Question moving dirt

[jomar215]

Center of Silicone Valley! Hahaha, yeah - a little different around here. This lot size isn't much bigger than yours, though, and it seems to me like my only sound option is lifting up the house and work from underneath, and your only sound option is 5 gallon buckets over the next 3 years. Every time you go out, you bring as many buckets as you can fit in your truck. It's a hobby, not a job - like the guy who dug his basement out with a fleet of rc trucks.

Think of it as Zen building ..... can I get a witness?

 

[CurlyDave]

I have a dump trailer so the hauling is not a problem.

The hauling effort mention is not hauling the dirt away in a dump trailer, that is the easy part. The hard part is getting it from where it starts into the dump trailer, which is where the wheelbarrow and 5-gallon buckets come in.

When it comes to moving dirt (in Silicon Valley, by the way) I have had great success with day laborers which I get from the parking lot of the local Home Depot. These guys can move somewhere between 1 and 3 yards of dirt per man-day from your excavation. You supply the tools: shovels, picks, buckets and wheelbarrows. Don't stint on these. A $30 pointed shovel will move a lot more dirt over the course of the day than that $15 one on sale. You need one per man, and I would start with 2 or 3 men. Picks are similar, not so many choices in quality grades, but you should start with one per man.

You need one or two wheelbarrows. Get the ones with pneumatic tires, the flat-proof tires are harder to push. Have an extra wheel and tire on hand to take care of the inevitable flats.

The current going rate is $100 per 8 hour day, and I always provide lunch for the men, and have plenty of bottled water. A can or two of Coca-Cola per man day is appreciated.

Don't worry about the men not giving good effort. At the end of the day ask for their phone numbers. They all have cell phones. Call an hour or so later and ask the hard workers to work again the next day. If you have to not re-hire a slacker, just ask one of the good workers to bring a hard-working friend.

If access is good, three guys can load my 6' x 12' x 2' dump trailer to its full dirt capacity (which is only one foot deep, based on an 8000 lb payload for the trailer) in about 1/2 day.

You will need someone on hand to drive the dump trailer away and dump it at least twice a day. For me, this was a 3 hour round trip, so don't forget the driver.

I have done exactly what you are talking about -- excavated under a house, held it up with housejacks and beams, and poured a concrete foundation under it.

You can do it yourself. You do not need a temporary footer outside the current house. In fact, it will be in your way when you come to form up the foundation.

PM me for more details.

 

[hitekcountry]

CurlyDave

Good Info. That's a big help to better understand to scope of the project and how to manage it. Once I have all the details worked out in my mind then implementing is then no big deal.

Thanks!!

 

[jrepp44]

To help you with your calculations I went out last week and dug a 2' x 2' x 2' test hole. Judging by how long it took me you will need to hire 3,000 workers for about 20 years.

 

[CurlyDave]

There is one more thing you should strongly consider. An electric demolition hammer. They are pricey, but well worth it when you consider the labor savings.

Something along the lines of this: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Makita-HM1307CB-35-Pound-Demolition-Hammer/dp/B004HEY0CO/ref=dp_cp_ob_hi_title_2]Amazon.com: Makita HM1307CB 35-Pound Demolition Hammer: Home Improvement[/ame].

I paid $400 for the early predecessor of this one, the HM1301B in ~1989 and it is still working, although I have had to replace a few parts.

Team it up with a clay spade which should look about like this: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Hitachi-985233-8-Inch-2-Inch-20-Inch/dp/B0002VM2DA/ref=pd_sim_hi_4]Amazon.com: Hitachi 985233 1-1/8-Inch Hex 5-1/2-Inch by 20-Inch Hammer Clay Spade: Home Improvement[/ame] and you have an a very handy tool for working in a confined space.

Not only can it break up concrete (take small bites and be patient, use the bull point) with the clay spade it acts just like a pick, but the big advantage is you just place the point where you want to hit and pull the trigger. You don't miss your aim point, and you don't have to swing the pick.

I was stupid enough to wait until the original job was half way done before I bought one. If I had had it from the beginning I would have saved more than the purchase price in labor.

 

[hitekcountry]

There is one more thing you should strongly consider. An electric demolition hammer. They are pricey, but well worth it when you consider the labor savings.

Something along the lines of this: Amazon.com: Makita HM1307CB 35-Pound Demolition Hammer: Home Improvement.

I paid $400 for the early predecessor of this one, the HM1301B in ~1989 and it is still working, although I have had to replace a few parts.

Team it up with a clay spade which should look about like this: Amazon.com: Hitachi 985233 1-1/8-Inch Hex 5-1/2-Inch by 20-Inch Hammer Clay Spade: Home Improvement and you have an a very handy tool for working in a confined space.

Not only can it break up concrete (take small bites and be patient, use the bull point) with the clay spade it acts just like a pick, but the big advantage is you just place the point where you want to hit and pull the trigger. You don't miss your aim point, and you don't have to swing the pick.

I was stupid enough to wait until the original job was half way done before I bought one. If I had had it from the beginning I would have saved more than the purchase price in labor.

I have the large hilti jackhammer Large Hilti Jackhammer - Master Hire And yea I agree with you completely-it has paid for itself.

 

[hitekcountry]

To help you with your calculations I went out last week and dug a 2' x 2' x 2' test hole. Judging by how long it took me you will need to hire 3,000 workers for about 20 years.

LMAO
I think that should easily qualify my project for a gov. grant for providing all that economic stimulus. As they say. -> Shovel ready!!

 

[sparc]

If you're gonna jack the house up to work under it why not just leave it up there and build a new foundation to the new elevation and forget all the digging. Replace a section at a time. With the house jacked up and supported by beams and cribbing, you could go pretty fast. You'd have the new foundation completed in the it would take to dig out below the house, after which you would still have to replace the walls in about 6 or 8 sections byyour own estimate.

But i would seriously give the dingo consideration over hiring a bunch of laborers. The dingo will do the work of 6 men.

 

[hitekcountry]

If you're gonna jack the house up to work under it why not just leave it up there and build a new foundation to the new elevation and forget all the digging.

You didn't read post #37

"Also it's a designated historic building in an historic district and is under very strict architectural guidelines. Therefore I can't raise it. I can't do anything to change the look of it at all. Don't want to anyway."