Need your advice to send 2" conduit under sidewalk.

[luvit]

Need your advice to send a conduit (up to 2inches) under a 32 INCH WIDE sidewalk.
I really don't want to disturb much dirt with a shovel, or shift this 40yr old sidewalk. I'll be creating a very narrow trench up to the sidewalk.
Thanks.
CORRECTION, SIDEWALK NOT 24", but IT IS 32" WIDE

 

[foompla]

I always wondered how these would work.


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Orbit-Walkway-Tunnel-Kit-53333/100127846


edit:

looks pretty good!

 

[kd3pc]

you need to be a few inches under the sidewalk which will require two holes (trenches) on either side at least 4' long and deep enough to work the conduit.

You should be able to get a well point for that conduit - wait for a wet week and drive the conduit under. Of course that is where it gets tricky, you have no control over where the tip goes, especially if it hits gravel, stone or bottom concrete of the walkway - except for being deep enough and straight enough lined up.

Best of luck. You can try the water hose method as well, just take the conduit, place a water hose with decent pressure on it and drive the conduit.....once through, just add more water to flush out the mud and voila.

YMMV

 

[Radix2]

I always wondered how these would work.


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Orbit-Walkway-Tunnel-Kit-53333/100127846


edit:

looks pretty good!

I used that, worked great.

I'd hook it up to your conduit, jet it under and cut it off.

If you have some nasty clay, all bets are off...

 

[LXCam]

What's the soil like there?. If it's rocky or hard clay well gooood luck. And will you be making a video?

 

[Aceman]

A 2' wide sidewalk? That's not much of a sidewalk.

Why can't you use a narrow trenching shovel and dig under it 12" from each side?

 

[AJ.]

I did had to do the same thing to run my mains power to my house from the other side of the road. I just hooked up the conduit to the garden tap and water jetted it under the road after digging the trench either side. I jetted around 30 feet and it went through fairly straight, only slightly off line.

That was 20 years ago and no issues.

Cheers Andrew

 

[rburke65]

A two foot side walk ....that's only 12" from each side! Really? You should be able to dig that with a garden trowel!

 

[nsula_country]

Sharpshooter shovel is what I'd use if it's only 2' across. Water jet, boring, would be overkill in this situation.

CT

 

[pattenp]

Use a planting auger.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Yard-But...fault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n

 

[04chase]

accupunch - missle if you cant use your hands.

 

[Big Bad Dad]

pressure washer, but enjoy the mud...

 

[CNGsaves]

If it doesn't have to be real deep, then there might be sand underneath the sidewalk. Dig hole deep enough on one side and just knock it through with a hammer and block. I'd build a jig so block of wood would stay on end of conduit while you're knocking it through. A round piece of wood screwed to your block would do the trick.

However if dirt is rock hard, then add the water feature pushing through the pipe as you knock it through.

 

[rburke65]

Hey....the planting auger could easily work on the Ned of a battery drill driver. Great idea.

 

[aircommuter]

Water jetting is a bad way as it leaves voids. Weld a plate on a piece of steel pipe long enough to go under, drive it in about 6" at a time, knock it back out hitting the plate, empty out the dirt and keep going.

 

[PugetDude]

A two foot wide sidewalk? Dig a foot-deep hole with a common shovel on either side, then use a spade to displace the dirt in between...It will take longer to read all the replies here on the GJ and cut the conduit than to dig the hole...

 

[toplessHO]

dig trench a little deeper than needed,get a couple bricks and level them in trench,place pipe on them, drive 2 ft,pull back out, wash out the pipe away from the ditch,slide pipe back in and connect on the other side.

 

[BLUE72CAMARO]

So i have done this twice on my sidewalk, once for my LP line when I relocated my tank and another to run the coax for the satellite thru when I moved it to the garage roof due to trees.

I actually started out with a spade bit with a hex drive so I could use bit extensions for 1/4" hex drive bits that I have I had to go 3 1/2 feet so after I had used those up I ended up cutting a second spade bit in half and welding a peice of rod into it. Would I say this is the ideal setup, definitely not but it worked out pretty well for me both times to get conduits under to pass the line/cable thru.

 

[mcclaar]

I've gotta do this as well once the ground thaws out. Curious to see how it works.

 

[CJ7VFR]

dig trench a little deeper than needed,get a couple bricks and level them in trench,place pipe on them, drive 2 ft,pull back out, wash out the pipe away from the ditch,slide pipe back in and connect on the other side.

This is how we pretty much do it here, with a trench dug on each side of the object you want to go underneath. We use a piece of pipe that is a bit larger in diameter than the conduit that will be used to make sure there is enough slack to get the conduit thru the hole.

Just smack the larger pipe in a bit, pull it back out, knock the dirt out of the pipe, repeat until pipe comes out the other side. Or if the object you are going underneath is too long for your pipe, go from each side and try to meet in the middle. That is a bit harder to do, but it can be done if you aim right!

Jim

 

[yeldogt]

You should be able to drive under it -- I have used regular PVC cut wth a sharp tip on the end. Drive it in -- pull it out -- drive again.

The water works .. but makes a mess and can leave a huge hole

 

[soob]

The soil here is clay which is really unpleasant to dig or pound through.

But a pressure washer slices through it like butter.

 

[luvit]

Wow, there's a lot of good answers here, and a few bad ones.
I don't want to produce any void or cavity under the 32" wide sidewalk.. so trowels and shovels are not my route.. i'm pooped.. i don't wanna ditch witch or play with mud, either.. lol.
Renting a Ditch Witch and other materials, like conduit.. this is more expensive than I need.. I want to run a cable, but thought I'll run conduit and never worry about a clear path between the house and detached garage again..

What's the soil like there?. If it's rocky or hard clay well gooood luck. And will you be making a video?

yeah, i have another idea.. i hope to make a video in a week or two when my materials for my other idea arrives.