Dirt Dogs Excavating recently completed installing a new granite road base access driveway to a shop in Kiowa, Colorado. The property owner had an old, beat up road – about 300 ft. – that was rattling his teeth out when he drove on it and decided enough is enough! Dirt Dogs smoothed out the washboards and potholes and created a new crown to allow water and snowmelt to run off to the sides. We topped it off with two truckloads of granite road base which provides excellent traction especially in snow. The whole project only took one day. Another driveway job done perfectly!
Dirt Dogs Excavating is recently provided road grading services for a non-county maintained road in Douglas County, Colorado. As you can see from this beautiful photo the new road is an excavation work of art and all the local drivers gave us the “thumbs up” as they drove by. This is a 2 mile stretch of gravel that Douglas County DOES NOT maintain. It was a disaster with monstrous potholes and washboards that was rattling hubcaps loose and car doors off the hinges. It took us a solid week of work to sooth out this private road. Then we rolled in a massive number of truckloads filled with 6″ inch granite gravel. Its worth noting that a 2 mile road if NOT maintained could easily fall apart in a year or 2 depending on the traffic and weather. However, if the road is properly maintained it can last 10-20 years! That’s a big difference! Next time you’re rolling through the private backroads of Douglas County you might want to thank old Dirt Dogs for doing great work because your drive is nice and smooth.
Gotta private dirt road you need fixed or maintained? Give your friends here at Dirt Dogs Excavation a quick email or call!
So…there you are – driving down your own stretch of private dirt road on a beautiful sunny day in Colorado when all of a sudden – instead of enjoying that amazing view – you’re getting your teeth rattled out of your head – your coffee spills all over and your lug nuts pop loose on your brand new 4-wheel drive ranch truck. That ain’t no good way to go partner! In fact, it’s completely unacceptable. But…there is hope because that’s when you realize its way past time to give Dirt Dogs Excavating a call. Have no doubt! We are your local road grading experts! Our trusty crew and powerful motorgraders can fix that washed out, washboarded, miserable road so you can get back to riding that road like a king and enjoying your drive again…while drinking your coffee too!
As the photo above shows…its truly a thing of beauty to see a washed out, bumpy, head bangin’ gravel (road base) road made smooth again. And you know who to call don’t you??
When the boys at Dirt Dogs roll in we will take that totally destroyed dirt road and make it look and drive like a brand new road! We pull the dirt and road base back out of those ditches, re-crown the road so the water drains off again, cutout the ruts and fix those horrible washed out areas so once again you can invite your friends and family out to your gentelman’s ranch without the embarrassment and shame of living on such a beat up and destroyed road. Which will make your sweet home sweet home the envy of all your friends and family members. Now who doesn’t want that?!
Our powerful Motorgrader was able to resurrect this road – which was about a mile long – in about 9 hours. We can do roughly a mile a day.
If you’ve got washed out, non-county maintained roads that need professional road grading and expert help – tell your HOA to give us a ring! We can come out once or twice a year and keep that road in shape. Of course, requirements for maintenance on non-county roads like this vary considerably due to factors such as weather and traffic. But we’re flexible. You can contact Dirt Dogs Excavation for a quote any time you need professional road grading for your rural Colorado neighborhood!
Dirt Dogs Excavating provided professional road grading services for a walking trail which is a dirt path in the Castle Rock Gateway Mesa open space trail. The trail offers Colorado locals a great outdoor recreation opportunity to go jogging, bike riding, hiking or even riding horses. Sorry…no motorcycles allowed! While you’re hiking around in the summer you might see red-tailed hawks, various creatures – like rabbits, deer, elk, antelope, bobcats, snakes and lizards – and an assortment of Colorado native flowers. But your main focus will be on the beautifully groomed trail upon which you are gallivanting upon. As you admire that super smooth surface feel free to shout our name out to passers-by that DIRT DOGS made this trail!!! Of course they will applaud and cheer too because this roadbase path is a thing of beauty!
