Sinking Dock Pilings - DONE!!!

[TwoBallScrewBall]

I need to sink two 16' 4X6 pilings and two 16' 2" galvanized pipes off of my parent's bulkhead to attach my floating dock to. <br /><br />I've read about a process called jetting using a tube of some sort to drive down the pole. Can't find many details on google so far. Anyone explain this to me? <br /><br />A pile drive barge is out of the question $$.<br /><br />The bottom is soft lagoon mud in the wetlands of NJ. <br /><br />Suggestions PLEASE!!! <br /><br />Thanks!

 

[pine island fred]

Re: Sinking Dock Pilings - DONE!!!

Pretty simple. Get 2 10ft. lenghts of pvc pipe 1/2 of 3/4 diameter. connect them together with a coupling. On one end connect a plastic pipe to 1/2 female threaded coupling. thread a hose bib into this coupling. You will also need a clothes washer hose with the female hose coupling on both ends. Connect to a garde hose and you are all set. Stand the piling upright and run the tube all around the base of the piling. Have a friend to help as the piling will want to float until it gets into the mud. If the tube is to long,cut it. If the pipe is threaded, consider a reducer coupling at one end and again the hose bib. Then try shooting it down with the water flowing from inside the pipe. Bet that water is cold, gulf temp. is about 78 deg. good luck fred

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Sinking Dock Pilings - DONE!!!

Stiff, As fred says, you can jet them in. You probably do not need a 20 foot section of pipe, since you are likely not going to make them 20 foot down. Use a watersource with the most volume. A garden hose will work, but a big water pump will work faster/better. The bulkheaders here in the Barnegat bay area use gas powered water pumps with 1-1/2 inch hoses (or larger). That kind of pump will make short work of installing your "pilings".

 

[Mr.Ladyfish]

Re: Sinking Dock Pilings - DONE!!!

I've never seen anyone use a garden hose to do it. Not saying it won't work but a garden hose will only have 30 - 40 psi. and will probably take a long time to wash away the muck from under the pile. Rent a pump and you'll be able to blow the muck out and set the piling in no time.

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: Sinking Dock Pilings - DONE!!!

with four to six feet of bottom penetration, 16 feet will get me right to the bulkhead dock structure I need to secure the tops of the posts to. <br /><br />How about somehow using a pressure washer? I have a 2400psi washer.

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: Sinking Dock Pilings - DONE!!!

Water temp is about 45 degrees right now I think.

 

[mattttt25]

Re: Sinking Dock Pilings - DONE!!!

pressure washer may work, but you need to get the tip of the wand at the bottom of the sea floor. garden hose does work. the key is to slowly rock the pile back and forth. the weight will bring it right down.<br /><br />the hardest part is getting the thing upright. it will want to float in a bad way. don't think you're just going to right it and push it down.<br /><br />as for the steel pipes, no need for jetting. sledge hammer works just fine.<br /><br />def a 2 person job, 3 is better. also need a good work platform. my 20' center with hardtop worked awesome. one guy in the boat, one guy standing on the hardtop.

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: Sinking Dock Pilings - DONE!!!

They're 6X6 not 4X6, just so you know. I made a mistake above and forgot I had the 6X6's. <br /><br />I'm going to see today if there is anywhere local that will rent me a pump for a day at a reasonable rate. If not we'll try the garden hose. We have good water pressure here so hopefully that will help. Another thing that I think will work in my favor is that the 16' pole is going into about 4-6 feet of water, so the lumber floating shouldn't be an issue I don't think. And I have an overhanging dock, an existing floating dock, and my dad's 20 foot aquasport cc to work from if needed. <br /><br />Wish me luck!

 

[pine island fred]

Re: Sinking Dock Pilings - DONE!!!

6x6 16ft. long, thats getting to be a hunk of lumber.be sure to have some help. be careful. try to round up some wet suits and do it on a low tide. you are getting into the neighborhood of needing a barge with a large boom. you are getting to the point where you need dedicated equipment. how many pilings? are you close to a seawall or doing all from a boat? please keep us posted regards fred

 

[Captn Dave]

Re: Sinking Dock Pilings - DONE!!!

Do you need a permit to sink a piling in NJ?<br />I know on Long Island the state DEC will make your life miserable if you put anything in or near the water without one.

 

[pine island fred]

Re: Sinking Dock Pilings - DONE!!!

YEA, like Wave said. seems like each state tries to out regulate the other on there rules and regulations. Things are not simple anymore. You can get away with a lot, until one of your neighbors start questioning. Then the problems begin. Seems like they get jealous if you make an improvement that they dont have or want to pay for. All of our work down here is done on the weekends, in the summer when everybody has gone back north. Its to bad. Please keep updating on the pilings. fred

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: Sinking Dock Pilings - DONE!!!

Yeah it's definitely a hunk of lumber. Going to have help. I am working from a bulkhead/seawall with an overhanging dock. The 6x6's are going straight down from the edge of the overhanging dock which makes it about 6 feet out from the edge of the wall. <br /><br />We will have the floater in the water before we sink the poles, so we will be able to work from both the top to stablilze and the bottom to work the jetting. <br /><br />There was an existing dock here so we're not 'adding' anything, OK on the legal side of things but thank you for the concern!

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: Sinking Dock Pilings - DONE!!!

Thanks everyone for the advice!<br /><br />Got it done today. Sunk both 6X6's with the garden hose contraption. One went down just shy of 4 feet and the other went three. Both are lag bolted to an overhanging dock and are not going anywhere any time soon. <br /><br />We were going to use the pressure washer but as we were maneuvering the pilings the neighbor across the lagoon suggested that we use his jetter. It was just 15 feet of steel pipe with hose attached to one end and a reducer fitting on the other to create a stronger jet. Worked perfect. Poles sank about 1.5 to 2 feet just by poking around with the pipe and another 1.5 to 2 feet with the aid of a sledge. <br /><br />I'll be sinking the galvanized tomorrow or Tuesday and I'll post some pics of the completed project. <br /><br />Thanks Again!!!

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Sinking Dock Pilings - DONE!!!

That's what I like SN's. A guy who just jumps right to it and gets er done! <br /><br />Be fun to see the pics.

 

[pine island fred]

Re: Sinking Dock Pilings - DONE!!!

Happy to hear everything worked out. Expect the neighbors to start showing up wanting you to do it for them. You will be a hero. Send pictures please. regards fred

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: Sinking Dock Pilings - DONE!!!

Got everything done today except the 2" pipes. Ran a crosswise brace in the center of the dock, finished the planking, tomorrow hopefully if I'm not too tired (I'm at work now, I work third shift midnight to 8:00am) I'll get the pipes sunk and be 100% done with it. Now just gotta finish stripping the bottom paint, repainting the hull and drop the boat in the water to try out the new dock!<br /><br />Pics tomorrow hopefully, here's some pics of it just tied up yesterday 1/2 planked, as well as a shot of my dad and I giving it the heave-ho off the dock. Splash. <br /><br />