So my deere 450 c trackloader is finally together and running. I bought the machine with a spent motor, and got her running again. Intended use was for cleaning up around the family farm. So I was talking with a farmer friend about having him haul it for me, and he ended up asking me to do some work with it for him. Another contractor was lined up, had equipment problems and backed out, and they need to get this building going. He is planning on putting in a 50' x 140' green house and he needs a pad dug into a slope. The slope runs parrallel to the length of the proposed pad. And there is about 4' cut and fills without stripping the topsoil where the building is going to sit. Topsoil will be stripped first, then the cut and fill will start. Now I don't any compaction equipment, and I don't what to screw this pad up for my friend. If I put the fill in with thin lifts, 6">, and track it in with my machine and water it down, do you think I'd get sufficient compaction? Other than tracking it in with the 450, a farm tractor is available for rolling it in as well, or should I advise them to find a roller to assist with the compaction? p.s. I also have a hoe that fits the rear of the 450, one suggestion was to use the bucket for a ram and stamp the fill in. I though it would be hard on the backhoe.
The big question is what kind of soil are you dealing with?
From the surrounding area I'm going to assume that its irregular bank gravel type stuff. not solid rock, straight dirt, or solid clay. Kinda a mix of all three, but low on the clay content.
If you need water put it down as you make the lifts so it mixes in. No tamping with the hoe, but you may want it for added weight for compaction. Track it with a bucket of dirt and track it extra at the far end of the fill since you will be compacting the beginning while placing the fill at the far end, but still track it all. Using his tractor to wheel roll it will save lots of time and wear on your loader and do a little better job. Put on a heavy implement for added weight. I would talk to someone in the area that will be familiar with the dirt you may have to dry it out with a disk not add water. A good way to tell if the moisture is ok is by squeezing it in your hand and see how well it holds together after. Also watch the tire tracks in the dirt if there nice and clean imprints your good. If they kind of crumble add a little water. If its sticking to the tire or the ground is pumping its to wet. 6" lifts should be fine you could even go a little more like 8", but its a little more risky should be fine though. Over build the grade of the pad a little and then cut it back down to grade.
I did a fill with a 450 loader in the fall of '07. I spread it about 6 inch lifts dumping with truck loaded at the other end of the sight. The soil was coarse with about 2-3 inch stone mixed. It is a 9 foot lift for a road. It hasn't settled ONE inch. My 450 has 14 inch tracks and it sinks pretty well - do you have 14 inchers?
yeah, 14" tripple grouser tracks w/ the optional weight kit. I was thinking I'd be ok tracking it in, did some reading and after a couple of passes I figgured id be ok. Track it in as i place it, another pass after I complete a lift, the a final pass perpendicular to the previous one and call it good. Also its only one corner that will need filled, maybe 1/4 of the total building pad, the rest of the building will sit on the cut, with the fill providing access around the lower side of the building.
it will be fine. a rubber tired tractor will usually pack granular soil better than a compactor. usually.
Did a similar job for my neighbor with my 580k. You will get more compaction with the front wheels of a hoe if you fill the bucket full than a farm tractor will give you. I built up a corner and one side about five feet in 6-8" lifts and it passed a compaction test before they poured it. Only hosed it 3 times,about every 18".