# Sinkhole 0 - Pipe Rat 1



## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

After 5 days of digging with a 220 class excavator and a 963 highlift we finally found the throat of this sinkhole (it had an old structure put in place 55 years ago and had been filled). :thumbup: Everything below the orange fence has been excavated, most of it to get our trackhoe down deep enough. Today we shot a firehose in the hole to verify where the water is exiting. The next step will be to bench out the center hole to Osha standards so we can put men down there, cap over the hole with 3" clean rock, set a manhole on top of it and then cap the rock with a foot of concrete. This new storm structure will accept all the drainage for this project. It is 25 foot deep. Pretty cool, not something you do everyday. More to follow next week.


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## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

A few more pics


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## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

Last three for now


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

I loved operating a trac hoe. Never got bored with it. Never had problems loading a tandem or triaxle either. 


The more you use one the better you get at the hyrdaulics, making the operation smooooth and efficient. 


Backhoe I could never get used to, never liked it. I loved the whole carriage on a track hoe moving before the nonsense of moving the seat on a backhoe.


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## bigdaddyrob (May 14, 2009)

Thats def something you dont do/see everyday. Gotta love this life. :thumbup:

Nothing but respect, I wouldnt even know where/how to start a project like that safely. Thanks for sharing.


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

What is going on there? Stormwater management?

What is with the hole you shot the firehose in?


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## sheeptown44 (Oct 31, 2010)

now that is a project, very cool,:thumbup:.


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## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

There was an existing commercial building here built in 1955. They had placed a grated inlet over the sinkhole and filled it in. This building has been demo'd and a new building is going in. What we had to do is excavate down to bedrock and find the throat (the actual spot where the water exits) of the sinkhole. Once we found the bedrock bottom amonst the shelf rock overburden we filled it with water until we could see where the water was exiting, it turned out to be about 18" above the bedrock in one small area. What we will do now is place about 3 feet of 3" clean rock on top of the bedrock in the area of the throat, set a manhole section on top of the rock and cover the clean rock with a foot of concrete. We then will bring the new manhole to grade and compact the all the dirt back in that we removed. This sinkhole will drain all the stormwater from the site instead of going to the public system. Not really a stormwater management system, they had to cap the sinkhole anyway so the parking lot wouldn't fail so while they're down there why not set a new manhole and save on public utility fees. :thumbup: Sorry so long.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Cool idea. 



Pipe Rat said:


> There was an existing commercial building here built in 1955. They had placed a grated inlet over the sinkhole and filled it in. This building has been demo'd and a new building is going in. What we had to do is excavate down to bedrock and find the throat (the actual spot where the water exits) of the sinkhole. Once we found the bedrock bottom amonst the shelf rock overburden we filled it with water until we could see where the water was exiting, it turned out to be about 18" above the bedrock in one small area. What we will do now is place about 3 feet of 3" clean rock on top of the bedrock in the area of the throat, set a manhole section on top of the rock and cover the clean rock with a foot of concrete. We then will bring the new manhole to grade and compact the all the dirt back in that we removed. This sinkhole will drain all the stormwater from the site instead of going to the public system. Not really a stormwater management system, they had to cap the sinkhole anyway so the parking lot wouldn't fail so while they're down there why not set a new manhole and save on public utility fees. :thumbup: Sorry so long.


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

That does it, I wanna come work "with" you. Notice I said, not "for" you.:laughing:


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## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

ROCKSTARPLUMBER said:


> That does it, I wanna come work "with" you. Notice I said, not "for" you.:laughing:


How 'bout we just trade places for the winter? :cool2: :yes:


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## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

Today we got the base rock in and the manhole section set and everything capped over with concrete. :thumbup: Now we will place and compact all that dirt we removed.


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## Txmasterplumber (Oct 2, 2010)

Pipe Rat said:


> " all the dirt back in that we removed".


My question is: who worked the wheelbarow?


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## Txmasterplumber (Oct 2, 2010)

oh, by the way..... great job, thanks for the pics


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## Titan Plumbing (Oct 8, 2009)

I just wonder what the guy will say to his buddy when they dig that thing up a hunerd years from now...........

Looks like a fun job. :thumbsup:


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

I hope you don't let Bill near the trackhoe....


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## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

Bill has already been banned from trackhoes and backhoes, In fact the very trackhoe in these pictures has cab and front window frame damage from Bill trying to pickup a rockbox to load on a trailer. Not Kidding :no:


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*time and material???*

looks like a lot of fun....

it makes me wonder how do you bid something like this??? 

just time and material???


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## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

Mark we actually gave a bid on it based on estimated quantities from the soils engineer but we ended up doing it T&M. They thought it could be done cheaper than our bid which was fine by me on something like this. We will gamble with their money instead of mine. :yes:


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## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

Working today on getting the center hole topped out with a trench compactor. Once we are out of this tight area we will bring in the big guns. :thumbup: Had some trouble with the moisture content being too high so we are mixing screenings 1 to 1 to get compaction.


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## Plumbdog (Jan 27, 2009)

Nice work! thanks for sharing. I geuss i won't complain next time I have to dig a hole for a sump pump.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*compaction*



Pipe Rat said:


> Working today on getting the center hole topped out with a trench compactor. Once we are out of this tight area we will bring in the big guns. :thumbup: Had some trouble with the moisture content being too high so we are mixing screenings 1 to 1 to get compaction.


 
T+M that is probably the best way to attack something that big.....

if you need help getting it compacted....
I can send you my sister-in-law..... she weighs
about 425 and could really help stomp that ground down:laughing:.......


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## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

Master Mark said:


> T+M that is probably the best way to attack something that big.....
> 
> if you need help getting it compacted....
> I can send you my sister-in-law..... she weighs
> about 425 and could really help stomp that ground down:laughing:.......


Pictures or it's not true :whistling2:


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## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

The latest............ having trouble with compaction due to moisture content. We are mixing additives with the soil to try and keep moving ahead. As of last Friday we are in the neighborhood of $38,000 and still have a helluva a hole to get topped out.


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