How do i dig a hole in the ground to 3000mm in depth and only 40mm diameter.?

Question

I want to place a small temperature data logger in the hole at 1m, 2m, and 3m to log the change in temperature at these levels and from day to night.

Without purchasing expensive equipment, I can't figure how to create a hole like this.

Answer 1

3m deep and only 4cm in diamater?  You need some sort of drilling implement for that.  I'm sure you could fashion something using garden implements.  If the earth is soft enough, something as simple as a sharpened wooden stake of appropriate length would do the trick.  Alternatively, a piece of steel pipe - use a file to sharpen the rim around one end and you have yourself a makeshift core-borer.

Answer 2

Hire a hand auger: these will only work in soil and weathered rock.

They consist of an auger bit with a handle and modular rod system to extend the length.

The best way would involve a drill rig of some kind: unfortunately these are expensive and hard to find.

Answer 3

Instead of making a hole in the ground to put the datalogger in the hole - put the datalogger in a pipe and pound the pipe in the ground.   Thin wall conduit is one choice.  Shallow wells are made with an wedge point fitted to a pipe that has holes in the side and is pounded into the ground and leff there.  

  It is very hard to pound a dowel rod (not "trowel rod") into soil and then pull it out.  I use a 3 ton high lift jack to pull posts and pipes pounded into the ground.

Answer 4

I would just dig a big hole, plant the device, then cover it all up again, leaving a 4cm tunnel.

But seriously, pipe's also a good idea.

Answer 5

yep, some kid of drill or rod system. It would help if the soil was moist too, so that it won't collapse in when you remove the drill bit or the rod.

Answer 6

You have to make a bigger hole and close it to your size by the help of plumbers.

Answer 7

If you can afford it hire a Geoprobe drilling rig or a Cone Penatrometer rig.

Go to labsafety.com and look up soil samplers.  The tools are pretty cheap.

Find yourself a wetlands delineation person.  They usually will have those skinny soil probes because they need to get samples of soil to study.

One Last Thing

Check utility locations before you dig your hole.  Most utilities are buried within 3 to 6 feet of the ground surface.  Locating them is a free service and the organizations go by many names like "One Call", "Call before you dig", "Dig Tess",  "Dig Safe"

Answer 8

get a towel rod from a hardware store. That tube is about the right width. Then hammer it into the ground and pull it out ... dirt coming with it

PS. if you use the bathroom towel rack, don't tell your mum I told you to muddy up her towels ... blame the neighbour's dog

Answer 9

(If the ground is relatively soft...)

Use a piece of pipe, with handle put thru it at the end (like T), and basically drill into the ground, taking the pipe out every inch or so to remove the dirt from inside. You can even shape teeth on the cutting end of the pipe to speed things up.

Answer 10

THE VERY BEST METHOD IS TO USE A "GROUND AUGER".

If you do not have a farmer neighbor, then you may have to buy one.  I am not sure of the cost.

If  they are too expensive, get a carpenter's auger (even a very old one) and weld it onto your 3M. rod, then just "drill" into the earth.

40mm is large, but you should be able to find one.

Some may recommend a pipe, but did you ever try to pull a pipe out of the ground that has been driven 3 meters deep?

Don't forget to fill the holes with sand.

Hope this helped, good luck!

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Answer 11

You need appropriate equipment to put in a 3 meter boring with a less than 2 inch diameter.  

I can tell you from experience that the really hard part is getting the tube (the borer) back out.  You'll need a jack (preferably hydraulic, makes it easier)  and a couple of large pipe wrenches or some sort of clamp that won't slide.  Depending on the soil, the suction makes it bloody well near impossible to extract the borer manually.  Been there done that.

If you have access to appropriate tubing (boring equipment), you can drive the borer using an electric hammer, one of those hammers that you can rent and put a chisel on the end to break up concrete.  We do this in tight situations (in basements, say) or where we are only putting in a couple of shallow holes and it isn't worth the cost to bring in a drilling rig.

Two warnings on top of all that-you need soil that is at least 3 meters deep or you will hit the bedrock, end of hole; and often in rocky soil you will encounter a stone that cannot enter the borer and you will not be able to drive your hole past that stone or rock or boulder, and will have to move (you will hit refusal in either situation, the borer just won't go any deeper no matter how much you try).

The borer tubes are basically just two foot long hollow steel rods with threaded ends, so you can add the lengths together as you go deeper and deeper.  If you can think of something that will work as a substitute that isn't costly, then give it a shot.  The other stuff you can buy or rent for a day.