Contractor troubles...how to fix?

[Kubota-Orange8998]

I hired a deadbeat contractor and now I need to know what is the best way to fix this mistake.

To summarize a long story, I hired a contractor to excavate and complete foundation work (42" deep x 12" wide concrete footings then a 4" thick concrete floor) so that a metal tube storage building could be installed. The contractor did 75% of the excavation and then never returned to finish the job or do any concrete work. After months of broken promises, I am left with a hole in the ground. Roughly 4ft wide x 4 ft deep in the shape of a rectangle.

I want the building in the location that was partially excavated, so I need to fill the open excavation areas so I can "start over" with the same location.

At first, I was thinking of finding fill dirt with high clay content and fill the holes open trenches in. Then rent a ride on roller to compact it. But then a friend of mine suggested filling in the open trenches with stone and then add dirt on top of it.

I had an eager, young excavation professional on site to evaluate. He would not take on the job because he has never done something like this before. He said settling will be a major concern.

My question to you all is: What is the "proper" way to fill in the hole and then prep the area for a metal tube storage building could be installed. I will not have any concrete this time around. The building will be installed on compacted dirt and stone and secure by mobile home anchors. The building is basically a carport with the sides and ends closed up and roll up doors to move equipment in and out.

 

[herm0016]

dig a ramp and fill with structural fill in 6 in lifts, compacted between with a plate or roller.

 

[jaxs]

You lost me as to why you dug such massive footings in the first place and now will use no footing at all but here's the best I can do with it. Pour 3'x3'x6" pads at intervals around the trench. Set 27/8" to 3" heavy wall tube in pads. If structure is piece by piece weld up,extend tube to top of wall height. If building comes in a kit,extend tube to grade and cap with reciever channels then back-fill.

 

[grsthegreat]

if the contractor was licensed and bonded, contact local building dept and lodge a complaint. you can attach his bond and hes out of business until its fixed. if you hired an unlicensed contractor...well, nothing you can do.

i also wonder why theres a 42" footing for a shed.

 

[dodge man]

A footing 42” deep doesn’t sound out of line to me.

herm0016 has the answer. You have to put dirt in layers to compact it correctly. Moisture is also critical. I worked for a civil engineering company for 37 years and did density testing off and on over the years. It gets complicated and expensive to go through an engineering company to do it correctly. You don’t want wet dirt but you don’t want it powder dry either.

The type of dirt can be critical to, you don’t want topsoil.

 

[Jstpssng]

Welcome to the forums. Sorry that your first post is about such a problem.
What I don't understand is why you want to fill the work back in, rather than continuing with the work. Is it because you are unable to find another contractor?

 

[jyoutz]

I had a couple of those steel carports installed with the earth anchors. All I did was level the ground with my box blade, the spread and leveled crushed gravel. No footers and they installed directly over the gravel. 15 years later all is well with the buildings. The way they are built with steel skids, they really don’t need a footer, just a level spot.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

I had a couple of those steel carports installed with the earth anchors. All I did was level the ground with my box blade, the spread and leveled crushed gravel. No footers and they installed directly over the gravel. 15 years later all is well with the buildings. The way they are built with steel skids, they really don’t need a footer, just a level spot.

Yep. There’s no need for a footer under those metal carport buildings. The weight is trivial. Just need to keep it from blowing over.