Tractor Trap

[KeithG]

Don't know if this is too late to help but this reminds me of a situation I encountered when a friend wanted to add onto his garage. We needed to
dig a 4 foot trench to pour the concrete walls and when we got done
digging there was about 6 inches of water in the trench.

We decided to wait until the next day to let the water drain or evaporate.
Yeah we were naive because we did not realize just how wet the ground
was because the next day the entire trench was filled with water!

Got in touch with another friend with construction know how and he dug
a hole about 10 feet from the trench that was a little deeper than the
trench, put some stone in the hole that was bout 2 feet wide, put a 5
gallon bucket into the hole with small holes drilled into the sides, and put
more stone about halfway up the outside of the bucket. He put a strong
submersible pump in the bucket.

Then he dug a small trench connecting the hole to the water filled trench
and it was like watching water going down a drain. The water flowed from
the trench to the bucket and the pump inside the buck just kept pumping
until all the water was gone. About an hour after all the water was gone
you could still see new water trickling into the trench where the concrete
was to go, but they put down stone to firm up the bottom and then
started framing the footer that was going to be poured before the walls.

The trench stayed dry enough to get the concrete poured and then
everything was back filled. It was interesting to watch this entire process
and I learned a method of dealing with water....

Don't know if it will help but it worked in our case.

 

[Bulldog777]

Just a thought to think about. If you make too big of a mess and it turns to soup, it could affect house foundations. You are in close proximity to the foundations. Just my $0.02.
Another option, you can take the top layer of clay material out and place a more friable soil that would drain. Maybe 10-18".
We use quick lime on clay soils down here to make them more friable.
Just thoughts.

 

[Flienlow]

Well... I ain't sayin its right; I ain't saying its pretty, and it damn sure isn't how I wanted it to end up. But its done for now! I am not a kid anymore, and this was one hell of a lot of work for me!

I bought 12.5 yards of soil that was about 60/40 mixture of sand. The soil is a winter mix they sell up here and already has a lot of sand in it. I had them load my dump trailer with 1 yard of winter mix, and 1 yard of sand on top. For the first part, I was able to use the dump trailer as a skiff, and scoop out with loader bucket. Today was all hand shovel, wheel barrow, and 1- 47 year old man (who did a years worth of cussing in one day.) I had to lay down my 2X12s and dump from there. Then attempt to rake and grade. The Snowflake Millennial kid next door offered me $200 to contribute to my weeks worth of work. I should have told him to keep his coin and grab a shovel, but the kid's a softy type, and I really didn't feel right taking more of his money since I initialed this mud pit on my own accord.
In truth, I deserved to suffer for my own stupidity, and suffer I did.
Now on my second tall boy (and a bit less achy if I might add) I turn this posting over to you for my just deserved internet flaming.

 

[Bulldog777]

Hey man, we ALL get ourselves into a mess every once in a while! It looks good in the pics. Don't beat yourself up, you went the distance.

 

[conropl]

No flaming from me. It was a good story to follow, and I could picture myself in the same predicament... but just as glad it didn't happen to me.

The results look good, and it did not drag on long. Your tenants are lucky to have you... you took your responsibilities seriously.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

 

[Tooljunkie]

Thats a darn sight better then it was a few days ago. Determined if anyrhing. No flaming here,and i wouldnt have wanted to be in your shoes a few days ago. They would have been too heavy and dirty.

 

[jkcolo22]

One of those times where the ends justify the means. Looks awesome.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Grouse09]

Looks very nice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[laxin213]

Nice job enjoyed reading


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[laxin213]

Don't know if this is too late to help but this reminds me of a situation I encountered when a friend wanted to add onto his garage. We needed to

dig a 4 foot trench to pour the concrete walls and when we got done

digging there was about 6 inches of water in the trench.



We decided to wait until the next day to let the water drain or evaporate.

Yeah we were naive because we did not realize just how wet the ground

was because the next day the entire trench was filled with water!



Got in touch with another friend with construction know how and he dug

a hole about 10 feet from the trench that was a little deeper than the

trench, put some stone in the hole that was bout 2 feet wide, put a 5

gallon bucket into the hole with small holes drilled into the sides, and put

more stone about halfway up the outside of the bucket. He put a strong

submersible pump in the bucket.



Then he dug a small trench connecting the hole to the water filled trench

and it was like watching water going down a drain. The water flowed from

the trench to the bucket and the pump inside the buck just kept pumping

until all the water was gone. About an hour after all the water was gone

you could still see new water trickling into the trench where the concrete

was to go, but they put down stone to firm up the bottom and then

started framing the footer that was going to be poured before the walls.



The trench stayed dry enough to get the concrete poured and then

everything was back filled. It was interesting to watch this entire process

and I learned a method of dealing with water....



Don't know if it will help but it worked in our case.

Like a on demand sump pump crock that you'd find in a basement in the northeast! I like it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk