# how would you install 200 miles of pipeline?



## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

i gotta ask...is this a job you have? or just bidding on? i'm getting the feeling either way....you're in way over your head.


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## SelfContract (Dec 6, 2007)

T&M job, it's a million-dollars job. Project, Schedule, Deadlines, Resources, & detailed Planning.


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## rshackleford (Jul 2, 2007)

i have successfully completed this job. someday there might be another one to bid on and i am trying to improve on what i have already learned.

as for the 200 mile part, i could have just as easily said 30 miles it the same thing just a different number of crews.

don't worry i am not coming to south dakota--let northern and abbot, arne, and schwindt compete down there.


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## dakzaag (Jan 6, 2009)

I know it is not apples to apples, but the local tile guys that put drainage tile in agriculture land say they aren't happy unless they are getting 20,000 ft/day.

Of course not all of it is seven feet deep, but they deal with rocks all day long. Dig them out with a hoe and let out on the clutch. 

Your looking at a big ripper type machine here, Wolfe is the big name, but there are others. 

I am a mason and it appears I have a better idea how to do this than you do, how did you get the opportunity to even look at something like this? Not knocking you or anything, just curious what your angle is?

Never mind, I see your response.


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## rshackleford (Jul 2, 2007)

dakzaag said:


> I know it is not apples to apples, but the local tile guys that put drainage tile in agriculture land say they aren't happy unless they are getting 20,000 ft/day.


that is amazing footage!




dakzaag said:


> Of course not all of it is seven feet deep, but they deal with rocks all day long. Dig them out with a hoe and let out on the clutch.
> 
> 
> Your looking at a big ripper type machine here, Wolfe is the big name, but there are others.


that's a million dollar machine man. what happens when you hook a three yard rock with that. of course up until this point i haven't mentioned three yard rocks. so, btw...there might be some three yard rocks.



dakzaag said:


> I am a mason and it appears I have a better idea how to do this than you do, how did you get the opportunity to even look at something like this? Not knocking you or anything, just curious what your angle is?
> 
> Never mind, I see your response.


ouch that kind of hurt!:w00t:


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

rshackleford said:


> --let northern and abbot, arne, and schwindt compete down there.


as you know, both of those companies have put in THOUSANDS of miles of pipe, successfully...and every project i've seen them on....they trench/plow whenever possible.


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## rshackleford (Jul 2, 2007)

dayexco said:


> as you know, both of those companies have put in THOUSANDS of miles of pipe, successfully...and every project i've seen them on....they trench/plow whenever possible.


yeah i know. but there just has to be some places where trenching and plowing is just not an option. an i think i am in one of those places.

we used pc 220s and pc 300s to dig and d6 size tractors to backfill. i tried a little trenching but was not happy with the result. the trencher would run like hell and then be broke down for a week. we also couldn't compact the trencher trench as well so we spent four times as much money on settlement correction behind the trencher. our trencher was a vermeer 555, so i will admit it was an undersized chain trencher for the job.


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## dakzaag (Jan 6, 2009)

Well, since you responded, 

yes 20,000 ft/day if you want the guys phone number I will give it to you. ( I did say this was agriculture tiling, so not apples to apples)

Yes they are expensive machines, you could always sub the machine out or rent one if the job can be done in the off season. I know several guys that would at least visit about the job, if not bid it.

Big rocks take an excavator to move. Usually they just move them out of the way, not always dig them all the way out of the ground.

Since you were not being forthright about the actual footage, I guess I'm not sure how to take your reponse, but I'm not looking for a pissing match.


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## rshackleford (Jul 2, 2007)

dakzaag said:


> Since you were not being forthright about the actual footage, I guess I'm not sure how to take your reponse, but I'm not looking for a pissing match.


there is no actual footage or job. i am just trying to get some idea for future projects and it appears that i should look into trenching a little more seriously.


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

well, being at you're looking at the next one, already finished one...you must know, that you don't hit a 200 mile job with a triple nickel vermeer again.


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## rshackleford (Jul 2, 2007)

555 is for sale. if you want it. i hate it. would like to cut it up for scrap.


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## remster (Jan 8, 2007)

Watch out for high pressure gas lines:


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## rshackleford (Jul 2, 2007)

I am trying a Trencher Fang right now. It works really well for the first five feet but after that the operator is blind folded and cannot see the bottom of the trench. It gets really from five to eight feet. So far I am not happy with it but i am planning on giving it a few more days before i totally bail on it.


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## PipeGuy (Oct 8, 2004)

rshackleford said:


> title says it all.
> 
> if you were to take on a project to install 200 miles of water pipeline in a rural setting (very rural--very, very rural) how would you go about it?


for 4" - 8" nps

vermeer trencher
cat d-4
pick-up truck
16' car trailer
dr-11 hdpe
fusion machine
s*#tload of seed'n straw
foreman
2 operators
3 laborers

6000' / day (no weather)
s#*t'ngit baby:thumbsup:


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## rshackleford (Jul 2, 2007)

rshackleford said:


> I am trying a Trencher Fang right now. It works really well for the first five feet but after that the operator is blind folded and cannot see the bottom of the trench. It gets really from five to eight feet. So far I am not happy with it but i am planning on giving it a few more days before i totally bail on it.


so far the trencher fang has been a failure.


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## zawetzel13 (Sep 12, 2010)

*Wolfe Wheel Trencher*

I used to work for a tile company installing drainage for farmers. From my experience I would use a Wolfe Man 7000 wheel trencher(assuming the pipe is solid), if it is a bendable pipe like field tile, I would go with a Wolfe plow. You're still going to need a hoe available for when you hit rocks and we used a nifty backfilling machine with an auger on the front.

This is going to be your best bet, 3 or 4 guys can go a long ways in a day. according to the manufacturer's website it can dig 3-4 miles in an 8hr day.

Replace (dot) with . 
This is my first post and the forum won't let me post web links yet
Video of Wolfe man 7000 in actoin www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=EwJoetymG_Y

Backfill Machine (I don't know who makes them)www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=hUhTfDIQui0

Best of luck


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## zawetzel13 (Sep 12, 2010)

*Correction*

You might need the Wolfe Man 8000 to go 8' deep


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## davy crockett (Dec 19, 2007)

OP,,this is similar,what say you? How can I install 3 1/2" base in 6 sub-divisions,3 zipcodes and no Home Depot close?


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

davy crockett said:


> OP,,this is similar,what say you? How can I install 3 1/2" base in 6 sub-divisions,3 zipcodes and no Home Depot close?



ogee mold or just dimensional mdf?:w00t::w00t:


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