Start to Finish

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This is probably the first time that I remembered to take pictures of a jobsite before we actually started the job, this is a job four other excavation companies turned down due to the danger factor. The job is to install a drain on the left side of the driveway about 300 feet long and rebuild the driveway so that it doesn’t was out, that is the easy part. The job no one wants is backfilling the pool and building a retaining wall around one side and the very back, I turned down the multi level deck as I just don’t have the time. The driveway was actually washed out but I repaired it last week until we could get to it which is why it looks fairly good in the images. I will take progress pictures, I would have today as we made excellent progress by the camera died and I think I left the charger in Costa Rica a month ago.....anyhow it is very hard to tell but it’s a 14 foot drop from where I am standing taking images of the pool, first order was use the excavator and build a road down to the pool area, this is all bedrock so we installed two runs of 6” weeping tile to handle and water run off from the bedrock towards the pool. The weeping tile is done and ready to be covered, I had 8 University staff that completed the retaining wall, that is record time and the client was amazed....I was too. As for the danger factor, this is too big a job for small companies, to dangerous for big companies but we are once again right in the middle with the equipment we have, I ran turf tires on the loader as they really stick to the bedrock, have about 1,200 pounds on the back for counter weight, it is working perfect, my son ran the loader all day as he is very experienced (Deere 2520) and I ran the 17D. Will post more pics in a couple of days when I get time to buy a charger. My quote on this job was $32,000, time to complete, 9 working days but we are already a day ahead.

Attached Images

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	newjobOct11-011.jpg (141.0 KB, 10 views)
	Pool.jpg (146.2 KB, 13 views)

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Andy
Halifax, Nova Scotia

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

Interesting pictures. Because I know nothing about this, I can't see what is the danger part of it. Also what is with that pool. Why is it just sitting there like that in the middle of nowhere and raised up like that? If they don't want it anymore, can't it just be jack hammered apart or bulldozed or something?

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[picframer]

Originally Posted by Steve

Interesting pictures. Because I know nothing about this, I can't see what is the danger part of it.

Also what is with that pool. Why is it just sitting there like that in the middle of nowhere and raised up like that? If they don't want it anymore, can't it just be jack hammered apart or bulldozed or something?

The danger part is you are looking at placing around 300 ton's of product down there and it's a good 12' drop, it is sitting on solid bedrock.

Story is the original builder had this built 6 years ago when they built the home, the people I am working for bought this property in April but could not find an excavation company that would take it on, I was doing a very big job nest door which is now finished, the owners came over and asked me to take a look, I did and said no problem and it hasn't been.

I have been running loaders, tractors etc since I was 13, I have a tremendous amount of respect for them however I do not fear any job, at least yet, I know what my excavators and loaders will do, where they will go and how to get them there.

It's raised up as it's sitting on solid rock, same as the house.

More images will follow tomorrow, I will pick up a charger today for the camera. The progress yesterday was amazing.

[Steve]

It's fascinating to see the projects progress. It also must be tough trying to get a picture to show what kind of danger is involved with such a job. When you are there walking around, I am sure you get a much better perspective on this site.

It seems like the way the back yard is, it currently is useless! So I bet your improvements are going to make a huge difference.

[picframer]

I borrowed my daughter’s camera for the start and end of day 2.

Image 1 shows how we removed the fill from beside the house and made a narrow road to carry rock down towards the back, Bryon is excavating the fill.

Image 2 shows how we build drains, 2” of 1 ½” clear stone on the bottom, 4” sock wrapper weeping tile, cover with 8” of 1 1/c clear and 8” of 6” clear quarry run

Image 3 is a close up of the drain pipe

Image 4 shows Bryon back filling

Image 5 is another path I built to bring the tractor down with product, this is a pretty insane grade but the 2520 plays with this kind of work

Image 6 is the end of the day, by 4 this afternoon we were soaked through our rain suites and basically frozen, not sure what the temp is outside but at one point it was freezing rain and calls for flurries tomorrow, excavation season is almost over, our weather turns quick and generally it doesn’t go back.

[Steve]

Oh that is very interesting! Now I can see what you mean by the danger factor. Those are steep pathways to be driving on.

