Best way to trench across a road

[code54]

I am new to excavators and am going to be putting in 2 drain pipes this weekend. I have to dig across a private gravel road (only about 2' ft deep) and was thinking of the best way to dig it.
The road is about 12' wide and tree lined (or a bank/ditch/drop off) so there is no where sit the machine if I start on one side and just keep backing up. I am using a Kubota KX91 and 12" bucket and was thinking of digging from the middle and placing the spool outside the track width then just driving over the trench in one direction and finishing the center section. bad thing is the dirt is going to be 4' from the trench and make a bigger mess.
What is the best way to handle this? Any photos would also help.
THANKS

 

[code54]

Here is an example of the road

 

[Willie B]

I try to put spoils in a truck, or I have a dozen "pans" made by splitting old 275 gallon oil tanks. To each corner of each is a 10" long piece of 5/16" chain. I use two 5/16" chains 10' long, a keyhole, and a short piece of 3/8" chain with no hooks.

The spoils go into the pans. When it's time to fill ditch, I lift the pans one at a time, swing it over the ditch, and unhook both ends of one chain. I lift, and dump it into the ditch. It works best with a helper. As for straddling the ditch, sure. Best if you have 10' sections of pipe. Crossing a 12' road, you'll want 30' of drain pipe.

Willie

 

[Willie B]

Now I see the picture, dig sideways with the ditch.

Willie

 

[melli]

Yeah, I would go with Willie's suggestion...turn the boom and house so your digging beside the direction of machine travel. If ground is firm, your idea would work too...
The only issue is getting off trench when done (your way)...not a biggie at all, but if your not comfortable doing a small pivot and using stick to push you off trench, go with Willie's method.

First though, I will use cleanup bucket (no teeth) to clear area I'll be digging of reusable gravel (pile if far away from your dig spoils). That way, no matter the mess you make, you can retop the filled in trench with the clean gravel.

 

[redneckracin]

MAKE DAM sure that you compact it. That's my biggest pet peeve about cross pipes. Over dig the hole both depth and width wise, put in your bedding material, set your pipe, back fill with bedding material especially compacting under the haunches of the pipe, and put in less than 6" lifts compacting as you go. Don't switch material until you get the pipe covered. Also, don't necessarily put in the pipe 90* to the road. Yes that's the easiest but it is not conducive to getting water to flow easily under the road. Try and skew the pipe to "catch" the flow of the water. One more thing. Don't let 6' of pipe stick out past the edge of the out slope bank. Cut the pipe off and put in rip-rap if there is ANY drop from the invert of the pipe! Nothing worse than a huge scour hole eating away the side of the road or the hillside.

 

[melli]

MAKE DAM sure that you compact it. That's my biggest pet peeve about cross pipes. Over dig the hole both depth and width wise, put in your bedding material, set your pipe, back fill with bedding material especially compacting under the haunches of the pipe, and put in less than 6" lifts compacting as you go. Don't switch material until you get the pipe covered. Also, don't necessarily put in the pipe 90* to the road. Yes that's the easiest but it is not conducive to getting water to flow easily under the road. Try and skew the pipe to "catch" the flow of the water. One more thing. Don't let 6' of pipe stick out past the edge of the out slope bank. Cut the pipe off and put in rip-rap if there is ANY drop from the invert of the pipe! Nothing worse than a huge scour hole eating away the side of the road or the hillside.

I agree, a good readers digest version of how to lay a culvert.:thumbsup
When I dig for culverts I set aside the bigger boulders I dig up, for dressing up the pipe intake and outlet.
It will limit erosion at both sides if you have stones set around mouth.
Also, throw a carpenters level on pipe to ensure bubble on downhill side, is on downhill line. That'll get you a culvert that will stay clean.
Albeit, your ditch job is small, good as place as any to practice doing a good job....best.

 

[Willie B]

Somebody here says the best way to be a good excavator is to put back what you take out. He doesn't explain, I will. Soil is different. You dig a ditch, and refill with very good material for drainage. All the other roadbed is clay, your fill will drain, nothing else will. Over time one will rise, or fall, the other will be stable.

An example is the road I live on. It was built as a repair after the '27 flood. It was 6' deep washed away. What was left was nothing but boulders. Repair crews mostly armed with hand shovels, chains, and horses filled the gully with whatever was at hand. Ultimately, it was filled mostly with rock ranging from 6' diameter, to 6" diameter. A layer of gravel was used to cover, and form road surface. 20 years later it got paved. The road was incredibly stable, as very little water was held in the soil to freeze and expand in winter.

Years later in the 1990s a water system replacement, a low bid contractor dug drop lines averaging every other house. These ditches were filled with fine sand. In winter they hump making a bump, in summer they settle making a sag.

On a gravel road, I don't worry as much about compaction. If the ditch settles a bit over time fill it to level. Compaction is nice, but not as critical. Under pavement compaction is essential!

Willie

 

[code54]

Thanks for all the great advice!!!

My biggest problem is I am sinking an 8" diameter pipe and I am told our waterlines are on the edge of the road and "about" 2' deep. 811 does not locate private lines (at least here) so that is on my mind and keeping me from over digging much. Thinking of only digging about 14" max as I need to still have the line deep enough to keep it from freezing. I was thinking about running the pipe at an angle and now realize that maybe a real good idea.

I do not have a compactor so would the using the bucket to compress the soil help? (It is basically clay mixed with 20 years of compressed gravel)

 

[melli]

Using bucket will work...you can always regrade if you get subsidence.
I would dig down to a safe level, then get out of machine and hand dig until you find said water line...hopefully, it was taped.
Once you know depth of water line, you'll know what you can do.
Hopefully, water line is on high side.

Not a big job by any stretch...take a couple of hours.

 

[code54]

Did the lines today - ended up just digging it from the side as I found the road was VERY solid and filled with old bricks. Only took 2 hrs to have both pipes in and back filled so it want well.
Thanks for all the thoughts and info - learned a lot!

 

[melli]

Glad to hear it went smoothly...best.

 

[f311fr1]

Pics?

 

[code54]

Ugh - I didn't even think to take any.. My bad.
2 cross drains and ¼ mile of ditch, good days work!