Building a cut and fill

[J Olender]

I just won a bid on a split level house pad. My question is this; the plans call for using the cut material for the fill material. The engineer has not calculated the quantity actually needed. So my concern is starting my fill in the right place. If I start the fill too far down, I won't have enough to reach my grade height. I made a jig to check a slopes angle, say2:1. Would it be terribly inaccurate to set the jig at the edge of proposed pad and then run a string down to zero grade? Small job, no grade setters, plus I've got a lot to learn!
Love to hear some thoughts.

 

[joispoi]

Why not just use your take-offs from the bid, shoot your elevations and measure and stake it out yourself? :beatsme

 

[J Olender]

Cut/fill

Please excuse my ignorance, but could you describe what you mean by using my take offs. I just need to see it done once, then I'll get it. I just haven't had that opportunity.

 

[Stump Knocker]

Ask the builder for the lot PLAT PLAN.
PP should show location of the house, set back's, drainage plan.
What's the finish floor elevation?

 

[J Olender]

Cut/fill

Ok here's the deal. I have a plot plan with elevations, finished floor height and so on. I just don't quite know how to use all of the info on the plans. I know I'm gett'in high maintenance now!

 

[J Olender]

I really appreciate all your advice and insight with this!!

 

[J Olender]

Finish floor elevation is 45.66

 

[Pecord Exc]

ummmm how did you bid the job, the ffe is only relevant if we have the whole plan to look at. I dont want to say you are in over your head because i know nothing about you but i think a little more homework has to be done before you bid a job like this in the future.

 

[diggerdave1958]

Ok, we now know the Finish Floor Elevation is 45.66 what is the highest on the site and the lowest and is the 45.66 a concrete slab ?? if so then your subgrade will be - the concrete thickness and any base material that will be required. what about compaction ?? and how much are u going to loss to compacting the sub-grade ?? there is a lot more info we would need to help u i think ??

 

[J Olender]

ok, house finish pad height is 55.0', lower basement finish pad height is 45.66'. These are only finish pad elevations. Finish floor elev. is 56.5' & 46.5' respectively. I'm anticipating loosing about 25% soil volume to compaction. I need to get 95% compaction. How do I use the lower basement pad elev. to figure out where to start the toe of my fill? I understand if you all want to walk away right now.

 

[Pecord Exc]

what is existing grade!!! how much cut!???? how much fill? what size foundation??? to many variables here its not that we dont want to help you we cant!? there is not enough info!?

 

[topdigger]

Not a lot of info to go on, but it seems if you have the plot plan with the location of the house and size of foundation you could start with staking that out, then doesn't the house plan show where the split is at on the foundation plan? I would start the fill past the step down to get my compaction then cut it out to the right distance from the corner of the house after the pad was built at the last so you have a good straight jump up on the pad. Just a suggestion hard to tell without the prints and a look at the site.

 

[grandpa]

If the engineer is worth a xxxx set your top grade stakes and your bottom grade stakes and grade those elevation and the rest should take care of itself..Compaction should be done as your placing the fill from the borrow and if you come up short, i smell a change order $$.

 

[Raildudes dad]

If you're placing the fill on a slope, you better notch the hillside or after a few heavy rains, the fill might decide to go downhill.

 

[J Olender]

Right. Ok, picture a 35% slope w/ an existing bench cut in @ 55.0' elev. This could be a bench mark. Below the bench will be the lower basement portion of the house which is 70x30, running horizontal to the slope. It's a split level house. The engineer shows the lower basement cut/fill starting elev. being 46.' He shows about a 5.5' fill, & the cut I'm not as sure on the height, since it's on this 35% slope. does this shed any more light??

 

[joispoi]

Take-offs are the measurements and quantities derived from the plans and specifications that you based your bid off of. Your basic L x W x H = volume stuff.

How did you calculate your costs for this bid?

 

[CATcountry]

Are you licensed? Just curious. You should have an actual benchmark on the site, generally the location is marked on the plans, from this and the staked out house check the existing elevation approximately 3' (check with concrete contractor/general) behind (outside of the house) the wall on all your cut sides find where the slope meets your rough grade do the math, this will get you your fill volume.
Frank

 

[J Olender]

Cut/fill

joispoi,
The work that I've done over the years has been mostly septic installations, underground utility work, not a lot of straight dirt moving. My bidding process has been quite simple, just estimating the job by the time I think it will take to do it + any rental equipment needed or materials. Again, a high volume of smaller jobs has kept me going. I would very much love to come up with a per yd. price or something like that for this kind of thing.
Thanks again for your time and expertise.

 

[reaper020]

very interesting thread so far. I would be interested in this info as well. I was just wondering if you have any photos of the site J Olender? Also I was wondering from the guys giving the info how'd you guys learn are there any books worth reading on the subject or was it all hands on training?

 

[joispoi]

Per cubic yard price will vary from job to job. Calculating the volume of your cut and fill is the most accurate means of figuring out how long the job will take. It is also the first step in planning your on-site strategy.

The best advice I can offer you is to figure it out on your own. You need to calculate the volume of both your cut and your fill. By the time you figure out the volume, you will know all your elevations and the grade.

Good luck with it. Post up some pictures when you're done. :usa