Site Development

[ksss]

That is a project. Couple questions: why are you screening all that material? I cant come up with a reason to screen all of it unless that is how much TS you think you will need, but that seems heavy to me.

Have you considered the fact you will need a SWPP in place? A 60 acre project will get the attention of DEQ, especially with a stream/river near by. I would expect a visit. I would consider this idea. With a couple pans, you could rough everything in to subgrade. THEN take your stock piled topsoil run through screener only to produce the topsoil you need, lay it out however you would like Pan, grader, dozer whatever. This will give the material time to dry out which will give you better success with the screener and your not running more material than you need. There is no cheaper way to move a lot of dirt than with a pan. A couple Quad tracks pulling two 24 yd pans means 100 yards a cycle. Considering how large the project is you will this kind of productivity and fast cycle times. Ground speed on a scraper is a little faster but their cost per yard is higher. Either way.

A 360 and a dozer are not the way in my opinion. Like mentioned you will need a lot more equipment, like haul trucks and a lot of help.

[DirtMedics]

The soil is needing to be screened for the playing fields area only. This will help facilitate the drainage of the fields for the drainage system being installed.The drainage manufacturer specs call for 1/2 screened soil for native soil playing fields. The dimensions on that area is 1440*720 or 23 acres. So at 18" deep over the 23 acres is 57600 yd3.

The buddies I am referring are local excavating contractors who have greatly helped me thus far. I am just looking to get as many different ideas on to how to do this.

As far as the bid, there is no bid. I am the "contractor". Land was donated and the project is NOT being financed. I personally worked on the construction several golf courses operating equipment. Plenty competent on the ex, wheel loader, dozer, skid and backhoe.

So that is why I want to keep as much "in house" as possible. Time isnt really a factor, as the facility wont be ready until next year anyways. The only date that is set in stone is the grass planting date of late Sept.

With my "plan", I have two months set aside for dirt works. Even at conservative estimates on the Volvo 360, I dont think it will take more than 5-6 weeks.

Fuel will be delivered daily.

[ksss]

Why not the pans?

I will also bet you have noticed an increase in the number of excavator "friends" you have since you came across this job.

18" inches of topsoil seems excessive to the extreme. Not sure how that facilitates drainage, especially if the soil is loamy or has clay in it.

[DirtMedics]

To be honest, I have no experience with pans. Are you talking about a setup like this... http://www.machinerytrader.com/listi...?OHID=7637917& What kind of costs are associated with those? Is that something that I could do myself?

The reason behind using the 360 is it will not cost me anything other than fuel.

Also, we are just going by what the engineers for the drainage product specify. 18" of 3/8" screened dirt. I know it seems excessive, but after visiting a few sites where some used screened dirt and others didnt, the difference is eveident. The costs to screen the dirt now will be much less than the extra maintenance costs of not screening.

[ksss]

Originally Posted by DirtMedics

To be honest, I have no experience with pans. Are you talking about a setup like this... http://www.machinerytrader.com/listi...?OHID=7637917& What kind of costs are associated with those? Is that something that I could do myself?

The reason behind using the 360 is it will not cost me anything other than fuel.

Also, we are just going by what the engineers for the drainage product specify. 18" of 3/8" screened dirt. I know it seems excessive, but after visiting a few sites where some used screened dirt and others didnt, the difference is eveident. The costs to screen the dirt now will be much less than the extra maintenance costs of not screening.

Yes, not likely your going to rent that set up with laser capability and be able to run it with some type of productivity. I suspect that subing out the majority of the work to someone with pans or scrapers would be able to knock out the majority of the project cheaper than you could even if your getting the 360 for free, as the excavator is only a portion of the need for the project. Perhaps getting some bids to see where this ends up price wise would be a good idea. This would let you know if your saving money by doing it yourself. If you wanted to do some of it. You could screen the needed soil and lay it out to grade. This would seem to be a solution. Have the pans stock pile the soil in several locations around the project and use the 360 to load the screener, Still likely need a truck and a dozer depending on how fast you can get the topsoil out to the project, you could likely get by with a finish dozer.

If 18" is what they want then so be it.

[Scag48]

Scrapers are the most efficient way to move dirt, period. With that said, the conditions have to be right. If you're in mud, pans aren't the best option unless you're running tracked farm tractors or dozers pulling pans. Even then, production suffers in soft underfoot conditions.

[AEL]

I would of recommended pans but the author had mentioned the material was wet. If there is no bid for this project, sub it out to a proffesional and you can make some money off the top and in the mean time learn the proper way to execute a project of this size.
Posted via Mobile Device

[ksss]

Originally Posted by T_S_S

I would of recommended pans but the author had mentioned the material was wet. If there is no bid for this project, sub it out to a proffesional and you can make some money off the top and in the mean time learn the proper way to execute a project of this size.
Posted via Mobile Device

I dont see where he mentioned anything about it being wet. It might be, but he has not said that.

[DirtMedics]

I can see where TSS would think the material would be wet with what Dirtman was talking about with the water table. A big factor in that will be what time the project commences. We usually have a pretty wet spring, but it differs year to year. I am in the process of talking to a few people about the pans, but it is hard to find contractors in this area who use them.

As far as hiring it out, I dont want to do that. I am not doing this for an outside organization, I am doing it for me. All the other aspects of the complex have already been purchased by donations or grants. Consider the sitework as my "donation" to the project.

Let me rephrase the question this way. Consider ALL the following:

-Project has 3 months to be completed. Finishing quicker is a plus but not mandatory
-Volvo 360 has to be used. Already figure about $25K in fuel

[ksss]

Originally Posted by DirtMedics

I can see where TSS would think the material would be wet with what Dirtman was talking about with the water table. A big factor in that will be what time the project commences. We usually have a pretty wet spring, but it differs year to year. I am in the process of talking to a few people about the pans, but it is hard to find contractors in this area who use them.

As far as hiring it out, I dont want to do that. I am not doing this for an outside organization, I am doing it for me. All the other aspects of the complex have already been purchased by donations or grants. Consider the sitework as my "donation" to the project.

Let me rephrase the question this way. Consider ALL the following:

-Project has 3 months to be completed. Finishing quicker is a plus but not mandatory
-Volvo 360 has to be used. Already figure about $25K in fuel

Beauty of the pans is one piece of equipment can excavate, grade, compact, transport and stock pile material. To do the same with an excavator requires haul trucks, and dozer. Add to the fact that the job is as spread out as it is, compounds the logistical challenges of the job. The issues of doing the job primarily with the excavator are not so much time but money. The costs of running a couple pans verse a couple months of an excavator, haul trucks and dozer will be far less.

Utimately you have to use what is available and what you feel comfortable with. If not pans certainly there must be some self propelled scraper contractors in your area.