In general, mass excavation is the removal of large amounts of materials using big machines over an extended period of time and within a deadline. How much material? How big of machines? How long of a time? There is no hard definition of mass excavation and the answers to those questions are at least partly dependent on the size of the contractor who’s asking them.

“Mass excavation may be as little as 1,000 cubic yards to 100,000 or a million yards or more,” says Michael Boyle, product consultant of excavators with John Deere and Hitachi.

The overall strength and performance of a pavement is dependent not only upon its design (including both mix design and structural design) but also on the load-bearing capacity of the subgrade soil. Thus, anything that can be done to increase the load-bearing capacity (or structural support) of the subgrade soil will most likely improve the pavement load-bearing capacity and thus, pavement strength and performance.

Additionally, greater subgrade structural capacity can result in thinner (but not excessively thin) and more economical pavement structures.

Finally, the finished subgrade should meet elevations, grades and slopes specified in the contract plans.

Achieving finish grades is typically made possible by finish grade stakes placed by the surveyor. On the stake will be a cut or fill notation and an indicator showing where the final grade should be, allowing the contractor to subtract the depth of the pavement material to acquire top of aggregate base elevation.

The amount and location of the stakes required is typically a function the installing contractors preference as to what helps him complete the work most efficiently and accurately. Perimeter stakes are typically sufficient for smaller areas.

Larger areas with lots of slopes, drainage structures, and high/low points will require intermediary ‘temporary’ stakes.

Demolition and excavating is an essential step of any large-scale construction project.

Demolition involves the tearing-down of buildings and other structures. Demolition methods can vary depending on the area where it will be executed, the building material, the purpose of the demolition and the way that debris is going to be disposed or recycled. Some of the most commonly used methods for demolition of structures are:

• Wrecking Ball
• Deliberate Collapse
• Wire Rope Pulling
• Explosion
• Implosion
• Grapples and Shears

Our complete package of land clearing services include, but are not limited to:

• Clearing and grubbing
• Clear cutting
• Tree stump removal
• Horizontal grinding
• Structural demolition

Temporary construction erosion and sediment control limits the amount of sediment that is carried into lakes, streams and rivers by storm water runoff. Sediment carries nutrients and pollutants that degrade water resources and harm aquatic wildlife.

Proper planning of construction site activities greatly reduces the impact of soil disturbance activities on nearby resources and diminishes the need for costly restorations. A construction plan that limits sediment disturbance in potential problem areas and uses effective temporary sediment control practices will lessen negative impacts to local water resources and natural areas.

Construction surveying or building surveying (otherwise known as “staking”, “stake-out”, “lay-out”, “setting-out” or “BS”) is to stake out reference points and markers that will guide the construction of new structures such as roads or buildings.

These markers are usually staked out according to a suitable coordinate system selected for the project.

Using heavy equipment to saturate the dirt (moisture conditioning) beyond optimum moisture content. This process is one of the many recommended by the Geotech Engineers in the North Texas area. The intent is to swell the dirt with water, usually 2% – 6% above the optimum moisture of the soil, so it can not absorb any more water.

It swells the material initially, so that later when water is introduced through rain or other means, the dirt can not take on any more, and is not absorbed into the soil.

This prevents the dirt from swelling which generates upward pressure on the concrete slab, walls and plumbing, causing it to crack or rise.