# Question about excavation/demo work



## meg (Apr 24, 2010)

Hello,

I'm a 4th year electrical apprentice and needed a question answered by a concrete or demo guy/gal if possible. It's kina weird, please bear with me!

I recently had a dog pass away...an awesome golden retriever. I buried him in my backyard. I never ever want his body to be dug up (I dug the hole almost 5 ft. deep). But, now i'm thinking of something different. I want to put a slab over his grave to make sure no homowner who may someday live in my house is able to dig there. And if the homeowner calls a contractor to get the slab out, I want the contractor to curse and cuss and ***** at how hard it is to get this slab out. I'm thinking of 1' thick high strenght concrete possibly embedded with steel trench plate, with rebar sticking out the top (the rebar will be buried, not sticking above the surface of the ground). I don't know alot about your guys' trade, so bear with me if what i'm suggesting is impossible.

Thanks for any ideas...


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## rselectric1 (Sep 20, 2009)

It's always tough to lose a great pet. I lost a golden a couple years ago myself.

Anyway, the posters will probably have some great ideas for you, but as a friendly "heads up" we all appreciate when new members do an intro in the introduction section and fill out their profile including area.

Welcome to CT:thumbsup:


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## meg (Apr 24, 2010)

rselectric1 said:


> It's always tough to lose a great pet. I lost a golden a couple years ago myself.
> 
> Anyway, the posters will probably have some great ideas for you, but as a friendly "heads up" we all appreciate when new members do an intro in the introduction section and fill out their profile including area.
> 
> Welcome to CT:thumbsup:


Big oops. I've been lurking on CT for about 3 years...shoulda known better.


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## rselectric1 (Sep 20, 2009)

meg said:


> Big oops. I've been lurking on CT for about 3 years...shoulda known better.


:laughing:


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## frankster (Apr 8, 2010)

I wouldnt put any rebar in it that would stick out in any direction, make it as big as possible (order a cement truck load), and make it as oval and round as possible....like an egg or ball. If I had to pull anything out of the ground that was friggin heavy and round to the point that I could not get a chain or strap to hold it I would curse a bit. Of course, it dont stop em from epoxying a eye bolt into it and lifting it out of the ground but if its real big it would take a big bolt to hold it.


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## PipeGuy (Oct 8, 2004)

concrete weighs about 4000# per CY. the typical guy scratching around with a backhoe/loader isn't gonna want to pull something out of the ground that weighs more than 4 or 5 thousand pounds - if that. Consider using a couple of yards of concrete (6 x 6 x 18" thick) with as much rebar laid cross-ways in it as you can conveniently muster (the larger the size the better). If you don't put some steel it won't take a whole lot of effort to break it into smaller pieces making removal not so big a deal.


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## Gus Dering (Oct 14, 2008)

We all mourn in different ways. I too have lost the perfect dog, twice.

You may consider waiting a little while and see how you feel in a few months. He will be safe while you work it out for yourself.

Just a different approach. What if you buried a time capsule with enough memorabilia so anyone digging would be turned on by what an awesome dog he was. That might be a better way to honor his life. Just a thought.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

About 25 years ago I lost the finest critter I have ever had the pleasure of coming across. Shepherd/Malmute mix, 125 pounds. Dog was incredible. Best thing he could do was drive. He had to, that was the only way I could have gotten home from the bar. Seriously though was a really cool dog. My friends wife gave me a bunch of pictures of him and his daughter said I should do a time capsule. My dog was buried in a six foot deep hole, yard of concrete on top (didn't want anyone to find him) 6" river run on top of that. Time capsule was about 2' deep.(6" ABS) I moved away but still stop by every 2-3 years to visit him.


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## Redneckpete (Feb 22, 2008)

Heavy gauge chain link fence laid and vibrated into the concrete every six inches or so of thickness makes concrete impossible to break and hammering it apart requires turning it into gravel. Make the concrete at least two feet thick

I'd place big steel into the slab sticking up and out in every direction, close enough together that you can't get a backhoe bucket in between them. Backfill between them with earth and let it settle. That way whoever uncovers it can't even uncover the concrete except by hand or hydrovac, and then they still have to break the concrete. Make sure the steel isn't sticking out of the surface. 3 inch round pipe filled and vibrated full of concrete would work great.

Pete


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

why devalue your property by burying your pet on site, or encumber the next owner with the hassle of dealing with it? buy a plot in a pet cemetery for gawd's sakes.


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

I wouldn't do anything. 

No one is going to just start digging in that area, and they certainly would not dig 5' deep for no reason.

If I encountered something like what you propose to do, I would be *more* inclined to investigate the area to figure out what is so valuable that it needs to be protected by a layer of concrete.

If for what ever reason someone needs to excavate the area for an addition to the house or to build a garage or shed or something, what ever you do will have to come out.

If you were to set an engraved stone there so that future owners are aware that it's a burial site, no one will bother it.


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

seriously. Find a nice rock and use it as a headstone so people know something is buried there. I would be more inclined to leave something if there was a head stone rather than a huge chunk of concrete. Cheaper too.


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## Redneckpete (Feb 22, 2008)

dayexco said:


> why devalue your property by burying your pet on site, or encumber the next owner with the hassle of dealing with it? buy a plot in a pet cemetery for gawd's sakes.


It sounded to me like burying the dog on his property was already done. I'm not sure how long it's been buried, but moving it to a pet cemetery wouldn't be fun.

Pete


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## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

I dug a basement a few years back and found a dog buried in a garbage bag. The owner told me the general vacinity where it was. I dug around and found it and moved it to a different spot. What a weird feeling.


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## meg (Apr 24, 2010)

Just want to thank everyone for their responses. 

I'm going to buy some mortar and "press in" letters to make a nice gravestone for him. I look back and realize now the idea of putting a big slab there is crazy and is the irrational thinking of someone who is grieving. Thanks everyone for their responses, though.

Thanks again.


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## greg24k (May 19, 2007)

If you love your dog so much and care about him being dug up, why didn't you cremated him or buried him at the pet cemetery. What you plan to do, you should have your self checked out. But if you still plan to go ahead with it, get a small excavator, dig around him nice and deep, and 4 feet above him, then order 10 yards of 4,500 psi concrete and empty the truck in to the hole. If someone will go to dig that up, they will defiantly curse you out :laughing:


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