Why is it....

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inkjunkie

inkjunkie

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....when you dig a hole or trench you never have enough dirt to back fill it completely? Normally I am damn lucky to have enough materials to get the hole/trench 50% refilled
 
Doug,actually I have wondered that for years. Possibly the time of undisturbed ,packed by cycles of nature's seasons condensing soil? (And when you rip that apart,it breaks up that time elements denseness?) My guess,anyway...
 
I think worm holes have something to do with it myself :D
 
The roots and insects make it less dense. I go through it every year in the hops field. Took a while to figure out.
 
easy... the dirt here is half rock, ya pick out the rocks, then you got half, then the above logic, that means ya got 1/4 th. I think???????
 
just dig a deeper hole so you get more dirt out so you have enough to put back in and fill it

duh
 
I usually have dirt left over, and that's due to the fact that I can't get it as compact as it was before I disturbed it.
 
inkjunkie said:
....when you dig a hole or trench you never have enough dirt to back fill it completely? Normally I am damn lucky to have enough materials to get the hole/trench 50% refilled
Click to expand...


According to a friend who works for the water company, there's 2 reasons:
1. We have a tendency to pack the dirt tighter has the hole begins to fill back up again, and

2. Because we almost never got all the dirt we removed from the hole back into it. Especially is you simply shoveled the dug up dirt, onto the dirt surface around the hole.

He also taught me a little trick: Shovel the dug up dirt onto a tarp placed on the ground next to the hole. In that way ALL of the dirt removed, goes back into the hole, that's how they, the local water company, does it.
 
barbee6043 said:
easy... the dirt here is half rock, ya pick out the rocks, then you got half, then the above logic, that means ya got 1/4 th. I think???????
Click to expand...

Half rock? Wish I had that much dirt....I am guessing more like 70-30 rock to dirt....

Need to get the guys number that supplies the Gravel for our roads. Going to get a load of sand....I think....
 
Frankie said:
According to a friend who works for the water company, there's 2 reasons:
1. We have a tendency to pack the dirt tighter has the hole begins to fill back up again, and

2. Because we almost never got all the dirt we removed from the hole back into it. Especially is you simply shoveled the dug up dirt, onto the dirt surface around the hole.

He also taught me a little trick: Shovel the dug up dirt onto a tarp placed on the ground next to the hole. In that way ALL of the dirt removed, goes back into the hole, that's how they, the local water company, does it.
Click to expand...

^^^^^^^^^^^^this^^^^^^^^^^
 
shrinkage...material was basically loose before you dug hole...and you compact it as you are filling the hole...

earthwork calculations usually allow up to 20% shrinkage
 
Oh bullcrap. Nobody knows that answer. It's one of life's great mysteries. Some of yall would ruin Christmas for a 3 year old. lol
 
Depends on soil structure.
If wetor sandy soil you will not have enough. When you backfill the sandy soil drys out and
the pore spaces decrease.

On heavier soils, opposite, will have leftover.
Tight soil becomes aerated, thus seemingly extra. But trust me, it will all fit when watered down eventually.


D.
 
mycuda said:
Depends on soil structure.
If wetor sandy soil you will not have enough. When you backfill the sandy soil drys out and
the pore spaces decrease.

On heavier soils, opposite, will have leftover.
Tight soil becomes aerated, thus seemingly extra. But trust me, it will all fit when watered down eventually.


D.
Click to expand...

plumbed for 47 yrs., and "never" did all the dirt go back into a ditch , unless compacted in layers.
 
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