Hi,

Have touched on this before... But some new thoughts.

Will be hand building a shed - approx 3x2-2.5m (garden tools, DIY materials,
random) - and it will go quite near a shared sewer line (about 1m away).

I am less bothered about the sewer collapsing as I am about my shed falling
over if/when Southern Water want to come and dig a bloody big trench down my
garden to fix their sewer.

Shed will be supported on 4 corner pads with wooden bearers.

I was thinking to make the pads as concrete piles, dug as narrow as possible
with a post hole digger and a little deeper than the sewer line (without
measuring it's about 2.5 feet). The other side away from the sewer can be
more modest.

That way there should be no risk if someone starts trenching right up close.



But I did wonder if anyone made very lightweight versions of these screw
piles:

http://img.archiexpo.com/images_ae/photo-g/steel-screw-
pile-70049-1598655.jpg

I'd be looking for about 1.2m long, single screw blade, fairly light that
could be drilled in by hand with a bar.

There are lightweight ones for decking and fencing - but they tend to not be
very long and depth is what matters here. Loading will be tiny - few kN max
load per pile.

I suspect not - but in case my googling failed... And it would easier than
mixing all that concrete

Nearest I found was:

http://www.spyrabase.co.uk/product_info.php?ID=9792

Possibly long enough - wrong head, though might be possible to adapt.

--
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On Tue, 20 Aug 2013 17:53:24 +0100, Tim Watts wrote:

I am less bothered about the sewer collapsing as I am about my shed
falling over if/when Southern Water want to come and dig a bloody big
trench down my garden to fix their sewer.

How big is this sewer? 5", 12", walk down it without stooping?

Shed will be supported on 4 corner pads with wooden bearers.

Assuming a 5 or even 12" pipe I think you are worrying to much. The
sides of a trench don't give way with the weight of a digger digging
it less than a metre away each side...

I'd be more worried about the digger clouting the shed than it
collasping into the trench.

Has this sewer been a problem in the past with blockges or roots?
What is the realistic likely hood of SW wanting to dig it up?

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Wednesday 21 August 2013 00:38 Dave Liquorice wrote in uk.d-i-y:

On Tue, 20 Aug 2013 17:53:24 +0100, Tim Watts wrote:

I am less bothered about the sewer collapsing as I am about my shed
falling over if/when Southern Water want to come and dig a bloody big
trench down my garden to fix their sewer.

How big is this sewer? 5", 12", walk down it without stooping?


6" salt glazed. Supports 3 other houses at that point - not mine, I tee in
further down the garden.


Shed will be supported on 4 corner pads with wooden bearers.

Assuming a 5 or even 12" pipe I think you are worrying to much. The
sides of a trench don't give way with the weight of a digger digging
it less than a metre away each side...

I'd be more worried about the digger clouting the shed than it
collasping into the trench.

Has this sewer been a problem in the past with blockges or roots?

I'll plead the 4th on that.

What is the realistic likely hood of SW wanting to dig it up?

Quite high, if I phone in a blockage, which I reckon could happen in the
next few years.


--
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In article , Tim Watts wrote:
On Wednesday 21 August 2013 00:38 Dave Liquorice wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Has this sewer been a problem in the past with blockges or roots?

I'll plead the 4th on that.

You think digging it up would be "unreasonable searches and seizures"
and should require a warrant issued upon probable cause? :-)

On Wednesday 21 August 2013 13:07 Alan Braggins wrote in uk.d-i-y:

In article , Tim Watts wrote:
On Wednesday 21 August 2013 00:38 Dave Liquorice wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Has this sewer been a problem in the past with blockges or roots?

I'll plead the 4th on that.

You think digging it up would be "unreasonable searches and seizures"
and should require a warrant issued upon probable cause? :-)

OK - 5th...

Just because I got a "U" at history O-Level...

--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://squiddy.blog.dionic.net/

http://www.sensorly.com/ Crowd mapping of 2G/3G/4G mobile signal coverage

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On Tue, 20 Aug 2013 17:53:24 +0100, Tim Watts
wrote:


Will be hand building a shed - approx 3x2-2.5m (garden tools, DIY materials,
random) - and it will go quite near a shared sewer line (about 1m away).

