# Can this be done in 2 weeks?



## Pompanosix (Sep 22, 2015)

125,000 building I gotta demo.
Site will be left untouched for a while, but GC wants it backfilled back up to existing grade and compacted
GC gives me a lot of work and asking me for a number as a favor, so he doesn't have to hire a site guy.

Problem is, earth work is def not my area of expertise.

He says to use 7,000 CY of fill for my number.
I'm figuring around 14-15 CY on a triaxle? Is that being too optimistic? If not, then it works out to be about 500 truck loads.

Planning on using 84" roller and JD 650 dozer (2 operators, 8hrs/day)
I was figuring 2 weeks.
Works out to about 50 loads a day delivered, spread, and compacted (assume avg operators)
With 7 hrs of actual work time, that's about 7-8 loads per hour. 

Just wondering if this is doable, too much, or too little.

Any advise you can give me would be a plus.


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## smalpierre (Jan 19, 2011)

That's a load every 10 minutes 8 hours / day non stop for 2 weeks without a hiccup. Depending on how access looks, and my very limited experience with truckloads of stuff being dumped, that sounds maybe a little optimistic. Given ideal access, and being 100% on top of things it might be doable. That dozer and roller should be able to lay it out as fast as they can drop it I'd think?

I'd definitely make sure any miscalculations on that 7000cy aren't on you. What happens when it turns out to be 8000cy?


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

125,000 square feet every 1 foot deep is ~4700 cubic yards of dirt to fill. This may help you figure out if 7000 yards is enough. 

Can you get some 20 yard trucks in the site to dump?

Tom


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## Mesilla Valley (Jun 10, 2020)

How will the trucks be loaded and how quickly can that happen, and how far do they have to travel. Traffic, residential area? Can see some neighbor’s not being happy and closing you down. Road condition, will you be charged for damages to the road or bridges.
Just trying to think of the what if’s.


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## Pompanosix (Sep 22, 2015)

tjbnwi said:


> 125,000 square feet every 1 foot deep is ~4700 cubic yards of dirt to fill. This may help you figure out if 7000 yards is enough.
> 
> Can you get some 20 yard trucks in the site to dump?
> 
> Tom


Guys down here run triaxles for this kind of stuff.
That's why I was guessing 12-15 CY per truck


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## Pompanosix (Sep 22, 2015)

Mesilla Valley said:


> How will the trucks be loaded and how quickly can that happen, and how far do they have to travel. Traffic, residential area? Can see some neighbor’s not being happy and closing you down. Road condition, will you be charged for damages to the road or bridges.
> Just trying to think of the what if’s.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I have a price per load, delivered.
Most of the trucks will be coming off a small section of a residential street, but any issues with neighbors will be the GC's to deal with, I would think.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Better talk to your fill supplier. Loader with an 8 yard bucket could keep up with the trucks, and most times whoever is doing the trucking can bring in other trucks as subs to get it done.


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## Pompanosix (Sep 22, 2015)

tjbnwi said:


> 125,000 square feet every 1 foot deep is ~4700 cubic yards of dirt to fill. This may help you figure out if 7000 yards is enough.
> 
> Can you get some 20 yard trucks in the site to dump?
> 
> Tom


I told the GC he's lucky to need a quarter of that 7,000. This is FL, no basements. Floor is SOG. Only think coming out of the ground are perimeter footings, very few interior cmu wall footings, and some pads for steel column (bar joist, pan deck roof structure). Most of the soil will remain onsite. I'm only using 7,000 CY because he told me to use that.


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## Pompanosix (Sep 22, 2015)

smalpierre said:


> That's a load every 10 minutes 8 hours / day non stop for 2 weeks without a hiccup. Depending on how access looks, and my very limited experience with truckloads of stuff being dumped, that sounds maybe a little optimistic. Given ideal access, and being 100% on top of things it might be doable. That dozer and roller should be able to lay it out as fast as they can drop it I'd think?
> 
> I'd definitely make sure any miscalculations on that 7000cy aren't on you. What happens when it turns out to be 8000cy?


When you put it like that, it does seem optimistic.
I think I'll add more time, especially for hiccups too.