This trail is about a 1/2 a mile of walking paths we installed at the gateway Mesa open space in Castle Rock, Colorado.
For this wide open, scenic tail we installed about 1500 tons of class 6 granite road base to make a 12 foot wide by 6 inch thick walking surface. This trail will also double as a service road for vehicle traffic back to A Cell Tower that hangs over the edge of the Canyon. So if you live in the area you can celebrate the fact that your phone services is largely perfect because we’re helping those Cell Tower techs reach their destination easily.
If you’re in need of an expert road grading and earth moving company we aren’t shy! Just give Dirt Dogs a call and we’ll be happy to build your own trail or path or driveway for you too!
We love road graders and I know you do too! And because Dirt Dogs Excavation lives and breathes the dust of road graders and tractors we thought we should share some of fascinating information about the history of road graders to help expand the appreciation level and love for this incredible invention which is often overlooked.
Global sales of graders is estimated to be $4.27 billion. But the grader business wasn’t always that big. In fact it started out as small spin-off from the horse and buggy business! The photo above shows an example of one of the earliest models – a horse-drawn grader.
Modern road graders are seriously powerful machines used for earth moving, road work and installing driveways so they deserve a little thought and respect. To that end…here’s our short history of road graders.
A Brief History of the Road Grader
The first road grader, also known as a motor grader or simply a grader, was invented in the late 19th century. A guy named Richard Austin in 1885 invented the first grader which he humbly named after himself…the “Austin No. 1 Grader“. (Its shown in the photo up above.) Richard was a blacksmith from Chicago, Illinois, who designed that horse-drawn contraption for the purpose grading and leveling dirt roads. It featured an adjustable blade and a wheeled frame, allowing it to effectively smooth and shape road surfaces.
The Austin No. 1 Grader was considered a significant innovation at the time, providing a more efficient and mechanized method for road construction and maintenance. It provided the overall “grader-blade” concept and laid the foundation for subsequent advancements in road grading technology.
Graders have undergone significant improvements and have transitioned from being horse-drawn to being powered by engines. Thus the “motor grader” was born.
The 1920s and 1930s saw significant improvements in motor grader technology. Companies such as Caterpillar, Allis-Chalmers, and Galion began producing motor graders with internal combustion engines, which greatly enhanced their performance and versatility. During this period, road graders gained popularity and were increasingly used in road construction projects.
During WWII road graders helped us win the war!
During World War II, road graders played a crucial role in military operations and infrastructure development. Here are a few ways road graders were used during that time:
Construction and Maintenance of Airfields: Road graders were extensively used in the construction and maintenance of airfields for military aircraft. They helped prepare the ground by leveling and grading the terrain, removing obstructions, and compacting the soil to create smooth and functional runways.
Road Construction and Repair: Road graders were employed to construct and repair roads and highways in various theaters of war. They helped in clearing debris, filling in potholes, and grading roads to facilitate the movement of military vehicles, equipment, and supplies. Road graders were vital in ensuring that transportation routes remained accessible and reliable for troops and logistics.
Construction of Temporary Camps and Bases: Road graders were used in the construction of temporary military camps, bases, and depots. They helped prepare the sites by leveling the ground, grading areas for tents and structures, and creating access roads and parking areas.
Field Engineering: Road graders were utilized by military engineers for various field engineering tasks. They assisted in creating defensive positions, leveling ground for installations such as artillery emplacements and anti-aircraft gun sites, and constructing temporary bridges and crossings.
Supply Line Maintenance: Road graders played a role in maintaining supply lines by repairing and improving roads and routes used for transporting troops, equipment, and supplies. They helped keep the roads in operational condition, ensuring efficient logistics and communication throughout the war.
Yes indeed, road graders have quite a remarkable history!
Just a couple other factoids…
Caterpillar Inc. is an American corporation that’s famous worldwide for its construction vehicles – and it’s currently the world’s leading motor grader manufacturer. It also makes the largest grader in the world…the CAT 24.
