I've operated dozers on a number of occasions. My Dresser TD7G was a Christmas day purchase a year, and change ago. I have used it, but mostly for the part day projects of grading, upgrading a road, spreading material, etc. Recently, I decided I have only theory as to why my "meadow" is muddy. It being side hill, wet ground is unfamiliar to me. Gravity drains most not level fields. Mine is narrow, long perhaps 4 or 5 acres. After a rain, soil remains wet for maybe a week. Seldom do we get more than a week between rains. I want to level an acre oval in this "meadow". I'd like a cabin there. Once I intended to live there, now I just want a get away. I will install drainage beneath. The first step is removing the topsoil. Black topsoil has proven to be much deeper than I expected. In spots, topsoil is three feet deep. Pushing topsoil to a big pile where I can spread it later has become a slow process. Winter is nice for this work. No mud, no mosquitos. I've got about six hours there so far, it seems endless! I now have a better understanding of the big U blade D11s. I'm familiar with slot dozing, moving the closest material first, but I'm a little surprised at how long it takes to move material. Willie
Funny, isn't it? My son got a TD7C as an interest/hobby. We have 5 acres, logged off 40 years ago with various age cottonwoods now. You think of it as "heavy equipment" yet quickly realize you can't just "walk through" anything in your way. Again, his machine, like yours and the Deere 450 I've used, are light machines in comparison to what's used for serious clearing work. You begin to learn tricks and ways to finesse what you need done. I know my son and I have both developed a true appreciation for the operators who become one with their machine and display a true skill while operating (similar to my appreciation for the weldors who make it look so easy as I attempt to refine my basic welding abilities!). DB
It seems we live in parallel worlds. Willie
Yeah Willie , sounds like the area your working possibly has some " wet weather " springs that keep the ground saturated long after the rain has quit . Took a look at your Drainage thread . HeavyEquipmentForums Your spot on with the rock layer holding water . It's the same way in my neck of the woods . Only way I can think off is install a " perimeter tile drain system " surrounding above the site to keep the underground water drained off .
Pretty typical set up in my area on a tile " lay out " . Get up above the site & just below the tree line on the " perimeter drain" . Back fill it with stone all the way to the top so it also catches some surface water . I borrowed the picture from another member that had similar issues . Tie it all in with a drain tile under the surface swale behind the home / structure along with the gutter drains . Ya got to deal with the water first if you want the dirt to stay in place bro ! http://www.heavytruckforums.com/showthread.php?263-Some-Holmes-750-action&p=2597&viewfull=1#post2597
I believe that's where I'm heading. I want to strip off the top soil. I then intend to strip the upper edge down to ledge, to see where it ends. I've dug in one spot, no ledge 3' down. I'm beginning to wonder if ledge might be lower at the top of the hill, than the bottom. I just may have a "pond" under there as ledge is only inches away at the lower side of this area. I'm sure it's pretty irregular in elevation, I'll figure out a channel to drain it. I doubt anything you'd call a spring, but cracks in ledge that allow water to seep out for some time after a rain might be the case. I'm sure I can drain it, but I am concerned about the stone, or filter fabric getting clogged with silt. This soil is like the finest grained beach sand you've ever seen. Willie
Does it get sun or is it shady ? Have you done test holes to see what kind of soil you have? Is water running or standing?
There's another thread; Drainage. I don't know why it doesn't come up with watched threads, or new posts. Search Drainage. I now suspect ledge is inverted. On a side hill meadow, where the grade is low, ledge is high. At the upper edge, ledge is deep. Soil is ultra fine sand. It doesn't stick together like clay. It's the sort of sand in an hour glass. If I dry a jar of it, I can't hold a handful. It pours out of my fingers like in an hour glass. All this is covered with topsoil shallow at the lower edge, but deep at the upper edge. I've resolved to open things up to see what's going on. A test hole fills with water if rain has been within a week. It remains dry if longer since rain. I believe there is downhill somewhere in this shallow ledge formation. If there isn't, I'll cut one. Willie
Sure sounds like a site to try "sock" covered drain tile if you can get around the rock ledge allowing it to all gravity drain . http://www.homedepot.com/p/4-in-x-100-ft-Corex-Drain-Pipe-Perforated-with-Sock-04730100BS/100129255 Then again not to discourage ...... But at times it's best to leave it be what it is and build the cabin elsewhere on the property ? My thought would be capitalize on the waterlogged ground ...... I might install a tile system to collect the water in the wet meadow and install a cistern to hold it . Build the cabin below the meadow and ya got gravity fed running water . td25c's crazy random thoughts . LOL !
Maybe so. No decisions until I know more. That'd be the spot with best view. Except for water, it'd be the logical place for it. Willie
In this area we have wet weather springs, similar to what you have described where soil drainage lays in a high field but deep in the ground leaches down to a drainage creek and seeps out for weeks after a rain then usually stops during dry season. Most of those are north of me where there is a abundance of fire clay that holds that water for days to weeks also swells and sags from wet to dry hydraulically.