on a sharp rock.
James K0UA

2*I lost that bet when i drove my Bx1500 over a 4'' slotted plastic pipe that wasnt covered on top with dirt.

3*As was said above, you could drive over it lying on top of the ground and you won't hurt it. .

3*See 2*