Open Cut Utility Trenching Excavation - Texoma Excavation & Construction – Texomaland & North Texas

Digging Trench for Water Line Installation,
Repair, or Replacement

Water Line Trenching Solutions from Texoma Excavation & Construction

Digging Trench for Water Line Installation, Repair, or Replacement

Water Line Trenching Solutions from Texoma Excavation & Construction

The purpose of open cut trenching for installing utilities at a home or business is to provide a safe and efficient way to install underground infrastructure or utilities. Trenching allows for the installation of utilities such as gas mains, water mains, communication lines, and pipelines. Trenching is also used to install drainage and sewer lines as well as city-wide electric lines.

Open cut utility trenching is a challenging and dangerous construction job that requires an experienced and qualified contractor like Texoma Excavation & Construction. First the contractor will need to establish the depth and width of the trench to be dug, excavating the hole using heavy equipment such as a backhoe. Once the trench has been excavated, the utilities will be installed and trench cover, completing an early and crucial step in many construction projects.

The depth of a trench for utilities depends on the project and the type of pipe being installed. Here are some general guidelines:

Trenches are typically 24 inches deep and 8 inches wide for water pipes ¹.
A drainage pipe may need to be 36 inches deep.
Trenches 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep or greater require a protective system unless the excavation is made entirely in stable rock.
Deep trenches have extra requirements – sloping and benching are only acceptable solutions at depths less than 20 feet.
The specific depth required for a trench for utilities may vary depending on the location and the type of pipe being installed.

Steps for Open Trench Water Line Repair, Replacement, or Installation

Open Trench Excavation is the most common method for installing, repairing, or replacing a water pipe, especially if the original pipe needs to be upsized. When an open trenching excavation contractor is making water connections from a home or business to the main lines, they should follow these steps:

The first step in trenching for the installation of water utilities connections is for the contractor to mark the proposed trench line with white spray paint.
Texoma Excavation & Construction will call 811 to request the utility companies come to the site to exactly locate and mark any utilities that may be in the area to be excavated.
Sawcut pavement and dig trench to install mainline water or sewer pipe.
Sawcut pavement and dig trenches from the mainline to the curb to install water or sewer service laterals that connect properties to the public sewer.

Cover open trenches with steel plates at the end of each day as needed while work is in progress.
Backfill trenches with sand or gravel and apply temporary asphalt patches.
Conduct quality control inspections.
Complete permanent pavement restoration as required of patched water line trenches after work passes inspections.
Repair any curb and sidewalk panels damaged during construction.
To prevent a trench collapse, your contractor will line the sides with wooden boards or steel as necessary.
Install new mainline water pipes and laterals.

Water Line Trenching for Spot Repairs

A water line spot repair is the replacement of a short section of pipe, not the full length of pipe from manhole to manhole. A spot repair requires digging a small trench so that crews can replace the short section of broken pipe. Texoma Excavation & Construction will dig a trench, remove the section of broken pipe, install a section of new pipe, backfill the trench, repair and repave any damaged pavement area after the work passes inspections.

Special Trenching Considerations for Deeply Buried Water Pipes

When digging a trench for a water pipe repair, the walls of the trench should be sloped or benched to prevent soil collapse and ensure worker safety.

The slope angle depends on the soil type, trench depth, and other factors, such as:

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the maximum allowable slope angle for an excavation less than 20 feet deep is 1.5 horizontal to 1 vertical (34 degrees) [2].
However, if the trench is deeper than 20 feet, the slope angle should be reduced to 1 horizontal to 1 vertical (45 degrees) [2].
Alternatively, the trench can be benched, which involves cutting the trench walls into a series of steps or benches [2].
The width of each bench should not exceed 5 feet, and the height of each bench should not exceed 4 feet [1].
The slope or benching system should be designed by a competent person and inspected daily by a competent person before work begins [2].

Resources

1
How to Repair an Underground Water Supply Pipe, The Spruce. Online resource.
2
French Drains: How They Work, and How to Install Them, Bob Vila. Online resource.
3
SLOPING AND BENCHING SYSTEMS, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Online resource.
4
12-5-7: EXCAVATIONS FOR UNDERGROUND PIPING:, American Legal Publishin. Online resource.

Past Excavation Projects

Pond Construction Residential Drainage Excavation Services by Texoma Excavation & Construction – Texomaland & North Texas

The above image shows Texoma Excavation & Construction digging a new power supply ditch and tying into the existing live power supply near Melissa, Texas. The paver stones were salvaged to be replaced. All the PVC, electrical conduit, phone lines, and small electrical lines that were destroyed were anticipated.

Pond Construction Excavation Services by Texoma Excavation & Construction – Texomaland & North Texas

Pond building is a complex process that requires careful planning and execution. After all the planning, the first construction step is excavation of the area where the pond will be located. The pond excavation work shown above was near Montague, Texas. When this pond is full, it will be 7′ 2″ deep at its deepest point.

Trenching Excavation Services by Texoma Excavation & Construction – Texomaland & North Texas

Residential drainage excavation work done near Denison, Texas. This client had some significant drainage problems during periods of high-volume runoff and tried to excavate a ditch to channel water away from his house. We were hired to polish the existing ditch and spread some grass seed.

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This article helps answer that specific question & helps you plan for the other things you may need to do should (when) a water pipe breaks.

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