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

granular or cohesive fill? were it me, i'd have 2 rollers. water truck to get soil up to optimum moisture? trying to pack dry soil will give you a lot of failed tests. get your soil tech a sample of material in days before you start hauling so he can determine that for you....even if you have to pay him early on.....have him take quite a few density tests up front so you can get a good gauge on amount of effort it will take to get to your sped'd density.

lots of contractors will try and beat the system...i.e....low moisture content/too thick of lifts...and have failure after failure.


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## Mesilla Valley (Jun 10, 2020)

Pompanosix said:


> I have a price per load, delivered.
> Most of the trucks will be coming off a small section of a residential street, but any issues with neighbors will be the GC's to deal with, I would think.


The residential street may have a lower load limit. Wouldn’t hurt to discuss all with general and make a call to the city or county street department to make sure you’re good to go. Don’t underestimate the hurt that a retired Karen or Ken can put on a project if you’re running a truck past their window every 20 minutes.


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## Pompanosix (Sep 22, 2015)

dayexco said:


> granular or cohesive fill? were it me, i'd have 2 rollers. water truck to get soil up to optimum moisture? trying to pack dry soil will give you a lot of failed tests. get your soil tech a sample of material in days before you start hauling so he can determine that for you....even if you have to pay him early on.....have him take quite a few density tests up front so you can get a good gauge on amount of effort it will take to get to your sped'd density.
> 
> lots of contractors will try and beat the system...i.e....low moisture content/too thick of lifts...and have failure after failure.


Let me be clear. The new construction won't be for a while. 

Since we have fixed thumbs on our excavators, I normally just grab a big I-beam, track back and forth, and flatten the whole site, then track it down. Usually, that's good enough.
But these guys wanna get fancy. lol

The GC literally just wants it looking good after demo. As long as it looks somewhat flat, up to grade, and compacted, he's happy.


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## DenverCountryBoy (Jan 10, 2021)

Pompanosix said:


> Let me be clear. The new construction won't be for a while.
> 
> Since we have fixed thumbs on our excavators, I normally just grab a big I-beam, track back and forth, and flatten the whole site, then track it down. Usually, that's good enough.
> But these guys wanna get fancy. lol
> ...


You might want to get it clarified in writing what the GC means by "compacted" so it doesn't come back to bite you.


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

^^^^ what he said.

Helluva difference between 100% of relative density...and 95% of standard proctor...and 95% of modified proctor.

Find out what's required.


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## Pompanosix (Sep 22, 2015)

DenverCountryBoy said:


> You might want to get it clarified in writing what the GC means by "compacted" so it doesn't come back to bite you.


Thank you.

I just RFI'd the GC. 
Let's see what he says.

This is why I like bidding only what I know!


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## Pompanosix (Sep 22, 2015)

Confirmed. It's just to look good.


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## BC Rollin (Oct 15, 2021)

Pictures of the job would be cool to see


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## cdkyle (Jul 12, 2009)

Here's an importer/exporter thought on soil. 
The GC says 7,000 cy.
500 loads estimated. 
But have you considered the 30% - 50% air in or with the soil, that is part of the haul. But, in order to reach the proper compacted density, more loads must be hauled to offset the air added with the soil when it is dug up, loaded, hauled, pushed, wetted, and then compacted.


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## reggi (Oct 12, 2020)

There’s a lot to think about with dirt.
For instance, what’s the largest hole that could be dug while still having room to stockpile the dirt on Earth?


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## Pompanosix (Sep 22, 2015)

cdkyle said:


> Here's an importer/exporter thought on soil.
> The GC says 7,000 cy.
> 500 loads estimated.
> But have you considered the 30% - 50% air in or with the soil, that is part of the haul. But, in order to reach the proper compacted density, more loads must be hauled to offset the air added with the soil when it is dug up, loaded, hauled, pushed, wetted, and then compacted.


I always figured extra 25% for air. lol
This is why I'm not a site guy.

Bottom line is this: Think of this like an allowance. I told him each truck will haul about 14CY of soil and he's ok with that. 
So what I will be giving him today is a unit price per truck, delivered, spread, and compacted.
If we use less than that, we'll adjust the price.
If it comes out to be more than the 7,000, I'm charging him extra.
No real risk for me.

What I was really needing is if the 2 weeks timeframe was doable.
Based on what I've read, that may be too optimistic.

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll add some extra fluff for any hiccups.


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