Month: May 2021

Categories
Excavation Professionals

8 Types of Excavation Services

Excavation services require specific techniques and equipment.

Excavation services are used in many different applications.

Contrary to popular belief, excavation work is more than just digging a hole in the ground. Depending on the needs of your construction project, you may require excavation services from contractors specializing in different areas of excavation.

Whether it’s trenching, road construction, basement excavation, or drainage excavation, you need to ensure that you are hiring an experienced and professional excavation services provider to do the work.

In today’s post, let’s take a look at the different types of excavation services.

What Kind of Excavation Services Do You Need?

There are different types of excavation work. These types are identified by three factors:

  • The type of construction project
  • The purpose of the excavation work
  • The materials to be excavated

When you have these factors identified, a professional excavation contractor can determine precisely what type of equipment is required and the proper techniques to complete the job.

Whether you need to dig and move construction materials to build your structure, install underground pipes, or create a road, knowing the different types of excavation services is beneficial.

This knowledge can help you determine what type of excavation work you need for your own project.

While it’s true that you can always consult the contractors you will hire, it’s always better to be well-informed about these topics so you can make informed decisions.

Classifications of Excavation Work

The classifications of excavation work are further divided into t

Excavation Work Based on Materials Dug and Moved

Job-Based Excavation Services

These excavation services are based on the specific task you’re planning to accomplish at the end of the project.

There are different types of excavators used in site preparation.

These jobs may require different sets of tools.

On top of that, excavation contractors may need to perform specific techniques and processes to get the job done safely and effectively.

Cut and Fill Excavation

This type of excavation process is also referred to as stripping. However, it’s not the same as topsoil excavation, which entails digging a pit or shallow trench.

Cut and fill excavation entails removing massive areas of land on the worksite to make way for the construction project.

Materials such as gravel, rock, soil, sand, unwanted vegetation, and other obstructions are stripped away from the worksite.

This excavation service may also include land grading work. This process ensures that the site is level before construction begins.

Drainage Excavation

This type of excavation work entails making way to construct storm drains or other similar systems to channel water.

This means removing materials from the earth to move water away from one area through a trench, ditch, drain, or other depressions for water runoff.

When you do this type of excavation, the aim is to change the water flow and direct it away from your building, roads, and other structures that could be damaged by flooding.

Borrow excavation means you need other materials brought in to your site.

Drainage excavation is also done to alter agricultural drainage systems based on your specific needs.

These needs include either reducing water levels in areas likely to flood or transporting water to parts of the fields that require it.

Borrow Excavation

Employing excavation services does not always mean you need materials removed.

If your construction project calls for bringing other materials into your worksite, borrow excavation must be performed.

Typically, materials that are brought in include gravel, sand, soil, or a combination of these that will possibly come from a pit.

This type of excavation work is required for leveling, filling, or backfilling certain areas in your construction site. Borrow excavation is also done when you either don’t want to or cannot repurpose materials removed from the site.

Bridge Excavation

Bridge excavation requires backfilling.

You need a robust and sturdy foundation when constructing bridges.

If your project entails building a bridge, the excavation work needs to be done properly.

Thus, it’s essential to eliminate all obstructions that are in the way of a sturdy foundation for the bridge and other bridge substructures.

Bridge excavation may need backfilling and other excavation techniques.

A professional and experienced excavation company can help you with bridge excavation work.

Channel Excavation

Channel excavation fixes a ditch or existing channel’s drainage flow when needed. This type of excavation service removes debris and other materials within the channel to improve the water flow.

The primary purpose of channel excavation work is to alter the flow of water or to increase it depending on the needs of the construction project. This excavation work can fix water issues such as sediment buildup, flooding, or water stagnation.

Material-Based Excavation Services

Many classifications of excavation work focus on what type of material needs to be removed. This is because excavation specialists would need to use specific techniques and equipment.
For instance, you can’t use the same excavation machinery and technique to remove the rock as you would dirt.

Excavation work based on what materials need to be moved or removed may also need different attachments on the equipment and machinery.

Earth Excavation

This type of material-based excavation work involves removing the soil underneath the topsoil surface. Depending on the needs and the type of the construction project, you can excavate as deep as needed.

Earth excavation is applied to several construction undertakings.

Some of these endeavors include constructing bridges, laying down the foundation of a building, building embankments or drainage systems, and laying pipes, plumbing systems, and other underground utilities.

Topsoil Excavation

Unlike earth excavation, topsoil excavation entails removing the topmost surface level of the site. This is typically at a depth of up to 12 inches.

Topsoil excavation contractors remove the uppermost layer of the worksite.

Topsoil excavation contractors will remove vegetation, soil, organic matter, and other materials.

