Category: Excavation

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Woodland Park Excavation into Granite Rock

Dirt Dogs Excavating recently excavated a 45’x80′ shop pad which was cut out of granite rock north of Woodland Park, CO. Did we mention this was SOILD ROCK? Similar to the Red Rock formations that are common across the front range of Colorado. To help chop out the rock we brought in a heavy duty excavator – and it had to work hard to get this done. Our front loader would move the rock debris to create the shop pad. Overall this excavation project too about 4 days.

Got a hard project that needs the best excavating team in Colorado? Give Dirt Dogs Excavating a call and we’ll take care of you!

 

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Foundation Excavation – Monolithic Pour – Parker, CO

Dirt Dogs Excavating recently finished an excavation project for a foundation using a technique that is called a “monolithic pour” in Parker, CO for a small art building. Monolithic refers to something that is formed or made as a single, continuous piece without joints or seams. This type of foundation relies upon our excavating accuracy since there are no forms involved for the foundation walls. The dirt must be dug to a precise width and depth and the soil acts as the form or mold. There is a 45° chamfer that is also excavated out of the soil to thicken the slab as it makes the turn down into the foundation wall.

The building pad was built first, the underground plumbing and water went in next and backfilled then the foundation wall was excavated. There will be 2 inches of foam insulation that is laid between the dirt and the concrete slab.

The photo below shows the insulation being installed on the chamfer edge of the concrete slab. The entire flat surface will also have insulation.

What are the benefits of Monolithic pour for a foundation?

A monolithic pour offers several benefits during foundation excavation and construction:

1. Time Efficiency

  • Combining the footing and slab into a single pour saves significant time compared to doing them separately. This reduces labor costs and project timelines.

2. Cost Savings

  • A monolithic pour minimizes the need for multiple setups, inspections, and equipment mobilization, resulting in lower overall construction costs.

3. Structural Integrity

  • A monolithic pour creates a seamless and continuous structure, reducing the likelihood of joints or seams that could weaken over time. This helps prevent cracking and ensures a more stable foundation.

4. Improved Load Distribution

  • The unified pour enhances the ability of the foundation to distribute loads evenly across the structure, which is particularly beneficial for preventing settling in areas with variable soil conditions.

5. Reduced Risk of Moisture Issues

  • The absence of cold joints (which are common when pouring footings and slabs separately) minimizes potential points for water intrusion, improving the moisture resistance of the foundation.

6. Faster Construction

  • Builders can proceed with framing and other construction activities more quickly, as there is no waiting time for separate concrete sections to cure.

7. Lower Risk of Errors

  • With one continuous pour, there’s less room for alignment issues between the footing and slab, ensuring the structure meets design specifications.

8. Suitability for Certain Soil Types

  • Monolithic pours work particularly well in stable soil conditions where the risk of significant soil movement or settling is minimal.

While monolithic pours are advantageous in many scenarios, they may not be ideal for all projects, especially in areas with expansive or unstable soils. Proper site preparation and consultation with a structural engineer are crucial to determining the suitability of this method for a specific project.

Whatever foundation or excavation work you need, we invite you to contact Dirt Dogs Excavating when you need the job done right!

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Backfilling a house in Parker, CO

A while back Dirt Dogs Excavating  provided excavation services for the foundation of large, new home in Parker, CO.  Then, after the foundation was poured we came back and provided earth moving services in order to backfill an 8,800 sq. ft. house in the Timbers neighborhood in Parker, CO. Because of the size of his home it took us about 3 days to do the excavation and another 3 days to finish the backfill work. Our backfill is gradually sloped in a way to move water away from the home and its foundation. We’ll come back again after the home is almost finished and install a new driveway.

What is Backfilling?

Backfilling is the process of filling in the excavated area around a foundation or structure. The backfill material can be anything from soil to gravel and is usually compacted to provide support and stability. Backfill can also be used to insulate foundations or improve drainage.

Dirt Dogs Excavating are your backfill experts! If you need earth moving service or backfilling for your new home in Colorado we invite you to give us a call! Or email us through our Quote form.

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Installing a cul-de-sac for Douglas County in Larkspur, CO

Dirt Dogs Excavating recently finished installing a brand new cul-de-sac in Larkspur, Colorado in the beautiful Perry Park neighborhood. Douglas County required the old dead end road be rebuilt to provide emergency vehicles (like fire trucks) with the ability to easily turn around.

Once Dirt Dogs was provided with the engineering drawings and specifications we went to work moving earth and doing the necessary excavation work. In some spots we had to move over 18 feet of dirt.

This cul-de-sac has a 90 foot radius and took about a month of work to do. (There was another month taken up by the surveyors and engineers who had to haggle over their drawings.)

Outside of the engineering plans and surveying we handled the whole project: removing trees and vegetation, building the cul-de-sac to the exact elevation needed, excavating for drainage, installing erosion control and seeding plus the final step which was installing the asphalt road.

If your Colorado cul-de-sac or driveway is in need of repairs, fixes or an upgrade we invite you to give Dirt Dogs Excavating a call! Or email us through our Quote form.

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Baseball Outfield in Parker, CO gets Top Dress

Dirt Dogs Excavating love baseball and working on baseball fields. Parker, Colorado has their own “Field of Dreams” which is an amazing baseball and recreational facility called “The Farm” built by Dale LeMonds – a former professional baseball player and coach.  Dirt Dogs has been working hard on making this baseball field a perfect place to play baseball safely. We recently spent about 5 weeks perfecting the top dressing of the outfield on this incredible baseball field in Parker, CO. We’re going to swoop back in and reseed it with fescue grass once the weather warms up.

