Excavate Backyard

Excavating is easiest when excavating a fresh plot of land or property for new construction. Working on  new ground usually makes it faster. Therefore, fresh ground results in a more cost-efficient excavation as well. Being an easier job is not meant to imply one should take an excavation lightly. Excavating and preparing a foundation for a building for any property requires a knowledgeable excavating contractor. Often, a structural engineer may be required in order to ensure the integrity of the foundation and the structure when it is finished. Overhangs and/or properties with less room to operate due to trees or waterways make excavating a more difficult, time-consuming process. Excavating around existing structures requires even greater precision.

The quality and longevity of the building being excavated depends greatly on the quality and also the density of what is underneath the structure. Structures cannot be built on sandy soil and expect to endure since sand will shift far too easily. With sandy soil, you have to dig down into the ground until one finds the bedrock below. Bedrock will provide a proper foundation to secure your structure. Most backhoes and excavators can only dig to around ten feet, so for deeper excavation you have to plan for how to dig more deeply. This may mean using the slope method or “steps” (also referred to as a “bench” to allow for the excavation as well as provide additional support for the planned foundation for the structure (see here). Excavation methods such as open-cut cantilever, or digging a platform as an “island” from which to excavate will cost a bit more.

What is the lay of the land? Are you building on the side of a hill? Is there a marked difference between the heights of any of the grounds of the property you want to excavate? Can the earth be sloped to provide for proper drainage or will you require retaining walls in order to stabilize and area and allow for drainage?  A steep slope means that you are excavating more for a “dropback” look since the slope prohibits digging a “hole” for an enclosed basement. Building on a flat piece of land leaves more options for the excavation work, and what you want to do with your structure. Finally, you cannot forget about the water table. If the water table is near the surface of the earth, you will have to plan how to pump out the water as you excavate.

Taller building like skyscrapers and office buildings normally excavate using the top-down method. It is straightforward and allows the excavator to work quickly. This method also ensures more stability at the beginning of the process than from a bracing method or using open-cut methods on a slope. Top-down excavation has advantages; however, it is usually the most expensive option. Smaller digs allow for simpler options such as using the “island method”, which means building a stable platform  from the earth so that the backhoe or excavator can easily dig.