"orangetrader" wrote in message
news
I need to have someone come dig a tunnel to access a "Y" connection in the
sewer line that needed to be replaced. Access from above is too
problematic
and messy.

The quote I got is $187 per foot of digging. They will need to dig down
several feet beyond the footing, then dig a horizontal tunnel six feet
over
to the location of the pipe. Because we are in Miami and near the beach,
the soil is all sandy, I guess when they tunnel, the compacted sand above
the tunnel will fall? This means more dirt will be removed from the
tunnel.
Now when they finished repairing or replacing the drain line, they told me
they can just throw the dirt back into the tunnel and all will be ok.

I wonder how you will throw the dirt back into the tunnel to fill the
space
below the slab and above the footing? Can this really be done? Does it
not
require some sort of a sand/dirt pump? Even if this is doable it will not
be compacted right?

Will this cause the line to be "suspended" and not resting on dirt and
will
that cause future failure - possibly the weight of water going through may
create a back pitch? Will the foundation settle as a result of this dig?

Thanks for any comments,

O



Cutting the floor is problematic compared with a void under the floor after
the repair...

I would not even consider tunneling.