These can either be kept on site for a variety of purposes, landscaping being one of them.

Rock Excavation

Rock excavation requires specialized machinery and specific excavation techniques. This is because the rock is a difficult material to excavate as compared to soil, dirt, or other materials.

Breaking up and removing rocks will present more challenges on the part of the excavating contractor.

Aside from excavation work, blasting or drilling may also be needed to remove rocks from the worksite altogether.

Clearing the site of rigid and unyielding rocky surfaces requires professional rock excavation services.

Muck Excavation

Excavated muck must be properly disposed.

This type of excavation is the elimination of excessively wet soil, which is referred to as muck.

These wet materials are not ideal for stockpiling.

They can also make the site unstable, making the area incompatible for safe and efficient building.

Excavated muck can either be spread out on a wide and flat surface to dry and be reused or disposed of according to proper guidelines.

Professional Excavation Services

Not all construction projects are the same. As such, you may need a combination of materials to be excavated or more than one goal for excavation work.

Only Work With a Professional

You need to work with a professional excavation company to guide you in the right direction.

Whether it’s a small construction project or an extensive development, a professional contractor will have the proper excavation techniques, equipment, and expertise to meet your needs.

Categories
Excavation Professionals

10 Benefits of Hiring Professional Excavation Contractors

You need to hire experienced excavation contractors for your project.

There is more to excavation work than just digging a hole in the ground. One of the factors that can make or break your construction project is hiring excavation contractors. 

Depending on the needs of your construction project, you need to hire an excavation company that can take on the job.

Thus, it is vital to choose wisely. You reap the benefits of hiring a professional excavation company when you know you have hired experienced and reliable excavation contractors.

Otherwise, you risk compromising your finances, property, and above all, safety.

What Is the Role of Excavation Contractors?

When people think of excavators, they probably think of someone on a backhoe or bulldozer digging holes or moving dirt or earth from one site to another.

However, more skill, expertise, and experience are needed in excavation work than merely operating a backhoe.

Aside from land clearing, building site preparation, and digging, some professional excavation companies offer the following services:

  • Demolition services
  • Drainage work
  • Road and driveway construction
  • Parking lot construction
  • Construction material delivery services

Excavation specialists know the importance of the following:

  • Investing in high-quality equipment
  • Keeping abreast with the latest in construction, excavation, and building site preparation trends and technology
  • Providing professional, reliable, and honest customer service

If you have a future construction project – whether it’s a residential or commercial development, it’s vital to employ professional excavation services.

In today’s post, let us look at and explore the many benefits of hiring certified and professional excavation contractors.

Professionalism and Reliability Are Essential

There is a lot at stake when undertaking a construction project. Therefore, it’s imperative that you hire professional contractors.

An experienced excavation contractor know the local rules and guidelines to follow.

Hiring the services of legitimate and professional excavation contractors will allow you to expect a level of quality, experience, transparency, and training.

These are the traits you may not get from an illegitimate contractor.

On top of that, professional contractors maintain a culture of strong work ethic and safety – two highly essential factors needed in any construction development projects.

When it comes to excavation work, experience is vital. Look for an excavation company that has been in operation for several years.

Longevity in the business is a good indicator of whether or not the contractor is worth hiring. It goes without saying that inept and unskilled excavation contractors don’t last long in the business.

Excavation Work Is Risky

For the inept, unskilled, and inexperienced, excavation work can entail a lot of danger. From incorrect risk assessment to equipment mishandling to trench collapses – too many things can go horribly wrong.

Another important consideration is the size of the worksite. An inexperienced excavation contractor may not know how to work with tight or limited spaces.

On the other hand, professional excavation companies understand the importance of obtaining a detailed plan to work around these scenarios and ensure safety through the excavation work.

Also, professionals will have the expertise and experience to know the best type of excavation equipment to use for each specific project and application.

There are many types of excavation machinery – what works for clearing trees or vegetation is different from what is needed to remove a pond or a swimming pool.

Using the wrong machinery combined with the ineptitude of contractors invites many perils.

Before doing any work, professional excavation contractors will do a comprehensive evaluation of the worksite.

Using the wrong excavator can damage your construction project.

This will help them assess the ground condition, surrounding structures, and how cleanup needs to be done.

Unfortunately, inexperienced contractors may not fully know how to work around these risks.

In addition, improper management of the job may turn your construction project into a costly and unsafe situation.

Lots of Unexpected Things May Occur During Excavation Work

Excavation entails digging the ground – and you never know what you end up digging out. These scenarios make way for unexpected issues to occur.

Tree roots may damage equipment. Uncharted pipes and plumbing systems must be taken into consideration.

You may also encounter hazardous materials belowground after the construction work has already started. Wildlife and other animals may need to be taken into account.

