"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Having just passed the BCO inspection for my new drains I am about to fill
up the trench in my drive with concrete.

When digging it out I unearthed (unconcreted) the gas and electricity
supplies.

Quite fun really, seeing the gas main appear about 5mm from the tip of the
concrete breaker.......

I am now going to re-bury them and wondered if there was anything special
I
should do when encasing them in concrete.

I'd try 'phoning your gas and leccy companies first, tell them you've found
their services in the trench you've excavated and ask if they can supply
some split ducts to put around the services before you re-concrete. In my
day (leccy) we'd supply some ducts FOC for you to put around the service.

If they don't want to play ball, or want lots of money, try your local
Builder's Merchant for some 100mm/4" split ducts.

You'll need to hand dig on the services to undercut the sides of the trench
by just a few inches, then sort of work the ducts into the soil each side of
the trench, so the concrete won't run into the ends of the ducts.

Not quite sure how the ducts come these days, you may actually have a solid
duct with a line down each side. Rest them on a bed of sand and gently *tap*
down the line with a brick, hammer, whatever. Do one side then the other,
you should suddenly hear the note change as the duct starts to split
lengthways down the line. Refit the ducts around the services, wrapping the
two halves together with some wire or similar. You might find it easier to
part fill the trench almost upto the services then fit the ducts so the
bottom piece is supported by the concrete.

For instance I could put some plastic pipe around them so the next poor
sucker has a bit more warning.

Could be a bit dodgy, if someone digs down on a plastic pipe in several
years time and thinks it's a piece of soil pipe, hacksaws into it, and......
..

I could wrap them in plastic to keep the new raw concrete away from them.

I intend to write in the new concrete warning where the mains are.

The gas pipe especially has a bitumen-ish covering over metal, and some of
this has come away with the removal of the old concrete.

Should I paint the pipe with a bitumen sealant to protect the metal, or
should it be O.K.?

Nah, get some denso tape or similar from the Builder's Merchant. This is a
fabric tape that's *very* heavily impregnated with a greenish waxy paste.
It's a lovely mucky job wrapping it on, really squishes between the fingers.
)