I am less bothered about the sewer collapsing as I am about my shed falling
over if/when Southern Water want to come and dig a bloody big trench down my
garden to fix their sewer.


If your shed did collapse because of Southern Water's activities then
surely it would be up to SW to fix the damage.

On Wednesday 21 August 2013 14:32 Peter Johnson wrote in uk.d-i-y:

On Tue, 20 Aug 2013 17:53:24 +0100, Tim Watts
wrote:


Will be hand building a shed - approx 3x2-2.5m (garden tools, DIY
materials, random) - and it will go quite near a shared sewer line (about
1m away).

I am less bothered about the sewer collapsing as I am about my shed
falling over if/when Southern Water want to come and dig a bloody big
trench down my garden to fix their sewer.


If your shed did collapse because of Southern Water's activities then
surely it would be up to SW to fix the damage.

Maybe - but prevention is bette rthan cure.

And if I delve too deeply there are probably 6 million rules about
foundations (of any sort) near a sewer (as opposed to a drain).

I was wondering if a post auger (hand turned or small petrol one on hire)
might make light work of it.

A 150mm dia hole 1.2m deep would need 21 litres of concrete to fill which
would be probably 40kg. Which is bugger all in concrete terms. Times 4 per
shed. In fact less, as the rear piles would not need to be 1.2m long - 0.6
would be more than enough.

Not a great deal to remove either if the sheds ever go - better than the 6-8
m3 I have now under one shed, an old greenhouse base and a long run of path.



--
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On Wednesday, August 21, 2013 3:09:37 PM UTC+1, Tim Watts wrote:
On Wednesday 21 August 2013 14:32 Peter Johnson wrote in uk.d-i-y:



On Tue, 20 Aug 2013 17:53:24 +0100, Tim Watts

wrote:





Will be hand building a shed - approx 3x2-2.5m (garden tools, DIY

materials, random) - and it will go quite near a shared sewer line (about

1m away).



I am less bothered about the sewer collapsing as I am about my shed

falling over if/when Southern Water want to come and dig a bloody big

trench down my garden to fix their sewer.





If your shed did collapse because of Southern Water's activities then

surely it would be up to SW to fix the damage.



Maybe - but prevention is bette rthan cure.



And if I delve too deeply there are probably 6 million rules about

foundations (of any sort) near a sewer (as opposed to a drain).



I was wondering if a post auger (hand turned or small petrol one on hire)

might make light work of it.



A 150mm dia hole 1.2m deep would need 21 litres of concrete to fill which

would be probably 40kg. Which is bugger all in concrete terms.

snip

yup wish I'd read that before working it out!! It is feck all concrete.

Post hole borers - mmm what's ground like? I once hired a petrol one-man version to dig holes for posts. Kept hitting bricks and fecked my elbow up bad (tennis elbow) I had to have physio for ~8 weeks to be able to sleep through the night...
moral/top tip:- get a 2 manner unless you know the ground is "easy"...

Cheers
Jim K

On Thursday 22 August 2013 10:07 Jim K wrote in uk.d-i-y:


snip

yup wish I'd read that before working it out!! It is feck all concrete.

Post hole borers - mmm what's ground like?


Clay. With some rocks up top.

I once hired a petrol one-man
version to dig holes for posts. Kept hitting bricks and fecked my elbow up
bad (tennis elbow) I had to have physio for ~8 weeks to be able to sleep
through the night... moral/top tip:- get a 2 manner unless you know the
ground is "easy"...

Good tip.

I'll either use a manual one or make sure it has a leg torque bar and safety
brake.

On a relate note, this bloke's a nutter (but he did suceed):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMMJa6fYiGk

Using a manual post hole digger to dig a well bore hole. 15 feet or
something!

Cheers
Jim K
--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://squiddy.blog.dionic.net/

http://www.sensorly.com/ Crowd mapping of 2G/3G/4G mobile signal coverage

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