There’s also the possibility of changing the project specifications to adapt to the unique challenges of the worksite.

On top of all that, you need to be prepared for sudden and drastic weather changes.

If you need to make adjustments or changes to your ongoing excavation work, you will need to submit the necessary documents and forms to your jurisdiction.

A professional and experienced contractor will know the steps to take to get it done.

They also have a clear understanding of insurance and safety procedures to secure your construction site and protect your assets.

Proper Cleanup Cannot Be Ignored

Professional excavation contractors understand that site cleanup is just as essential as the actual excavation work itself.

As you know, construction and excavation projects bring a lot of dirt, debris, and other underground rubbish.

From massive tree stumps and vegetation to slabs of concrete to plastics and other materials – you can’t just leave these things obstructing your worksite or affecting your neighbors.

A professional and experienced excavation company will know how to handle the mess properly.

Depending on the jurisdiction, there are specific rules and regulations in handling excavated junk. A local professional excavation company will already be familiar with these guidelines. They make sure to abide by these rules so your project can go on without a hitch.

On the other hand, there is a high likelihood that inexperienced and illegitimate excavation specialists will not be aware of the legal cleanup procedures.

You Cannot Judge A Site by Its Topsoil

Excavation contractors know how to properly dispose excavated materials.

The topsoil doesn’t tell you what you can find underneath it.

Many construction and development projects have been delayed because of what’s been unearthed from several feet down.

Furthermore, different excavation procedures lead to different kinds of soil reactions.

Seasoned excavators know what potential problems to look out for before they even begin digging the topsoil.

Excavation Contractors Do More Than Just Dig

Any excavation work or construction project may encounter sedimentation changes, erosion, or other significant concerns. If not managed properly, these concerns can affect the water distribution and quality for you and your neighbors.

You also risk damaging your property.

On top of that, depending on your jurisdiction, there are existing laws you must follow regarding erosion control.

State inspectors can shut down your construction project if they discover that you are not doing proper erosion control.

Working with a professional excavation company ensures that you are doing the following:

  • Proper trench drains system to make way for sufficient water diversion
  • Restricting the amount of exposed earth and soil
  • Proper vegetation management

Proper Assessment of the Work Site and Surrounding Structures

Aside from the structure you are building, what surrounds it is also an essential consideration in your construction project.

The surrounding properties, as well as other environmental and outdoor features, might be affected by your excavation and construction work.

From using the wrong excavation equipment to digging too deep or too shallow – these oversights significantly affect your risks.

Fortunately, experienced excavation companies are familiar with avoiding these problems before they can create a costly and lengthy delay on your project.

You Are Not Saving Money Hiring an Amateur

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to cut corners when undertaking a construction project. As a result, many construction managers and property owners believe hiring an amateur with cheaper excavation services is better even though the job is not “perfect.”

In other cases, they go the do-it-yourself route and convince themselves that they are saving money by being resourceful.

There are many types of excavation services you can get for your project.

In reality, you are only jeopardizing your project and putting your assets at risk.

Excavation work requires experts to do the job right.

Unfortunately, when you hire an amateur, or you try to DIY, it’s highly likely that your project will encounter problems.

When this happens, you will have to pay more to correct these issues. You would be paying for the same services twice.

Time Is Money

In any construction project, time is of the essence. However, you don’t want to compromise safety, efficiency, and quality while ensuring that the project is completed on time.

You can trust a professional contractor such as Shilling Excavation to ensure that your project is managed in a timely fashion, safely and proficiently.

Key Takeaway

Professional excavation work is a lot more than moving earth around and digging holes in the ground. This is not a DIY project or work effectively done by amateurs. On top of that, this is not something you would want to be sparing with.

To ensure that you don’t miss any crucial steps or create excavation mishaps, it’s critical that you hire the best professionals.

When you have a construction project underway, find an excavation firm to ensure that the project is off to a good start.

Work with reliable and experienced excavation contractors to see that your construction project is professionally managed and safe.

If you need more information about our professional excavation, land clearing, or building site preparation services, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Shilling Excavation team.

Categories
Commercial Site Preparation

Building Site Preparation: What You Need to Know

Building site preparation work is an essential undertaking.

The first step to any construction development project is building site preparation. This is the preliminary process of getting your worksite ready for building. It ensures that the project will start off in a safe and efficient manner. 

Building site preparation can make or break your project. It entails several different processes along with the use of specialized equipment and tools to complete the work.

Thus, precision, reliability, and expertise are essential traits for any building site preparation contractors.

What Does Building Site Preparation Include?

Typically, this construction process entails the following steps:

  • Clearing the site of trees and vegetation
  • Ground leveling to make way for building
  • Moving construction materials as necessary – to and from the site
  • Removing debris and all other obstructions that will affect the building

Every construction project is unique. As such, the type of building site preparation processes needed will be different as well.

