Indoor Arena Footing/Grading

[Rolltoptx]

We are putting up a 72'x300' clearspan building from FarmTek that arrives July,1.

Our whole property is on a slight slope. The SW end is the highest point. The SE end (72'ft away) is 2.5' lower. The NW corner (300' away) is 2' lower and NE end is 4'10" lower.

That's a ton of fill needed to make it level. So my husband wants to build up the lowest corner 2'10" decreasing the slope instead of making it perfectly level. I'm really not sure about this... especially since the lowest end of the building is going to have stalls. Do you think it will be ok?

 

[Gizmo2]

We made an outdoor riding arena years back, about 80 x 150 and we assumed a couple feet out of level would not make much difference. I guess you know we were wrong. Granted our arena was smaller than yours but walking around the ring on foot and riding around it on a horse is two completely different things. IMO, I would want it as level as possible right from the start.

 

[NorTracNY]

No question, make it level! One thing I would HIGHLY advise is make sure that the whole structure is 1-2" above the rest of the area. In other words make sure that there is a slight slope around the building away from the building. We have a 70' wide arena and you have to be able to handle the large amount of rain and or snow that you are displacing! If you're in the snow area, think about how to open the doors in the winter. Do the site work right, you can't easily fix it later.

 

[bearhawk]

We are putting up a 72'x300' clearspan building from FarmTek that arrives July,1.

That's a large building and quite an investment to not do it right.

Maybe you can install a knee-wall level and flat, and then add the fill in as the budget allows.

Is it possible to move some of the dirt from the high side to the lower end. That's what we did on our (way smaller) riding arena. I had to cut into the side of the hill to make it *somewhat level. The wife never really likes the fact that one direction she rides up hill, and the other side is downhill.

 

[Gizmo2]

That's a large building and quite an investment to not do it right.

Maybe you can install a knee-wall level and flat, and then add the fill in as the budget allows.

Is it possible to move some of the dirt from the high side to the lower end. That's what we did on our (way smaller) riding arena. I had to cut into the side of the hill to make it *somewhat level. The wife never really likes the fact that one direction she rides up hill, and the other side is downhill.

My wife told me the same thing about ours.....she was right.

 

[grsthegreat]

it HAS to be both LEVEL and also slightly higher than the sourrounding land, or it can flood inside.

lots of work, but necessary.

 

[drssg]

Yes, absolutely must be level. We had our excavators dig a pond on the property so they had more fill on hand than they needed to make the sub-base level and an appropriate height. This is very well packed down in layers, using a bull dozer and a sheep's foot (a very heavy cylinder with large spikes on it). They get it packed down so the spikes won't even sink into the ground.

A good 6 inches of base goes on top of that of crushed stone (1/8" down to fine dust). Then your footing goes on top of that.

If you can find a local excavator that has done lots of arenas in your area, that would be great. It's not the same as building a parking lot.

 

[WM75Guy]

Get it level from the start. The footing required is based on what discipline you ride. It will be impossible to keep a decent footing with that slope. The material will creep downhill as you ride. Dragging will make it worse as your footing depth will be uneven. Show jumping would be next to impossible with that slope as the horse would speed up or slow down depending on direction. Dressage would be difficult for the same reason. Western arenas usually has a deeper footing for quick stops and turns, so unequal footing could be a real hazard to both horse and rider.

I had my 30 meter X 70 meter dressage arena levelled with a Cat D5 with dual lasers slope indicators on the blade. I did the basic work with my tractor, tiller, and landscape rake. The Cat and operator cost me 85$ an hour and it took 7 hours to get it perfect. It is uncovered and has a 1 degree slope for run off. My wife cannot tell it is there when she rides.

 

[Gizmo2]

Pretty cool, I guess if all boils down to whatever the wife wants.:thumbsup:

 

[Reg]

Pretty cool, I guess if all boils down to whatever the wife wants.:thumbsup:

Almost...

It REALLY boils down to what the wife's HORSES want (-:
{dwell on that thought Ye masters of your own domains}