Pipes coming to surface

[jirrigation]

I was hoping someone could give me some insight as to why at one clients house, pipes are coming to the surface after winter. It happens in certain areas of his property, not the entire property. Pipes can rise to the surface (only thing holding them completely popping out is the grass/roots) as much as 1' per winter. The client burried a conduit for wire to his cabano that intitally was around 2 1/2 ' deep and that come completely to the surface after a few years. Valve boxes raise out of the ground by about a foot every winter as well. The soil is clay.

[MarcSmith]

gotta be frost heave... We had some underground leaks on campus and the contractors were convinced it was irrigation. so they dug up a bunch of lines. and well we did have a leak, AFTER they hit the 3" main... but here are some pics of the trenches.... if you look at one pic you'll see how one section has risen to the surface... ignore the date...

[Wet_Boots]

I wonder how things would go if the pipes were surrounded by sand.

[Dripit good]

Sand Pipes (rock column), sunset, Kodachrome Basin State Park. Utah, USA

[Wet_Boots]

Pan Pipes.....

[Dripit good]

This one hits the sour notes...

[MarcSmith]

Originally Posted by Wet_Boots

I wonder how things would go if the pipes were surrounded by sand.

ya know in florida I never had any problems with pipes floating up...I wonder if the result of the empty lines in the winter and the high amount of moisture we had this winter is more of the cause...

[WalkGood]

The pipes are not rising. The ground is sinking around them.

[MarcSmith]

Originally Posted by WalkGood

The pipes are not rising. The ground is sinking around them.

I don't think so in my case. as there has been no evidence of any settling in this area or around this building. Its been in place 8 years...

I guess it could have just been a shallow trench as well but that would not have passed inspections.

[Wet_Boots]

I never saw poly pipes surface unless there was insufficient grass-roots cover. If they aren't visible, then no worries, and keep your goddam aerator off my customers' lawns!