# I don't always win every battle



## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

Here is a link to our facebook album.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Seattle-Drain-Service/182173475152440

Look at the Windemere sewer with rocks post.

You may remember I said I had got the bid to replace a sewer that had hundreds of large rocks in it. And that we suspected the water table was high and might give us trouble. And that the depth was 10 feet (which actually came out to 11-12 feet) As of now I have lost the first battle in this war. The ground was so wet that when we hit the rocks in the sewer our pipe burster was pulled into the wall it was braced against. Instead of pulling in the pipe we where being pulled to the pipe. And the ground was like a wet sponge it oozed water out major as the pit walls was collapsing. Now the worst part our bursting head was stuck in the line and we need to get it out to even restore some kind of temporary service for the people. We used our Dingo skid steer and nope not happening, we used our 1 ton with 454 and nothing! We got lucky and used the air knife with extension to loosen the soil around the pipe to get the cone back. Then temped the people in for the night. Tomorrow we will switch the pulling pits around and drive 16 foot steel posts in and see how that goes. I will update the war as it goes on.


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## theplungerman (Oct 26, 2011)

Wow, I hope you get to add on incidental drama.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

It is hard to imagine the stress level when the pulling equipment becomes the pull-y rather than the pull-er.

We had it happen in sandy soil and the head was lodged under a street. We moved the hole forward a few feet, drove i-beams deeper, and put in a 4'h x 6'w x 1/2" steel plate to distribute the pressure. It sunk in to the bank a bit but the head finally moved and we finished the burst.

If you have room, try getting a plate between your beams and the soil wall. It will make a HUGE difference.

Good luck Cuda. Let us know what happens.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

Cuda said:


> Here is a link to our facebook album.
> http://www.facebook.com/pages/Seattle-Drain-Service/182173475152440
> 
> Look at the Windemere sewer with rocks post.
> ...


Dayum. Now that's a nightmare job. I look forward to reading the finale.


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

pictures and a report to follow but the update is I just got the line pulled in. Now we just have to make the new connections. we are in a lot of mud but the line is in! Bye Bye Rocks!


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

Well the sun came out and the water table went down. Changed the pulling pit to the street that was 6-7 feet deep. Added 6x6 boards at the bottome and after 2 got sucked into the soil it got stable, reset the wood and pulled the line in. Went smooth.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

Cuda said:


> Well the sun came out and the water table went down. Changed the pulling pit to the street that was 6-7 feet deep. Added 6x6 boards at the bottome and after 2 got sucked into the soil it got stable, reset the wood and pulled the line in. Went smooth.


Glad it worked out.


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