What are the drains connected to? The pool?

I can't wait to see how this turns out because I am trying to envision the goal of the drains and how all this will tie together.

It's too bad that house has siding all the way down like that or you could really build up the back yard and maybe level it off on the 2nd floor of the house.

[picframer]

Originally Posted by Steve

Oh that is very interesting! Now I can see what you mean by the danger factor. Those are steep pathways to be driving on.

What are the drains connected to? The pool?

I can't wait to see how this turns out because I am trying to envision the goal of the drains and how all this will tie together.

It's too bad that house has siding all the way down like that or you could really build up the back yard and maybe level it off on the 2nd floor of the house.

The drains exit out through a retaining wall we are building at the back of the pool, there is enough water runoff from the hill behind the pool to keep at least two pipes running during heavy rain or spring, so we installed three pipes, the water will just run down to the ditch which is about 300 feet away, great grade so we do not have to trench.

That siding is an issue and very poor design, this pool was built before the house, you see I had to find out as it didn't make sense to me how they could have done this if the house was there, so any builder with any foresight would have not let the siding go that low. It's pretty easy to find out who built what and we all seem to know or have herd of each other so I called the builder with a couple of questions on Monday, he remembered the site well.

I am staying clear of that siding and deck project, we will do the vision I have in my head of what it will look like around the pool based on the design plan presented to me and that will be the end.

If you look at two of the images that have the excavator from yesterday, bring your eye up to the basement door then look left until you see something blue coming out of the side grade, the client mentioned the original owner mentioned septic will sometimes freeze up in the winter, no wonder, the builder did not back fill the tanks and pipes, he covered them with a tarp and due to all the brush that was there no one thought to look at the septic tanks and pipes and see how close they were to surface, this is a CAT 3 system, meaning the sewage comes from the house to two tanks at house grade level then the product is pumped to a field at a higher grade, these are very expensive systems and I would personally never have a house with one, why? we loose our power too often and when you do, if the valve sticks, all the sewage in the field ends up coming back into the house and this happens all the time.....we are talking at least 2,500 gallons of product back flowing, sewage clean up is a good business here.

It's getting desperate cold to work outside, yesterday was brutal because of the freezing rain, this morning it is 34 F, if the sun is out it's not bad but it calls for high winds and snow flurries, I am going to have to contact clients after this project and probably shut down for this year with the exception of small one day projects that we could do on a sunny day.

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Well here is day three, we are 17 man hours into this job, while it was sunny most of the day, it’s bitter cold here, in fact we had snow flurries this afternoon. I have to take a brake for two days, I am helping Deer with a commercial demo tomorrow running the 60D excavator and then Friday and Saturday is a 2,000 foot drain and road rebuild that wasn’t built properly by another company this spring.

It’s going very well and the client feels we are way ahead of schedule, 28 loads of fill so far probably another 20 or so should do it.

There is one image here that I forgot to take a before picture of, it’s another side of the house by the propane tank, before it was a 4’ path then a major drop over a bank, I put the excavator on the job today spreading the fill while I ran the 2520, I did this because it’s desperate slow going along the left side of the pool and very high risk of either hitting pipes that are on the pool or going over a bank, I just go very slow and keep the bucket about 3 inches off the ground, no issues and I am shocked at how well turf tires are working.

[Steve]

It's amazing to watch all this unfold!

I guess the rocks around the pool allow the water to drain away from the sides? If it were dirt, the moisture would build up? Possibly rust the sides, if they are metal?

What will be going on this gravel cover here? Will there be a concrete patio poured?

[picframer]

Originally Posted by Steve

It's amazing to watch all this unfold!

I guess the rocks around the pool allow the water to drain away from the sides? If it were dirt, the moisture would build up? Possibly rust the sides, if they are metal?

What will be going on this gravel cover here? Will there be a concrete patio poured?

The rocks are from the fill, when we start the finish work the excavator will push them into the earth.

The sides are a stainless steel so they are good to go, they are going to cover it with Class A and compact then sand as they want an interlocking brick surface, they might think again when they hear the cost.

The fill is the best I have seen, I would guess 60 percent sand, it compacts like crazy and there is no clay at all, it's great.