Excavating a hole in rock

[Cord]

Pictures from when I was digging the ejector pump pit. It was two days with the breaker to get that small of a hole.

Must have been during deer hunting because I don't typically wear blaze.

 

[Snobdds]

If no dynamite and a breaker does not work...I think the only thing you can do is drill holes and use the expanding grout. Then you still have to use an excavator to get the stuff out.

I would seriously consider a blasting company. They can put heavy plate on top of the blast to prevent and collateral damage. It will be the quickest, if you need it done quickly.

There is no easy way to do this...

 

[Egon]

Hard rock means no easy way. With the location blasting is an iffy proposition. (Note: do not know much about blasting aside from industrial site's) you also do not want to break up rock under the house footings.

Just a thought; line drill the perimeter with some cross lines at every ?? So many feet. Then use a heavier equipment with an attachable jackhammer. The drilled holes will give lines where the rock can crack. Once one side is down to proper level it should go quickly.

Please note, just conjecture on my part but I can split granite boulders.

 

[jones6780]

Blast it.

 

[MossRoad]

Aren't you concerned about freezing?

 

[crazyal]

As others have said, call a blasting company. Find out if they think it's too close to the house. It's possible that they could use blasting mats to protect the house or they could say that there's a chance of damaging the rock the house is sitting on. Other than that drill holes and use a circular saw to make cuts in the rock. It'll still be slow going but it should speed things up over the last time. I think you'll find the low speed expanding material like Dexpan would work but it'll take plenty of time so it's not really a viable option to work with rented equipment. It'll do the job though. I would look on ebay for a good used 1 1/8 hex shank hammer drill breaker. It'll be faster than an SDS-max drill. A better option would be to rent an air compressor and a rotary drill/ jack hammer.

 

[FredH]

What is Dexpan Non-Explosive Demolition Agent? | www.Dexpan.com



Also Sold at Home Depot . 3 Different temperature ratings . Choose rating that matches Your average temp during use . Requires drilling of of holes , But if You watch the video's , It does some serious work . Have no video's or pictures , but have took out various cement from 8" thick steps , ( broke those in half so I could move them ) , To a 20' x 20' + slab that was 6" on edge to more than 8" in middle .

Dexpan 11 lb. Bucket Type 2 (5F-77F) Expansive Demolition Grout for Concrete Rock Breaking and Removal-DEXPAN11BKT2 - The Home Depot


Fred H.

 

[MF283]

A good powder man could have that shot in 3 hours tops.

 

[Cord]

Aren't you concerned about freezing?

It's a 3 season we we'll drain it for winter.

 

[rd_macgregor]

I don't suppose it would fit under the house on the downhill side, without having to do all that excavation? That would also make it easier to drain for the winter and avoid needing a sump pump to keep it from floating out of the hole.