I've got an interesting dirt-filled hole safety problem

[Defective]

I'll go along with everyone who says "don't put rocks in the holes". Most of my life, I've lived in areas where I seem to spend too much time removing the rocks that have come to the surface & filling the holes. Find out how deep your frost line is & don't leave any rocks shallower than that. They WILL come to the surface. Use the rocks to build retaining walls and edging. Heck...get fancy...split a few into slabs & make a new walkway or six.

 

[MarkV]

Drive over the hole!!! Is that safe?
Suppose my left wheel is on original dirt surface and the right wheel sinks to the axle - 15 inches I measured it. Will that cause a tip over?
I sure hope that I remembered to lower the loader so it's no more than four or five inches high.
I think that filling the hole with rocks and boulders to within a foot will minimize any wheel sinking. But I'm thinking that I could expect ground sinking in the coming months as the top dirt sifts down to fill the crannies between rocks.
Fortunately my deep hole problem will go away as I dig up the last of the stumps. Even the biggest boulders shouldn't leave more than two foot deep holes - I hope.

Ragkar good advice given and if nervous about getting your front wheels in the hole to compact the dirt don't. I would use Egons advice and start your filling by digging a ramp to get in the hole. That will allow you to get the tractor safely in the hole to compact the soil after every 6-12 inches of fill. When you compact carry a load in your bucket for extra weight. I see you have a backhoe and the stabilizers make good training wheels if you are uncomfortable with the angles you are working. Personally on your bigger holes I would not be afraid to use some rock. I would layer dirt with the rock in lifts to fill the voids and minimize settling. But what do I know, we don't freeze in my area.

MarkV

 

[Defective]

Ah-Ha!

Missed the back-hoe...

Problem solved. Compact with the hoe. No more need to worry about tipping the tractor.

 

[horse7]

I don't know about where you are, but around here topsoil is a relatively precious commodity and I wouldn't fill in a deep hole with it. Construction contractors are well known for making the stuff disappear for sale elsewhere for a big profit. Doesn't pack well anyway.

Where I am, I'd use bank run, moderately heavy (packs very well[1]), 12-24" lifts, and tamp with the hoe. If you really want to waste angular rocks in the holes instead of building a wall, they can sit on lifts (below frost line if it is a lawn or field, doesn't matter for a driveway).

Build up to maybe 6" of the surface, and cover with topsoil. Even better, wait to put the topsoil on until after some rain has helped consolidate the bank run fill.

[1] I had an erosion hole next to some culverts-- about 36" deep, bigger at the bottom than top. Filled with about 6yd (by shovel and wheelbarrow ) of bank run. Built it up to about 6" above the driveway because I was worried about sinking. Was afraid to drive on it with that deep a section and no consolidation other then stepping on it a little.... but when I did drive on it, it did not move at all! 6 months later, there is still a 3" hump there. Of course, YMMV depending on what kind of fill you can get... in your case, there will be a layer of topsoil on the surface that would be soft for a while, while in my case it was a driveway with no topsoil.

 

[Egon]

I'll state my thoughts again. Maybe more clearly.

Use the holes for some rocks. Then ramp down the sides of the holes over the rocks. When finally using other dirt to fill the holes dump the bucket at the edge and push the the dirt into the hole in a manner that gives you thinner lifts but still allows you to back out. Eventually there will be sufficient dirt over the rocks you will be able to drive through the hole.

After all is filled be prepared to level the entire area, not just the holes, and be prepared to do the same after a winter or some rain storms have come and gone.

 

[Grrrr]

I'll state my thoughts again. Maybe more clearly.

Use the holes for some rocks. Then ramp down the sides of the holes over the rocks. When finally using other dirt to fill the holes dump the bucket at the edge and push the the dirt into the hole in a manner that gives you thinner lifts but still allows you to back out. Eventually there will be sufficient dirt over the rocks you will be able to drive through the hole.

After all is filled be prepared to level the entire area, not just the holes, and be prepared to do the same after a winter or some rain storms have come and gone.

That is exactly what I would do. Just make sure you put plenty of dirt in there and pack it down really well, even leave it a little higher than the surrounding area, then it will pack down a bit on its own and be level.

 

[keeney]

Related question / comment:

I saw a utility worker "compacting" some filled holes with a backhoe by repeatedly pounding violently with the back of the bucket. Seemed like the machine was taking more of a pounding than the ground.

They were burying a bunch of fiber along a highway I drive every day, and I saw this same operator doing it this way over the course of several weeks, so it wasn't like his supervisoer wouldn't have noticed!

Is this a common or recommended practice?

- Rick

 

[LBrown59]

I would just put the soil in a bit at a time and then drive all over it. Then put some more in and drive over that.

That's how I've always done it even with with the little old bolens 850 garden tractor back in 66.

 

[Mith]

....pounding violently with the back of the bucket.........Is this a common or recommended practice?

Only on a rental machine

 

[Defective]

Is this a common or recommended practice?

Violent pounding is stupid.

Putting the weight of the machine on the bucket in a controlled manner, on the other hand, makes for some darn tight packed dirt.