• Thank you for visiting HeavyEquipmentForums.com! Our objective is to provide industry professionals a place to gather to exchange questions, answers and ideas. We welcome you to register using the "Register" icon at the top of the page. We'd appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word of our new site. The more members that join, the bigger resource for all to enjoy. Thank you!

Too cold for frost blankets?

rossaroni

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
106
Location
SE PA
Most of my work is small interior excavation and refits. This weekend, I opened up a job for the plumber to install this week, and I'll close it this coming weekend.
During this coming week, we're expecting highs in the low single digits. I'm worried that the frost blankets that I have on the screenings that will be used for backfilling (currently sitting outside in the cold) wont be enough to keep them from freezing up. Any other ideas for me? This is a 12 week from demo to open schedule, so waiting for warmer weather wont be possible
 

Delmer

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2013
Messages
8,863
Location
WI
Bury a culvert through the middle of the pile, with one end a foot higher than the other end, start a fire in the low end and keep it going the day before you need to get into the pile. Keep the whole pile covered with snow until then.
 

rossaroni

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
106
Location
SE PA
Delmer, thanks for your thoughts. I could see how this would work, but the job is in a commercial shopping center. Not sure that they'd be to keen on a bonfire.
Steve, I've got 2 piles, 20 tons each.
 

Steve Frazier

Founder
Staff member
Joined
Oct 30, 2003
Messages
6,599
Location
LaGrangeville, N.Y.
I've fluffed hay out and covered with a tarp with success, another thing you could do is make some wooden stakes with a square of plywood on the end perpendicular to the stake, drive these in to the piles with about a foot exposed and pull a tarp over them. This would create a space between the tarp and pile that you could blow a space heater into. Anything you do is going to be an added cost, hopefully you can recoup that.
 

rossaroni

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
106
Location
SE PA
Thanks guys. I'm liking the stakes idea. I'll give it a whirl, and see what happens. Any luck, and the weather forecasters are wrong anyhow.
 

Oxbow

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
1,201
Location
Idaho
We use ground heaters under blankets when necessary. They are kinda pricey to rent, but worth it if the schedule is tight. The ground heaters are essentially coolant lines spread out over material that a heated anti-freeze type solution is circulated through, powered by a trailer mounted boiler. Our local Cat Rental store has them, so that might be a place to find one in your area.
 

Delmer

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2013
Messages
8,863
Location
WI
the job is in a commercial shopping center. Not sure that they'd be to keen on a bonfire.
Steve, I've got 2 piles, 20 tons each.

What about propane or charcoal? Propane probably isn't any more money than charcoal, and a lot easier to use. Push a 2-6" pipe through the pile, cut a V at the end and pound it to a point, then open it up or cut the point off once it gets through the other end of the pile. Point a roofing torch in the low end. With a pile that big you'll need to get it warm now and let the heat work it's way out.

If you have enough loose snow to cover the pile, that is one of the best insulations you can get, just don't cover it with packed ice, you'll have a little work to get your blankets out and keep the chunks out of your fill, they say ice doesn't compact well?
 

95zIV

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2006
Messages
795
Location
Cincinnati, OH
Occupation
RR Contractor Super.
you could just push the pipe through, cut part of the cone off and then pull it back, or bury the pipe half way through the pile. Then put a salamander/space heater on the open end, that way you could push the heat up the pipe and right into the pile.
 

Red Roan

Active Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2013
Messages
30
Location
SE PA
Ross, I'm in your general area and feel your pain, the next few days are going to be brutal.

Is it possible to save your screenings for another job and substitute an AASHTO 8 or 10 for this application ?

I realize it's hindsight, but in most of my estimates, and contained in my massive list of exclusions, I have one that states that any measures to deal with frost or cold weather will be over and above contract. That includes peeling off 2' of frost to do any excavating, blanketing curbs and flatwork as well as adding any cold weather additives to the concrete mix.

I've bid many jobs in July that are supposed to start in 60 days, lo and behold, they start in the middle of the winter. Nothing gets an owner cheesed more than telling him that we have to blanket 5,000 foot of curb at buck or two a foot. Best to have it sorted out ahead of time.

Roan
 

rossaroni

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
106
Location
SE PA
Well, Roan, you won this one. Grit is frozen stiff, and is getting loaded up for another job. Replaced it with 1B.
Unfortunately, the frost blankets did not a thing to help this situation. Replacing it was actually cheaper than providing a heater and a runaround to try to warm it, so we went that route.
I am gradually getting a growing list of exclusions. This falls in on that whole non-fatal failure thing. This actually was a good experience.
Thanks for the help
 
Top