locating pipes and wires under slab

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Sharpie

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My customer wants to put in a soda dispenser at the front counter and put the syrup and carbonation stuff in the back room. They want to cut a trench in the concrete slab from the back room to the front counter to run all of the water, syrup, and electrical lines under the slab.

The question is: How can I check to make sure they are not going to cut through any wires or pipes in/under the slab that they are not aware of (the building's original documentations are lacking this info).:confused:

Thanks,
 
Some tracers will work, some won't in fact you can find 19 pipes ran under the slab and somehow miss 1 every time, so you repair it anyway. Been there done that. Why would you want to put those underground anyway? sound kinda gross.
 
1. Educated guess. Open the panel and check for underground stuff. Open a few JB's and do the same. Put a tracer on whatever you find.

The stuff is not supposed to be in the slab....but stuff happens. When it happens, fix it.

2. Suggest up and over. I have run large PVC before and they pull their lines thru it. Size it according to how many flavors....probably 2" to 2 1/2" minimum.
 
barbeer said:
Some tracers will work, some won't in fact you can find 19 pipes ran under the slab and somehow miss 1 every time, so you repair it anyway. Been there done that. Why would you want to put those underground anyway? sound kinda gross.
Click to expand...

Why would it be gross? Isn't that how your domestic water gets into your house?

It's how a lot of the island-style beverage dispensers are designed (for clean view above) ... or in any location to give room for the ice maker on top.
 
Sharpie said:
My customer wants to put in a soda dispenser at the front counter and put the syrup and carbonation stuff in the back room. They want to cut a trench in the concrete slab from the back room to the front counter to run all of the water, syrup, and electrical lines under the slab.

The question is: How can I check to make sure they are not going to cut through any wires or pipes in/under the slab that they are not aware of (the building's original documentations are lacking this info).:confused:

Thanks,
Click to expand...

Amprobe CT-326B

if i run a separate return to the panel, so the signal in the conduit doesn't
get canceled out, i can locate an underground conduit for location and
depth, with an accuracy of about 2~3". honest to god. i've done it a number
of times.

it's extremely accurate, and costs like hell... but the last one i bought i
got new off ebay for $400.... list is $950. list 20 years ago, was $800.

this design hasn't changed in about 20 years. the first one of these i bought
was in 1991, and when it got stolen, i went looking for the latest and greatest
one, figuring there had been improvements. nope. ended up with the same
thing.
 
220/221 said:
1. Educated guess. Open the panel and check for underground stuff. Open a few JB's and do the same. Put a tracer on whatever you find.

The stuff is not supposed to be in the slab....but stuff happens. When it happens, fix it.

2. Suggest up and over. I have run large PVC before and they pull their lines thru it. Size it according to how many flavors....probably 2" to 2 1/2" minimum.
Click to expand...

i'd sell up and over as well.... i've put in a few of them, and the soda gun
in the bar uses 4" conduit. that's what i've been told to use... but it wasn't
very full when they were done, so it seemed to be overkill.
 
Loffgren said:
X-Ray
Click to expand...

I agree, hire a company that does concrete x-rays. I bet a local concrete cutting/coring outfit would have that number.

It doesn't make sense to track all the conduits and wires down just to have them cut through a water pipe. I believe an x-ray will show it all.
 
Is it a long run? Maybe a jack hammer would be a safer bet as you have a bit more control of how much you take up at a time and don't run as blind while progressing.
 
Get er DONE!

Get er DONE!

Have a sub cut the concrete and make sure you have thier insurance in hand and the agent on site.
Use a carbide blade and cut just the concrete (about 3 1/2 inches?) and not the underlying dirt then pop with a sledge, Lift out and hand dig. Why do locates? Just get er done!
 
If this is a ground floor slab--any conduits will be below the slab and in this case i would cut the slab and hand gig for the new raceway.
If it is an above ground slab-have it X-rayed or install a poke thru!
 
GUNNING said:
Have a sub cut the concrete and make sure you have thier insurance in hand and the agent on site.
Use a carbide blade and cut just the concrete (about 3 1/2 inches?) and not the underlying dirt then pop with a sledge, Lift out and hand dig. Why do locates? Just get er done!
Click to expand...

i've seen an awful lot of slabs where the pvc is right under the visqueen,
on top of the dirt, fully visible before the pour. a 3 1/2" deep cut would
cut most of the way thru most of those pipes....:wink:

i was told to "drive a ground rod, right there..." by a customer. when i
asked about sewer and electrical, i was told, not a problem on this side
of the building....

i checked and the feeders for both sided of the building went exactly where
i was told to drive the rod... would i have hit pvc? dunno. i checked first.
it's easier, and i am lazy.
 
they used a concrete saw here and the guy said if it hit any metal conduit it would shut off by itself. not sure how it worked but we didnt have any incidents like that. if its too risky can you just go up the wall into a drop celing?
 
Thanks everybody. Good suggestions.
For the record, the hoses for the soda machine are pulled into a large conduit (not direct buried).

In this case the up and over is just not a good option.
And it is a ground slab.

Thanks again,
 
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