# First dig



## TOMCASE580B (Nov 9, 2013)

I'm going to be building another house soon, and I really want to dig the hole for the foundation myself. I have an idea for what order I should take, but I wanted to run it by the forum and see if I can get some constructive advise from some experienced excavators. First let me inform you that I'll be digging with a case 580b backhoe loader. I have attached a jpeg of the foundation plan for you to look at. That being said, I plan on starting with the east wall of the garage, digging a trench from north to south. Then the north wall of the garage from east to west stopping exactly where it intersects the main building, followed by the south wall of the garage, from east to west stoping exactly at the east wall of the main building. After those three trenches are completed, I plan on excavating the basement of the main building starting along the east wall that is adjacent to the garage from north to south. Once I make it to southern most footing, i'll turn the machine west along the south wall, turn north along the west wall, and then finish off east along the north wall. I think the machine has the capability to excavate the entire basement like this, however I may have to take a ten foot swipe down the middle of the main building from east to west so i'm not over reaching the machine. Ok I may be the only person that understands that jibberish…Hope I don't drive you all nuts…

What do you think?


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## backhoe1 (Mar 30, 2007)

I always dig the house first, digging straight along wall line and as far inside footprint as I can reach. I start with the side as far away from where I want the spoil pile at. I then work around wall lines until only 1 side left and get anything in the middle that I couldn't reach. I will add that on the first wall I dig I always stay back from the corner the width of the machine, so that I can get back to the corner. I think that digging the garage footings first will be a pita to work around. just my way I guess


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

What kind of foundation will be going in this dig, block, poured in place concrete, ICF?

I would not get to reved up on going "exactly" to any intersecting point as you will need to over dig the foundation about 3' or so to give the foundation crew room to build.

I tend to agree with #1. The garage can be last, or first, depends on you.

I've dug a few basements with only a backhoe loader, and I prefer to use the backhoe to churn up the soil, then move the loosened dirt out of the hole. repeat as needed.


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## TOMCASE580B (Nov 9, 2013)

The main building will be full basement poured concrete I will be digging to a depth of 6 feet. The garage will be slab on grade poured concrete, I will be digging to a depth of 3 feet. The footing for the common wall between the main building and the garage will be at 6 foot depth. My line of thinking was that this footing couldn't be over dug on the garage side, as I would have to backfill too much for the garage floor. I figured that would cause cracking to the garage floor after settling took place later on, even if I mechanically compacted the backfilled soil. If that is common practice, then of coarse I would do that. As far of digging the garage first as opposed to last, I have some trees, bushes in the way on that side of the property that I do not want to disturb, and the tractor is 25 feet long... I think I might run out of room when digging the north and south trenches of the garage. So I guess my question now is if I were to dig the garage trenches first, and then dig the east wall of the main building, can I over dig into the garage floor area..backfill the garage floor after all the concrete is poured, and mechanically compact the soil using a vibrating tamper?


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## baerconstructio (Feb 24, 2011)

TOMCASE580B said:


> So I guess my question now is if I were to dig the garage trenches first, and then dig the east wall of the main building, can I over dig into the garage floor area..backfill the garage floor after all the concrete is poured, and mechanically compact the soil using a vibrating tamper?


Sorry if this comes off wrong, but from where I'm at someone who doesn't know the answer to this question isn't a professional.


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## TOMCASE580B (Nov 9, 2013)

No..I'm certainly not a professional excavator. I'm looking to get info from professionals like yourself what do you think?


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## baerconstructio (Feb 24, 2011)

This is a forum for professionals to ask professionals questions.


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## TOMCASE580B (Nov 9, 2013)

I'm sorry…I'm confused….I'm a builder… I just want to do my own excavation…So I guess I'm a professional…just not in the excavation trade. Does that bar me from asking questions in this forum?


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## baerconstructio (Feb 24, 2011)

No, I guess I didn't realize you were a builder. Sorry. In answer to your question that is very typical. The guys pouring will need room for there forms around the perimeter of the basement. So there will be tamped fill required there.


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## TOMCASE580B (Nov 9, 2013)

ok…that's what i figured…I just didn't want to be looking at the concrete sub and have him say "who dug the hole"…then i gotta blame it on a family of ground hogs or something…thanks for your support...


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## larry228 (Feb 19, 2009)

TOMCASE580B said:


> ok…that's what i figured…I just didn't want to be looking at the concrete sub and have him say "who dug the hole"…then i gotta blame it on a family of ground hogs or something…thanks for your support...


I'm afraid that if you don't give him over dig space outside the wall he will say much worse than "who dug the hole". Everyone needs space to work in

We normally put a brick ledge on the garage side as a support for the slab and also compact the fill as possible.


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

Maybe you should visit a construction site where foundations are being built. You will gain an understanding of what the procedure is.


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## backhoe1 (Mar 30, 2007)

Where I'm at, I run a string line down the outside of walls and measure out 2' to mark with lime (what they use to mark baseball fields). I also mark garage footings atleast 4' wide, remember to allow thickness of the wall so that there is the same amount of room on both sides. 
As far as the shared wall between the house and garage, it is no different than the overdig on any of the other walls. You need to have space to form and strip forms, and yes you'll haveto compact fill under any concrete.


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## TOMCASE580B (Nov 9, 2013)

Thank you all so much for the advice…I will def.. make sure to leave room for all the forms…Backhoe1…I understand you loud n clear…I probably wont be digging for a few weeks…I'm waiting for the surveyor to put some stakes in the ground…I'll take some pics and post them to this thread later on...


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