what can go in a trench?

[plumberjohn]

Hello all.

I` ve been asked to take over an unfinished job, and need some advice.

The homeowners are having a single storey kitchen extension built. It`s half finished, and some of the wall has had to be removed, as the builders ( Billy the Kid and Jesse James ) got the cavity wrong, as well as lots of other faults that the building inspector found. The cowboys have been sacked, and another builder engaged,I`ve been asked to put water supply,drainage and electrics .

I may have many questions for you all when I start to put a quote together, but here`s one for starters - they have already prepared a route for the pipes and cable which involves a trench across the yard and into the extension. Can the water supply pipes share the same trench as the swa supply?

 

[NozSpark]

John,

apparently there's mean't to be 300mm (in all directions) between burried services.. that's what my brother was told by his BC!

 

[green-hornet]

I did a new build where I had to dig a trench for the electrical ducting, along came the gas board and laid there gas pipe right on top, when I questioned this they said its fine.

The gas board did not complain, and the utilities putting the new supply in said nothing.

I would have thought it was good practice to keep them all separate.

 

[binky]

Was looking into hole yestaerday with all 3 services in one trench - wouldn't have thought it was an issue as most gas and water pipes are plastic these days, but whether its good practice ????

 

[plumberjohn]

Thanks for the input. My instinct is to keep them all seperate, and it seems you agree. If the trench was just used for the electric supply, would you use ducting, or just bury the swa at the correct depth?

 

[ProDave]

John,apparently there's mean't to be 300mm (in all directions) between burried services.. that's what my brother was told by his BC!

One rule for us, and another rule for the utilities.

When I built our new house 7 years ago, the Electric were the first to lay in their supply. They dug a trench across the road, laid in a 2" plastic duct and fed their cable through it.

Then along came the water. To save them digging up the road, they pushed their pipe through the same duct.

Then along came BT, and yes they used the same duct.

So water, electric and telephone all squeezed through the same 2" duct under the road.

Building control never inspected any of the supplies into the house. All they were interested in inspecting were the drains.

 

[NozSpark]

Ok so..

Black is electric

Yellow is gas

Blue is water

what's red (or possibly orange)??

 

[green-hornet]

You can buy red with "electwick" wriiten on it.

 

[Badger]

Ok so..Black is electric

Yellow is gas

Blue is water

what's red (or possibly orange)??

red high voltage hv

orange street lighting services

 

[Andy™]

red high voltage hv orange street lighting services

^ what he says

grey is BT

green is telewest/virgin/NTl/whatever other name they use

purple is highways data (?)

 

[NozSpark]

Oh...

forgot one

green with yellow hatching and quite flexible

 

[danny7299]

" what can go in a trench"

.... The Wife ? :coat

 

[steptoe]

One rule for us, and another rule for the utilities.When I built our new house 7 years ago, the Electric were the first to lay in their supply. They dug a trench across the road, laid in a 2" plastic duct and fed their cable through it.

Then along came the water. To save them digging up the road, they pushed their pipe through the same duct.

Then along came BT, and yes they used the same duct.

So water, electric and telephone all squeezed through the same 2" duct under the road.

Building control never inspected any of the supplies into the house. All they were interested in inspecting were the drains.

seems to be whatever will fit....

may be a good idea to at least separately duct your services, and if price allows leave a separate duct for everyone else by the sounds of things..!!!

bloody madness, madness I tell theeessssssss.....

 

[binky]

One rule for us, and another rule for the utilities..

More to do with lazy workers than the actual rules ut the kettle on :innocent

 

[a1]

And when I bury Cables, I always take pictures of the Trench, Empty, With Cable in and With Warning Tape. Also a good Idea to take a picture of the trench with a tape measure from the top of the Cable to the surface of the hole, At various points, throughout its length.

This way, if there any debate (you can prove its depth without digging it back up and you can prove that your cable was the nly service in there at the time), or if you get a callback, for some reason, in the future, then you will know exactly where you burried the supply Cable etc.