# Digging in Frost.



## JT Wood (Dec 17, 2007)

I just recently started doing quonset installs for a local company here.

Next year as part of the installations, I will be responsible for putting in the piles/screw piles. I am free to do whatever I want, as long as the engineer is happy with the end result. 
Typically the current guy uses screw piles, and welds a base on the part of the pile that is exposed. 

This year I helped him with a couple of foundations before the install, and man was there a big problem with frost. In one spot it was like 7' deep 
7 feet. 

So for next year, I am wondering if there is a better way.
-Maybe a small pit filled with coal and a barrel for a couple days?
-Use a derrick digger truck to power through it, then use a sonotube and concrete?
-tiger torch and just go slow and steady?


A bonus question, how hard is drilling holes on equipment?

I have a jcb telehandler that I am considering using for drilling the holes.
I already own the machine, and it's onsite already to erect the trusses. it would sure be handy to use it for the foundation, or would it tear the boom up? (It's good for one lego block at 2/3 extension :laughing: ) 

On this one we are currently installing we ended up getting my friend to dig 2 trenches and attached the bases to the concrete blocks. It was expensive, but I wasn't running the show. (or paying for the excavator) There must be a better way.
Thanks guys for your opinion, i'm fairly green on this end of the industry, and I appreciate the help
John


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

Guys use telehandlers for plowing snow. Don't know how much worse it could get than plowing.


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

I would not worry about an auger damaging the Loadall, an auger does not really have too much torque and they stall pretty easy when encountering obstacles.

Probably the best way to handle frost is to blanket or some how protect the area from freezing in the first place. I know that is usually impossible to do, but once it is frozen, pecking at it is the only thing I have experience with.

Down here we can put concrete blankets on an area we want to work about a week in advance, and the ground will soften up enough to dig, but we rarely get over 1' of frost.

I don't know how you guys that get real hard winters can get anything done....7' of frost...I'd loose my mind.


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## peteo (Jan 8, 2011)

A frost ripper helps out a lot and they're reasonably cheap


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

Ground heater, save your equipment.


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## JT Wood (Dec 17, 2007)

7' is unusual. It's been a hard year. Typically it's 3-4'.

The issue with a ground heater is the size of the buildings. 


This building is 84' x 100' with 30 pillars. Most are spaced 10' apart.

A trench like this is a last resort. 

A ground heater would probably be inefficient for this application wouldn't it? And a ripper is sort of useless for a sonotube or screw pile


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## JR Shepstone (Jul 14, 2011)

They've used ground heaters on the job I'm on now. It's a big job. They laid out the tubes, covered with blankets, and gave it a day or two. Made the ground nice and mushy. Not sure how well it would work for 7' of frost, but I'm sure with it running a couple days it would get down there.


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