Outside power - shallow depth

[AlmondSauce]

So today's job was going to be to run power to the shed. Dig down a couple of foot, line with sand, lay SWA, bury in sand, add topsoil, lay warning tape, rest of top soil, job done.

The actual list of events turned out to be "Dig down half a foot, hit solid chalk, swear a bit, dig the rest of the run to make sure, bugger there's only 20cm of topsoil at the best point, attack it with the pick for a bit, **** this, it's my week off, I'm going down the pub."

I'm now deciding on the best course of action. The trench is across the middle of a lawn that shouldn't be disturbed in the foreseeable future, but I'm still not happy with just laying SWA at 20cm or so. I'm also really not too enthralled about getting down to a couple of foot with a pickaxe across the whole run.

At the moment I'm tempted to make sure the whole lot is at least 1 foot deep, lay PVC conduit, concrete it in place then run T&E. I'm pretty confident that counts as at least equivalent mechanical protection compared to SWA. (Or at least, good luck getting a spade through it!)

Would that be a reasonable thing to do, and if not has anyone got any better ideas?

 

[dmxtothemax]

Find some mug down the pub who is desperate for some cash,
Let him dig the trench ?

 

[Richard Burns]

You would want a mechanical digger for solid chalk and it will still take ages.
Your method with warning tape would be OK, but T&E down PVC conduit? not the easiest or nicest, I would tend to go for H07RNF flex down ducting.
Alternatively you could use cable protection cover boards or strip over the SWA.

 

[Yozza19]

Run it in scaffold tubes using swa still

 

[Dustydazzler]

25mm galv conduit

 

[Charlie_]

Catenary wire

 

[Dustydazzler]

Catenary wire

In a trench?

 

[Charlie_]

In a trench?

Haha yes, it wouldn’t be the daftest thing I’ve heard of

 

[Squid]

Haha yes, it wouldn’t be the daftest thing I’ve heard of

But not seen I bet.......

 

[Squid]

Run it in scaffold tubes using swa still

Scaffold pole will fill with water eventually,

 

[Squid]

Hire a mini trencher or at least a handheld one.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

If you’re going to dig down to 1 foot to lay in ducting, concrete and T&E, will that be cheaper than digging down 1 foot and laying in SWA?

 

[AlmondSauce]

Hire a mini trencher or at least a handheld one.

I've heard mixed reviews about whether such a handheld trencher would go through solid chalk. Unfortunately the only access to the garden is through the house negotiating a reasonably tight bend, so a mini trencher / any type of heavy machinery isn't possible.

Your method with warning tape would be OK, but T&E down PVC conduit? not the easiest or nicest, I would tend to go for H07RNF flex down ducting.

H07RNF flex down ducting is probably a better option. I'll likely go with that. (Never heard of that flex before.)

If you’re going to dig down to 1 foot to lay in ducting, concrete and T&E, will that be cheaper than digging down 1 foot and laying in SWA?

Not at all. It's not a cost thing, I'm just not desperately happy about having SWA buried quite that shallow.

 

[Squid]

Chalk breaks easily well it did at school when the teacher threw it as someones head, the eraser though.......

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Not at all. It's not a cost thing, I'm just not desperately happy about having SWA buried quite that shallow.

Hmm, you think that ducting, concrete and T&E might be as good as SWA, but you don’t think SWA is good enough?