Some construction projects may require more preparation than others, while others may not.

Site prep is needed in all types of construction projects.

Either way, you need the expertise of an experienced building site preparation company to help you in this endeavor.

Working with professional contractors will ensure that you have a safe and stable, and adequately constructed foundation for your construction project.

Whatever your construction project may be, whether it’s a residential property, an office building, parking lot, water park, or stadium, site prep is an essential preliminary step you must pay special attention to.

On top of that, the specific land clearing and site preparation steps and excavation machinery will vary.

However, many construction projects utilize several vital pieces of excavation and site preparation equipment – no matter what type of construction project it is.

Elements of Building Site Preparation

Getting the Site Ready

Building site preparation work is an essential undertaking.

While this step in a construction project may seem simple and straightforward, it entails a lot of moving parts.

A substantial amount of cooperation and coordination is required among different types of construction specialists.

Employing the services of an experienced and professional building site preparation company will help your project immensely.

Safety First

In construction, safety should be at the top of every builder and developer’s list.

Valuing safety entails strictly following local guidelines and protocols throughout the duration of the construction.

Ground Strength Testing

Testing the stability of the ground is a vital element in site preparation.

In bigger construction projects, testing the soil is specifically needed to ensure that the site is strong enough to sustain construction.

Land Clearing

This process involves an official declaration and plans on how to manage stormwater pollution and erosion throughout the course of the construction project.

Safety is essential in building site prep.

Land clearing doesn’t just mean removing all obstructions on the worksite.

This step also means outlining erosion control measures and water drainage solutions.

Common Building Site Preparation Equipment

Whether it’s a residential or commercial development, there are primary pieces of excavation machinery used.

Let’s take a closer look at them below.

Backhoe Loader

Simply referred to as either a backhoe or digger, this workhorse is a fixed member of the heavy excavation equipment line.

A backhoe loader’s size is small. This feature makes way for the equipment’s precision and versatility on the worksite.

Furthermore, the small-sized loader offers enhanced visibility on the construction site.

The loader, with its small stature, is ideal for city engineering projects and construction work where the space is smaller or is limited.

A backhoe loader has many different functions, including:

  • Digging/excavation
  • Transporting or moving construction materials
  • Road paving
  • Breaking up earth or asphalt

There are also many different attachments available to enhance the productivity of a backhoe loader. Depending on your needs, there are several backhoe attachment options that can extend the machine’s capabilities.

Crawler Excavator

Also referred to as crawlers, this type of excavation equipment runs on two continuous tracks. It has a chain track system with tank-like chassis used for landscape grading, mining application, and trench digging.

There are different types of excavators used in site preparation.

The endless chain wheel is ideal for scaling downhills and terrains with minimal risk.

If your construction site is hilly or uneven, crawler excavators are perfect for grading the worksite.

Dragline Excavator

Due to its dragline system and hoist rope with an attached bucket, this equipment is used in road excavations, underwater digging, and pile driving.

This is a heavy and massive excavator. Because of this, they need the individual parts to be transported separately and assembled on site.

If you have a large-scale project, the dragline excavator can meet your excavation needs.

Suction Excavator

Also referred to as a vacuum excavator, this is a piece of wheeled machinery equipped with water jets and a high-pressure vacuum. These features make it ideal for debris cleanup, complex digging work, and other underground applications.

The suction can carry away debris and soil up to 200 miles per hour. It can also reduce the chance of damage on underground digging applications by more than 60 percent.

Skid Steer Excavator

The skid steer excavator is a wheeled vehicle with buckets and booms attached to the front and away from the operator. It is a piece of medium-sized excavation equipment used in residential construction projects to remove or spread dirt and debris out.

Long Reach Excavator

As the name implies, this excavation equipment has an extendable arm that can reach up to 100 feet upwards. It’s ideal for heavy-duty digging and industrial demolition projects.

There are also different attachments you can use for a long-reach excavator, depending on the requirements of the project.

The Value of Proper Building Site Preparation Work

Whether the worksite is small backyard at home or a big area the size of a football field, the key to an efficient and successful construction is a strategic and comprehensive site prep process.

The main benefit that site preparation brings is a safe and stable foundation for your structure. And as you know, any construction project must be built on a robust foundation.

Site prep is essential work.

Site prep entails a dynamic series of tasks.

These include demolition, land clearing, excavation, and laying the foundation.

Each of these processes ensures a safe, robust, and stable base for your structure – no matter what type it is: sports complex, residential property, retail store, office building, etc.

Thus, it’s essential to employ the services of professional and reliable building site preparation contractors.