I have been wondering about this for a few weeks now and thought I would drop by here and ask yall. When they are excavating a new subdivision what do they do with the top soil? After they clear the land, do they stockpile it on site or load it and take it away? How would they strip the top soil, with scrapers, articulated dumper/rock truck (whatever you call it), pile it up in one spot with dozers etc? If they are adding onto a subdivision adding say more 10 houses what would they do with it on limited space? I don't know how they could stockpile it because it would be in the way of the new houses but what if they want to reuse it? Confusing question I know and probably doesn't make much sense to yall but I have just wondered.
We've done them where they screen it and stockpile it on a lot(last build lot)
I would say it would have a lot to do with the value of the topsoil. If you were doing it where I live, I would come in and haul it all away for you for free!!!
Your such a nice gentleman Grandpa! Nice topsoil can be worth an awful lot where it is scarce.
Sometimes, but not often, the developer will write in the scope of work what is to be done with the topsoil. Most of the times, as the estimator, it will be up to my discretion, and developer can either agree, disagree or provide an alternative. Most times, and if you have the room, it gets stockpiled in strategic locations for return after grading. Many times in my exclusions, I state that all excess topsoil is the property of the owner and not my problem other than to stockpile and stabilize it. If the owner doesn't want to deal with excess topsoil, I usually know what amount I'm going to strip, and what amount I'll return. I'll stockpile the amount I need to return, and then strip and haul out in one operation. Sometimes the owner will take the last lot to be developed and sacrifice that lot for a stockpile figuring he can get someone to come in and take it by the time he builds out the remaining lots. For something like 10 lots, I'd just strip it with a D6, or a loader. Anymore than that, I'd bring in a scraper or two. Even though the topsoil around here is very rich, and sometimes lays naturally at 8" to 10" , it can be hard to get rid of. If someone will provide the trucking, we'll load it & sell it for 2.00-4.00 c.y. Or if someone wants it real bad, I'm not above gouging them for it. It's usually like all other dirt, when you got a pile, no one wants it, when you ain't got it, everyone's looking for it. Story of my life.
Awesome explanation exactly what I was wondering. Thank You very much! You say you would strip it with a dozer. How exactly would you do that? Push it all toward that last lot or load and dump, etc?
if'n it be a 10 lot subdivision, and has maybe 900 foot of road terminating in a Cul De Sac, I'll strip the road and try to put the topsoil in 3 or 4 convenient piles close to the road, easy to load out when the time comes. I'm not willing to push dirt with blade more than a couple hundred feet at the most. But, if I don't have any room, I'll strip & load it with a 953 into a Tri Axle & haul it to where I can stockpile it. But the Tri-Axle thing is weather & footing dependent. As far as lot stripping, I'll push it to a property line & put it in a low profile berm, grade it & seal it with a roller for future return. Smaller subdivisions, we can't get away with stripping lots too far ahead of construction, they can lie bare and exposed for only so long before the conservation department will force you to stabilize the bare earth. Larger subdivisions, we'll go in and do a mass strip with scrapers, and while the heavy iron is there, we'll do all our lot cut/fills. We'll leave all our lots low by the amount of basement spoil that will be generated, then lay a 2-4" layer of topsoil back on. When the builder goes in, he just strips 2-4" of topsoil, digs the basement, flips the spoils out into the yard to bring it up to grade, spread the topsoil back on and he's done. The developer never has to truck any basement spoil off the job if it's done right. sorry if I got long winded, I could talk about dirt all night long.
Around here topsoil seems pretty valuable for some folks, usually isn't to big of a problem to get rid of it.
A lot of good black dirt around here got buried under ponds that were over dug as borrow pits for their valuable clay.