moving a culvert

fishman · Mar 8, 2004

My buddy has a driveway culvert that is shifted about 3' too far to one side, resulting in a crooked driveway that bugs him to death. It's an 18" diameter, 20' long corrugated galvanized pipe under about 3" of gravel.

I'm pretty sure it will have to be dug up in order to shift it sideways 3', but he thinks maybe we can just push one end. I've got a Kubota b2910 and I have my doubts. So given this scenario, what would be the best way to approach this project, and what would be the quickest. I think the easiest would be to buy a 3' extension for one side and cover with gravel, but he is broke. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Any advice would be welcome.

SPIKER · Mar 8, 2004

I'd check around a the local road main crews, and try and find a 3' chunk. I doupt you will pull the pipe at all unless MAYBE if it was smooth outside... even then I highly doupt it.

the local town county road crews and maybe a few local pipe sales place may have short lenght. get those drops usually free ot nearly free.

Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

gone · Mar 8, 2004

No way are you going to slide that pipe,even with a 988 cat loader. results will be the same,push on it mash the end,chain around and pull squash the end or unravell at the seam. best bet is add to it or dig it up,witch wouldn't take all that long even with just a loader.

Glenn9643 · Mar 8, 2004

John,
PLEASE take pictures when you tackle that with the Kubota!

dmccarty · Mar 8, 2004

Fishman,

I think you are going to have to dig.

When I put in my culvert, I had it almost buried when I
managed to touch it with the FEL. Made a heck of a mess. Took
a while to get it back in place and it was mostly not buried. I
never did get it back just the way it was placed. It works and
nobody but me would have known that I hit it with the FEL.

I don't see how you are going to move the culvert without
digging it up. I think you would destroy the culvert with the
FEL. And it would not have moved in the attempt. And even it
you did manage to move it without tearing up the culvert I don't
see how it would be placed correctly. I moved mine MAYBE
3-6 inches UP. And that was a mess to fix. Trying to move it
three feet ..... Just don't see it happening without digging...

Later,
Dan McCarty

lamarbur · Mar 8, 2004

being I use to be the highway dpt, I've run across this many times. You can push, tug, chain, pull or whatever you want to that corrugated pipe. All it will do is collapse. I'm surprised there is only 3 inches of cover on that pipe. I would dig up the pipe and a new trench for wherever he wants it placed. Replace it, fill it in, and put some serious cover on it. Has nothing to do with frost heaving. It has to do with every time a vehicle goes over a pipe with only 3", it is going to move anyway. Even if you have to dig the ditch 20 feet on each end of the pipe, in order to sink pipe deeper. Get at least a foot of cover so this doesn't happen again.. My two cents worth, from frost heave country.

OkeeDon · Mar 9, 2004

Even without front heave, my county road department required a foot of cover -- and, not just dirt, but shell rock, which is like a crushed limestone. It left me with a slight hump over the culvert, but we brought a 52' excavator and numerous, loaded 20 yard dump trucks across it without any problems.

lamarbur · Mar 9, 2004

probably the biggest reason the pipe moved in the first place.. No matter where you go, it is the same basics. I've seeen those crushed shells down your way. They do the job and that's all that counts.

fivestring · Mar 9, 2004

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Is that for America's Funniest Home Videos?

dmccarty · Mar 9, 2004

OkeeDon,

The reason the road deptartment wanted 12 inches over the
culvert is that seems to be what the manufactuers/engineers
spec. With 12 inches of material the culverts I put in could
handle a semi truck. I know my culvert and and ABC held
up almost without trace to 20+ 16 ton loads.

Later,
Dan