What the hell was I thinking! A tale of land development and our 1st rodeo in such.

[Homer Dokes]

I am heading down south tomorrow to try to overcome a priming issue for the transmission on a D7/D8 class dozer that has a monster ripper on it. I've already looked at it and it is in great shape otherwise and I am poised to purchase it if I can address the priming issue. There is another thread under dozers on this forum related to that. I figure that with the 2nd dozer and that ripper I can really go to town on the pond.

 

[CM1995]

Ponds ? Many times they were a temporary deal and covered over after the project was done, seen that a few times.

Hmm not here. Detaining storm water run off is a major requirement on pretty much every new construction project even down to individual homes in some cities. A big part of what we do is storm water detention from ponds to underground systems - all permanent structures with yearly inspections and maintenance requirements.

Storm water treatment systems beyond detention are required in most cities here now. We just installed a Barracuda unit on a fast food joint. We've installed several of these over the years. These units have to be inspected by a QCI every year with a report sent to the city.

 

[HarleyHappy]

Definitely some rippers. Big grader with a 5 bar ripper in the back can move a lot of dirt.

 

[bam1968]

Sounds like you might need to start looking at adding an excavator to your fleet if you have hit water already. You could use it to top load your scraper if need be.

 

[chidog]

In those photos what is being done there? Moving top soil? A pond? So where are the stakes marking it?

Has a bench mark been set on the job site? You know an elevation to work from.

 

[Homer Dokes]

Are there any farmers near you? Thinking a HD chisel plow or even a heavy disc might loosen up your ground and wouldn't take too long. A subsoiler is another option. I know when I've dug with the backhoe once you get past the hard top layer the ground is much easier to dig. If you had aux. hydraulics maybe you could rent a heavy disc to pull with a dozer.

Hi Dave,

That is an option. I have to believe that as this ground was planted for many years that the discs the farmers used to turn the soil did the trick. I am working an option of the ripper and also a disk in parallel with each other. Had some success on the ripper but tomorrow will be the determining factor after a particular test is done on the dozer that has it.

 

[Homer Dokes]

Sounds like you might need to start looking at adding an excavator to your fleet if you have hit water already. You could use it to top load your scraper if need be.

I have identified a potential excavator and am looking at others. May also be able to rent one for the purpose. Looking into that too.

 

[Homer Dokes]

Anyone familiar with mixing lime into the soil to stabilize the road base? Our engineer factored in this method over gravel and I went looking for an outfit that could delivery a lime slurry but can't seem to find one. The major quarry owner in these parts does lime stabilization for highways and want's $30,000 a day to bring there equipment out to do ours. Given we are doing this in three phases that would get to be cost prohibitive. If we get it in powder form then I need to figure out how to apply it evenly across the road, mix it into the soil, then compact it and wet it to activate it. Any thoughts?

 

[chidog]

Save the $ buying junk dozers and rent one with a good operator and finish the dirt work in 2 weeks.

Oh and not a D6.

Since your considering renting a slow machine??

And what about the stakes and elevation bench mark? You need to know how deep to go etc.
Or I'm guessing you have no engineering plans drawn up yet? I'd think it would be a requirement?

 

[Homer Dokes]

Save the $ buying junk dozers and rent one with a good operator and finish the dirt work in 2 weeks.

1st question.... what should a good dozer with operator run?
2nd question... it should only take two weeks to move 16,000 cubic yards of clay?

 

[CM1995]

Anyone familiar with mixing lime into the soil to stabilize the road base? Our engineer factored in this method over gravel and I went looking for an outfit that could delivery a lime slurry but can't seem to find one. The major quarry owner in these parts does lime stabilization for highways and want's $30,000 a day to bring there equipment out to do ours. Given we are doing this in three phases that would get to be cost prohibitive. If we get it in powder form then I need to figure out how to apply it evenly across the road, mix it into the soil, then compact it and wet it to activate it. Any thoughts?

I have only used lime and baghouse dust to dry up soil. Soil cement is a whole 'nuther animal.

Georgia Iron has some experience being around soil cement jobs on the big warehouse projects he fine grades. He'd be a good one to ask.

All I know is if the soil cement is done correctly you have to get it to grade or below finish grade before it sets up.

 

[chidog]

1st question.... what should a good dozer with operator run?
2nd question... it should only take two weeks to move 16,000 cubic yards of clay?

I just used a 3 foot cut, and square land, for a side length of approx 380 feet, actually I let the bot do it all. And it came up with 23 hours to move that of course easy ground though and not the long distances that maybe required.
The dozer I'd want would be one of my favorites a D475 Komatsu, and even down to a D375 would not do too bad either I spent many hours on the D375's. I was very used to getting jobs done and not playing around.
I have no idea how close the bot is for machine speed etc. I'd still say close to 2 weeks considering farther distances but some maybe very short as well. But that likely does not include compaction.

 

[Welder Dave]

Anyone familiar with mixing lime into the soil to stabilize the road base? Our engineer factored in this method over gravel and I went looking for an outfit that could delivery a lime slurry but can't seem to find one. The major quarry owner in these parts does lime stabilization for highways and want's $30,000 a day to bring there equipment out to do ours. Given we are doing this in three phases that would get to be cost prohibitive. If we get it in powder form then I need to figure out how to apply it evenly across the road, mix it into the soil, then compact it and wet it to activate it. Any thoughts?

