Sinking some piers into a lake?

[_RaT_]

Any ideas on how to get some pipes or posts driven into a lake bottom (its full of water)? I need at least 4" pipe or something to attach a pump suction line to to suspend the pipe off the bottom and offer some support. I have thought of a boat and a 90lb jack hammer but think that might be a bit tough. A lift or Gradall to stick way out and do the same thing. Its out 20' plus from shore.

 

[dmccarty]

Can you build a floating dock/platform. My grandparents used to have a house on a lake. The dock had a section that rested on shore and the other end connected to a larger platform. It was huge when I was a kid but I bet it was only 8x8. All it was was a frame with 2x4 decking. The frame and decking held big pieces of styrofoam that floated the dock. My cousing and I used to detach the platfrom from the walkway and we would push it out into the middle of the lake all of the time.

Even a 20' walkway would be easy to build.

Later,
Dan

 

[RedRocker]

I saw a guy in Mississippi use a system they called Jetting I think.
They have a water pump hooked to a hose that has a steel pipe around 2" on the end. They would crank it up, stand the pole up next to the pipe and let it blow the sediment away and sink the piling. It would form a suction and hold the pole in place. It's been 20 years since I saw this done, but that's how I remember it.

 

[EddieWalker]

Use a preasure washer and run the line down the middle of the pipe to the floor of the lake. Turn on the water and push down on the pipe. In time, the preasure of the water nozzle with dig into the floor bed and the pipe should slide into the hole.

I've been playing around with this using a garden hose and some 2 inch PVC to dig a well. I'm down 20 feet into clay, but that's as far as I can get it.

Eddie

 

[gsganzer]

I need at least 4" pipe or something to attach a pump suction line to to suspend the pipe off the bottom and offer some support. Its out 20' plus from shore.

Rat,
What size is the pump suction pipe? Just make your suction pipe with PVC pipe and tie an empty antifreeze jug onto the end. Suspend the pipe from the jug (that's why you use an antifreeze jug that has the handle ) with a 1-2' piece of rope.

As the water level rises and falls the pipe rises and falls. The PVC pipe has enough flex to rise and fall too and the jug keeps it off the bottom.

 

[_RaT_]

Rat,
What size is the pump suction pipe? Just make your suction pipe with PVC pipe and tie an empty antifreeze jug onto the end. Suspend the pipe from the jug (that's why you use an antifreeze jug that has the handle ) with a 1-2' piece of rope.

As the water level rises and falls the pipe rises and falls. The PVC pipe has enough flex to rise and fall too and the jug keeps it off the bottom.

The suction is reduced down to 6" from a 8" PVC sch 40 line. The pump is only a 25 HP but we have future plans to repalce it with possibly a 40 HP to get 600 GPM @ 80 PSI. It will also have a self cleaning strainer on the end. It is also a swimming lake where folks frequently swim across it including kids who might go after a anti freeze jug.

 

[gsganzer]

That's some serious pumping. I'd probably skip the antifreeze jug idea I assume it's for irrigation?

 

[goaliedad]

around here there are alot of docks that are built on screw in posts- about 2 1/2 inch aluminum tubes with a cast metal screw on the ends. How deep is the water and what kind of bottom? for the size pipe you are supporting you may need a couple, but they are pretty easy to screw in unless you have rocky ground. Hope that helps.

 

[Taylortractornut]

I help a friend here build docks and some his hammer barge wont go to we ues and oversized post pounder he made. if its a floater with spud poles you build it and anchor your walks pivot and drop the spud poles down the spud wells and the waves work them into the ground. Another friend uses a 90 pound electric jackhammer and a special arbor he made on the chisel to run them in with.

 

[_RaT_]

Thanks for the suggestions, I may just try some.