Excavating and Grading Articles
November 11, 2026 | Matt
Pond Spillway Design and Construction
A field guide to pond spillways: principal and emergency spillway design, NRCS design storm and freeboard criteria, earth spillway geometry, and the details that keep a dam from overtopping.
November 09, 2026 | Matt
Water Main Pressure Testing and Disinfection
A new water main has to hold pressure and sample clean before it goes into service, and both gates depend on restraint, air removal, controlled chlorination, real flushing, and a leakage number that is measured rather than assumed.
November 05, 2026 | Matt
Preparing a Site for a Manufactured Home
A manufactured home needs a level, drained, load-rated pad and reliable access; here is the site work that must be right, and tested, before the home rolls in.
November 04, 2026 | Matt
Installing a Precast Manhole
A field guide to precast manhole installation: bedding that carries the load, plumb risers, gasketed joints and pipe connections, frame and cover to finished grade, even backfill, and the vacuum test that catches a leak before backfill.
November 03, 2026 | Matt
Subgrade, Subbase, and Base Course
Subgrade, subbase, and base course are three different pavement layers with three different jobs; here is what each does, what it must be built from, and how to check it before paving.
November 02, 2026 | Matt
Intelligent Compaction
A contractor's guide to intelligent compaction: what an IC roller actually measures, why ICMV is not density, how test strips set targets, and where the technology fails.
November 01, 2026 | Matt
Earthwork Sequencing
Site work follows a fixed order for a reason: erosion controls, clearing, stripping, mass cut and fill, utilities, rough grade, and stabilization, and skipping a step is what turns a dirt job into rework.
October 31, 2026 | Matt
Installing a Footing Drain
A footing drain is buried before anyone can see it, so the details that matter are code minimums, washed stone, pipe slope, and a verified outlet.
October 27, 2026 | Matt
How Thick Should Compaction Lifts Be?
How thick compaction lifts should be: the 8-inch specification standard, lift thickness by compactor and soil type, moisture limits, and why over-thick lifts pass testing and still settle.
October 24, 2026 | Matt
Sheet Piling for Deep Excavations
A practical guide to sheet pile walls: how steel sheets support deep cuts, cut off groundwater, and what OSHA requires before the first pile is driven.
October 22, 2026 | Matt
Why a Pond Won't Hold Water
A practical guide to fixing a leaking pond: measuring real water loss, finding the leak, testing the soil, and choosing between compaction, a clay blanket, bentonite, and a synthetic liner.
October 19, 2026 | Matt
Frost Depth and Footing Excavation
Frost depth drives footing elevation, spoil handling, and winter protection, and the code rules plus soil conditions decide how deep the trench has to go.
