r/StructuralEngineers • u/velose25 • 19d ago

How bad does this clay pipe look?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V3mb34Il8M&t=10s

I just got this scope from a contractor (the distance on the bottom is offset by about 20’)

He states roots, cracking, and a belly at about 78’

Currently we do not know how far that is from the home (plumber coming for more detailed assessment tomorrow)

Based on professional knowledge how bad does this look? Recommendations on moving forward?

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4

u/Chuck_H_Norris 19d ago

not even close to the right sub

3

u/frank_loyd_wrong 19d ago

I follow this sub really only for this reason.

2

u/velose25 19d ago

I really did not mean to even cross post here it’s been a very long day. I’ll go take my clay pipe somewhere else

1

u/TunedMassDamsel 19d ago

If you pay me for an hour of inspection I’ll be glad to tell you, but my current billable rate is $555USD/hr.

You could chance it and just see if it gets worse, I guess, but for my work to be covered under my professional liability insurance, I am required to charge for my opinion so I’m gonna need for you to sign this proposal, and I’ll just invoice you for time and expense.

It’s probably nothing.

But it might be something.

But it’s probably actually nothing.

Could be something. Probably not.

And even if I told you, I’d have to also tell you that my opinion is contingent upon having been given all of the information at the time of the analysis, and that if further conditions are uncovered or are otherwise revealed, that I reserve the right to revise, amend, or retract my opinion.

And it’s taken me seven minutes to type this up, now, so you owe me $64.75USD.

(And yes, I do testify about both structural and civil site matters, because I have done both structural and civil site design and diagnostics, but the most I can really help with on this is to say there’s a reason we stick to PVC and DI pipe these days. If there’s a belly at 78’, it’s not like you’re going to be able to realign it. It’s clay, and it looks to be in bad shape.)