Sometimes I’m surprised by the mountain of dirt created by the excavation for a new home. If we’re digging a hole for a 1500 square foot basement, 10 feet deep, we’re moving nearly 820 cubic yards of dirt. We usually have to dig at least 4 extra feet in every direction, in order to make the hole large enough for the foundation workers.
That’s a pile the same size as about 500 refrigerators, or about the same size as 1440 television sets (not the flat screen type), or about the same size as 22,000 toasters. Its a bunch of dirt.
A tandem dump truck (thats one of the “small” dump trucks with two back axles) holds maybe 9 yards. That works out to 91 dump truck loads.
Its a LOT of dirt.
Beleive it or not, getting rid of dirt is a problem. Especially now, when construction is slow, there’s no place to dump it. With urban infill construction, you have to haul most of it away in order to make room for the foundation workers. When the foundation is done, you have to haul some of it back to fill in around the foundation.
Dirt out. Dirt in. It seems silly. But its the only method we’ve got right at the moment.
The problem is – it costs money to move it around. Its one of the larger and more unpleasant surprises we encounter when we build here in town. Getting rid of the dirt, and then getting it back.
So, who came up with the expression Dirt Cheap? No such thing.
TJ McKune said
Bob,
Pat and I were just talking about how this is a big obstacle in our field of work. We were just trying to figure out the best way to educate people and help them understand this phase of their projects.This is so great to see you addressing and trying to explain an issue in construction that is very hard for people to unhderstand,and yet so important!! Thank you!
TJ and Pat
PBM EXCAVATING CO