In excavation, “top dress” refers to the process of adding a thin layer of material, such as soil or gravel, to the surface of an area that has been excavated or graded. This layer is typically applied to achieve a smooth and level surface, improve drainage, or provide a suitable base for landscaping, paving, or other surface finishes.

Here are a few scenarios where top dressing might be used in excavation projects:

  1. Leveling and Smoothing: After excavating an area, particularly for landscaping or construction purposes, top dressing can be used to create a flat and even surface. This is often necessary to prepare the area for laying sod, planting grass, or installing pavement.
  2. Surface Protection: In areas prone to erosion or compaction, top dressing with a layer of soil or gravel can help protect the underlying soil and prevent damage from foot traffic, machinery, or weather conditions.
  3. Improving Drainage: Top dressing with a well-draining material like gravel or coarse sand can help improve surface drainage in areas where water tends to pool or accumulate. This can be especially important for preventing water damage to structures or landscaping features.
  4. Enhancing Aesthetics: Top dressing can also be used to enhance the appearance of an excavated area, particularly in landscaping projects. Adding a layer of rich topsoil or decorative gravel can give the area a finished look and complement surrounding features.

Overall, top dressing is a versatile technique Dirt Dogs Excavation uses in excavation projects like this to achieve specific grading, drainage, or aesthetic goals, and it plays an essential role in preparing the ground for further construction or landscaping work.

If your recreation park or baseball field needs a little TLC  contact Dirt Dogs for a quote and we’ll knock it out of the park!

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Erosion Control in Parker, Colorado

The summer of 2023 brought in record rains throughout the front range of Colorado. The good news is there was no drought. The bad news was many roads and buildings got washed out, damaged and flooded. Dirt Dogs Excavation recently came to the rescue of a local business in Parker, Colorado by installing a total flood control system to included: ditch excavation, concrete work, granite rip rap, seeding and matting.

The drama started when a commercial building (Christian Brothers Automotive) in Parker, Colorado got flooded by rain coming down an embankment and overflowing a small ditch that was unable to handle the runoff. That runoff was entered the bay doors causing serious damage.

A local engineering company came up with the calculations and drawings of how the project needed to be built. Dirt Dogs brought those drawings to life!

First, we excavated a 1×1 foot ditch and converted it into a 3×3 foot ditch while making room for concrete work that would divert water runoff down our ditch which was lined with granite riprap. The Concrete work was about 60ft long by 3ft tall. It included  new trough which would funnel water through a concrete trough and safely move it away from the building on into a ditch lined with rip rap. The rip rap runoff area was about 100ft log and dumps into a drainage area capable of handling the excess water. Following the ditch excavation, concrete work and installation of the rip rap we drill seeded the area and covered the seed with erosion control matting.

We drill seeded all the Disturbed areas and then covered with the matting.  Only the good Lord knows when we’ll see another super-rainy summer again but when it comes – they’ll be safe from those floods thanks to the Dirt Dogs crew!

If you need help with your culvert or ditch or driveway or road grading or anything else that need earth moving experts. We invite you to contact us!

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Culverts for Drainage Control

Dirt Dogs Excavation are your drainage control experts. For example, we’re currently working on a large  drainage control project which requires a culvert (drainage pipe) that runs about 360 ft and will carry water runoff under a residential driveway that’s in the middle.  In the photo you can see the 24″ culvert pipe we are installing on a job in Parker, CO for drainage control. In case you’re curious, this property is right on the border of Douglas County and Parker. The whole project starts with math…where we calculate the rise and run so the pipe is laid properly and water will drain perfectly from point A to point B. After digging the ditch our guys lay the pipe and we’ll fill and compact the earth over it all.  Yes, there’s a good bit of work and expertise involved but we’re pros when it comes to this stuff. So if you need a culvert put in to help with your water drainage issues…give us a ring!
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Foundation Excavation in Kiowa

This is a foundation excavation project Dirt Dogs did for a commercial building in Kiowa, CO. This building will be an 80-foot by 80 ft structure. Notice how nice a straight the sides and the floor are? Yep! We know what we’re doing. We are experts at building foundation excavation for commercial buildings, homes and barns. If you need dirt moved – we know how to help you! On this project we’ll be back after the concrete is poured to back-fill and take care of any landscaping and drainage issues.
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Dirt Dogs Grading the Top of the Dam at Hess Reservoir

Dirt Dogs Excavation is dam proud of this job… grading the top of the Hess reservoir in Parker, CO.  If you were in that area recently you would have seen our road grader looking more like an ant than a large piece of machinery.  We were busy for the last few days adding road base to a 7000 ft. stretch at the top of the reservoir. This work helps keep the reservoir in tip-top-shape in time for the approaching winter. If you have your own reservoir – or maybe a small pond on your ranch we can help keep it in good shape too. Just give us a ring!

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Retaining Wall Excavation for Bonnie Blue’s in Parker, CO

Bonnie Blue’s wedding venue in Parker, Colorado is enlarging their amazing wedding and event facility with a new build and adding 3 new stone retaining walls all with the help of Dirt Dogs Excavation services.  In the photo you can see the rough excavation for the building pad of their new event center. Up on the side of the hill you can see a brave Dirt Dog cutting in to make room for the new retaining walls. which require a level and smooth service to do the job right. After they’re done with the retaining wall excavation they’ll come back down and laser level the building pad. All this work will be done perfectly (as usual) in and take about 2 days.

Need some serious excavation done right? Give Dirt Dogs a call!