You can get hydrated lime in bags but you have to have the right type of soil for it to work. I'd check if it has been used successfully in your area. You'd need a way to mix it in, maybe a disc. There's some info on the net.

 

[Homer Dokes]

The dozer I'd want would be one of my favorites a D475 Komatsu, and even down to a D375 would not do too bad either I spent many hours on the D375's. I was very used to getting jobs done and not playing around.

Those are impressive machines for sure chidog... and massive. I can't argue that those would be quite desirable but at approximately $124,000 for a used 1980s version, and that's for one that has been sitting out in the fields with parts laying on the ground around it and no blade like an elephant carcass in the desert, talk about spending all one's time reassembling it... oooh buddy!

Pic: https://media.sandhills.com/img.axd?id=8035152826&wid=4326182721&rwl=False&p=&ext=&w=0&h=0&t=&lp=&c=True&wt=False&sz=Max&rt=0&checksum=bBUiefXJxOAUUpZrjXAh1yCpBpzBxawCxenjU12rJAw=

Actual listing: https://www.machinerytrader.com/listing/for-sale/226092649/1989-komatsu-d375-1-crawler-dozers

I found a couple 80's versions at $75k but they looked like they were way beyond rode hard and put away wet!. My '60 D6 is in much better shape as is the A/C HD16. I'd be afraid that the electronics alone on that one above would be decimated. lol... the starter sitting on the track tho is a nice touch for a sales pic.

 

[CM1995]

I just used a 3 foot cut, and square land, for a side length of approx 380 feet, actually I let the bot do it all. And it came up with 23 hours to move that of course easy ground though and not the long distances that maybe required.
The dozer I'd want would be one of my favorites a D475 Komatsu, and even down to a D375 would not do too bad either I spent many hours on the D375's. I was very used to getting jobs done and not playing around.
I have no idea how close the bot is for machine speed etc. I'd still say close to 2 weeks considering farther distances but some maybe very short as well. But that likely does not include compaction.

Lol - yeah a D10/11 size dozer would make quick work of pretty much anything.

 

[chidog]

The one outfit got 2 375's for 25K each, we used them for many years. Made a great clearing machine too. We had a few 25 acre jobs that we moved in the 2 of them. Like I say this one outfit, we did not play around we got the job done and moved to the next one. That is how you bring in the $, up time was not too bad on those old komatsu's either, towards the end I had to fight with the tracks on the bit older one. But had many D7's and D8's I had to fight tracks on as well through the years.
But having a big machine doesn't mean much if you can't make it perform, then your just burning lots of fuel and nothing much happening.

Electronics ? all ours where mechanical everything. I can't stand the new over electroniced and hydrostat crap.

 

[Homer Dokes]

I currently fight the left track on the D6. I know the issue... have a partial solution. But can't take the time to do it till we have some dead time... which will be in the depths of winter. Perhaps I should ask this... can the tension cylinders on at D6b be rebuilt? I have not been able to find replacements. I do have new springs... but really need to replace/rebuild the cylinders as well at the same time.

 

[chidog]

Anything can be rebuilt. And as parts get more difficult to find that will be the norm.
Hopefully all you need is the seal kits, and no broke recoil spring, or rusted pitted bores.
But then you have machine tools so make what you need if you can't find it.

 

[Homer Dokes]

Anything can be rebuilt. And as parts get more difficult to find that will be the norm.
Hopefully all you need is the seal kits, and no broke recoil spring, or rusted pitted bores.
But then you have machine tools so make what you need if you can't find it.

Indeed. Spent yesterday afternoon doing just that for a sprocket on our Ditchwitch Trencher. Found that the previous owner never knew of a capped zerk on the end sprocket and therefor it never seen a bit of grease accept for the factory original. It failed spectacularly and was absolutely dry as a bone. No evidence there was ever grease. Was fortunate to find that there were only two sprockets available in the world and they were sitting on the shelf at the factory never to be made again. The bearings had welded themselves to the pin and we had to cut it out. Had to build up the pin (the pin is not available) with weld beads and machine it on a lathe back to factory specs.

Found a seal kit for the tension cylinders on the D6. Hopefully those will do the trick. Currently they just are not holding grease very well. I don't see any pitting but if there is I will take the rods in to a local outfit that can add chrome layers to them and we can machine them back to spec as well. We had to do that to a crank shaft a number of years ago and it worked out very well.

 

[Homer Dokes]

And what about the stakes and elevation bench mark? You need to know how deep to go etc.
Or I'm guessing you have no engineering plans drawn up yet? I'd think it would be a requirement?

I overlooked this.

We do have engineering plans long since completed and approved by all parties involved at the gubment level.

In the preceding 2 1/2 years leading up to the start of our project I spent a lot of time researching and purchasing survey equipment. I chose to go with Trimble but true to form, I purchased used equipment... man I thought dozer manufactures were proud of their stuff... have you priced Trimble? Anyway... picked up a total station (5603), R8 Receiver, and a TSC3 and they have been working very well.

My son and my background are very heavy duty computers and automation. It's been pretty easy to figure out the Trimble equipment and our engineer created survey files for stake placements that we imported into the TSC3. We have laid out the curbs of the roads and the pond complete with elevations on each stake. How much to add/cut and turned the stakes inward so we can see them when passing by with equipment. Has worked very well for the scraper. What a difference the R8 with RTK makes over just GPS on the TSC3.