Holes/Trenches on playa?

[ucki ood]

How deep of a trench can be dug in the playa? I'm creating a large art project that needs to have many pieces connected with low voltage wiring, but am unsure of how deep I can go. Everything I've read just says "no deep holes". Any ideas of what's OK? We would, of course, fill the trenches when done.

Also, is this the place to ask questions about Arts Grants Submission form? The form itself doesn't say!

[trilobyte]

Low voltage wiring would likely not be deep, and would likely be permitted (as they have been in the past several years). Make sure to include the info about the need to bury wiring in your proposal. Whether it's for an honorarium art grant or just a registered installation, I'm sure the folks at the ARTery will be able to offer guidance on depths and limits. Good luck!

[ucki ood]

Thanks, trilobyte!

[some seeing eye]

DPW trenches in a power grid. So they have power tools for that which are idle after a certain date. The Artery can connect you. They go deeper, but may have suggestions on laying a rope with the power to extract it at the end of BM and restore the landscape.

[chiefdanfox]

DPW trenched for the Trojan Horse, and I think the trenches were about 8" - 12" deep.

[ucki ood]

Thanks, guys. We have 20 or so trenches, between 10 and 50 feet in length to dig, so a trencher would be of great help. Does anyone know how to contact ARTery? Or do I have to wait until registration is open?

[trilobyte]

Wait til registration's open.

[Snow]

we've had trenches on almost every project I've ever done. Contact the ARTery for arrangements and scheduling. Be sure to compact them well so they aren't obvious/trip hazzards. Last year we compacted ours with a giant trojan horse Don't forget to bring a shovel and a landscape rake. Also a HUGE word of advice. Be ready to lay your cable/hose/pipe as soon as the trencher is done. Leaving them open the are sure to fill back in from the wind and foot traffic. We sometimes wrap overly sensitive hoses and data cable in plastic wrap to make a neat bundle.

kick some ass!

[ucki ood]

Thanks for the great tips, Snow! Did you ever use conduit to protect your cabling (maybe overkill for 12v) or lay rope with the wire for easier removal?

[Bob]

Solid conduit would be dumb, doesn't help with demob, and doesn't really protect anything buried less than a foot deep. Rope, wrapping, or flexible conduit might help with pulling out small gauge wire.

A garden mattock would help for clearing or extending trenches, along with a rake for leveling. Maybe a trenching shovel.

I believe DPW uses a ditch witch, or one of the tines on a forklift if that machine's busy.

[Dustdevil]

My camp uses a very extensive power grid. Often times we will share power with neighboring camps. Occasionally we run power cables, (5 conductors of 00 cable) across the street. We ALWAYS put a section of rope in the ground. This allows us to pull the dirt loose and remove the cables with almost no digging. Make certain a few people on your team have a strong back.

[ucki ood]

Thanks guys, that's very helpful. Dustdevil, do you attach the rope to the wire somehow or just lay them next to each other?

[Dustdevil]

After the trench is dug we lay in cables, leaving more slack than you need at each end. Next we lay the rope over the cables. We then fill the trench. The idea of the rope is to loosen the dirt, not pull the cables out.

Jack

[ucki ood]

Ah, gotcha. Thanks again, Dustdevil!

[ygmir]

and if you wrap them together, wrap cable around the straight rope, so the cable in the trench is longer than the rope, so when you pull, strain is all on the rope, and cable slack keeps it from straining it'self.

[ucki ood]

Ah yes, excellent idea ygmir. Thanks!