– fuel tank capacity of 240 gallons
– 54 ft
– 151,000 lbs
You might also enjoy watching the video below about the 10 largest motor graders in the world.
If you need help with your dirt road or driveway or any kind of earth moving project in Colorado – keep us in mind! Dirt Dogs Excavation has their own road grader (below) for excavating work as well as smoothing out dirt roads and driveways all across the Front Range of Colorado.
Dirt Dogs can handle any kind of earth moving and grading project. Recently we took this worn-out school track surface and restored it to the original old school scoria footing. Scoria is a volcanic rock/sand like product that the old running tracks used to be made of. They still use scoria on warning tracks in professional baseball fields too.
We enjoyed working at a school and making grading this running track so it was perfectly smooth and level. Dirt Dogs hates to brag but you’ll be hard pressed to find a prettier running track than the one we just finished!
After the job was done we took our whole crew and did a footrace around the track 4 times to see if we could break the 4 minute mile – like in our younger days. Unfortunately we’ve slowed down quite a bit due to our preference to ride around all day in tractors and trucks instead of running around like a bunch of kids.
Bottom line. If your school needs some earth moved and graded for a football field, baseball field, parking lot or track surface – just give us a call! We’ll do such a great job that you’ll want to give us an A+ when we’re done!
Dirt Dogs Excavating recently completed preparation and expert grading work for a commercial parking lot in Parker, Colorado. This parking lot runs around 7,000 sq ft. and needed a fine touch to grade the surface smoothly and perfectly around the whole area and right up to the curbs and walls. If you study this photo closely you’ll notice that this parking lot is picture perfect example on how to properly prepare a parking lot for a hot asphalt mix that will soon be laid over the top. While many people don’t think much about parking lots – we do! A parking lot that funnels rain into a building can spell disaster for the property owner. When we road grade a driveway or parking lot Dirt Dogs makes sure that any run off from snow melt or rain will drain smoothly away from the building. And we try to ensure a super-smooth surface that people will appreciate even though they probably won’t write a book about their parking lot experience.
So in conclusion, Dirt Dogs is an expert in driveways and parking lots and the road grading machines that we operate daily. If you need a new parking lot or driveway – get in touch and we’ll help you out.
We hate to brag but yes…those are some beautiful parking lot photos!
For extra credit reading we’ve included this valuable information for people curious about parking lots…
Why are Parking Lots Important?
First of all…imagine if DIA didn’t have a parking lot. Yep. DIA is miserable as it is but with no parking lot it would be way worse! Enough said. Parking lots are VERY important!
So…back to the question – why are parking lots important?
Convenience: Parking lots provide a convenient place for people to park their vehicles when they need to visit a particular location. Without parking lots, people would have to park on the street or out in the weeds which can be inconvenient and sometimes unsafe.
Accessibility: If people couldn’t park by your business then you probably wouldn’t have any business. So parking lots are a great way to bring customers in – nice and close – so they can shop and splurge on whatever you’ve got to sell to them. Importantly, parking lots make it easier for people with disabilities or mobility issues to access buildings and businesses. Many parking lots have designated spaces for people with disabilities, which are closer to the building entrance and have wider spaces for wheelchair access.
Revenue generation: If you own a chunk of land in downtown Denver you could get rich off your parking lot by scalping high prices off folks. So, in those cases, parking lots can be a source of revenue for businesses or municipalities that own them by charging exorbitant fees for parking, which generate income. Now, if you’re in Parker or Elizabeth, Colorado nobody is going pay money to park so you can forget about this concept unless you start seeing skyscrapers popping up everywhere.
Traffic management: A good parking lot is well marked with lines that help people figure out how to park in a nice orderly manner. Parking lots can help manage traffic flow in busy areas. By providing designated parking areas, drivers can avoid congestion on the roads and reduce the risk of accidents. Most of all people like seeing a parking lot so they know where they’re supposed to park.
Safety: Parking lots can be designed with safety features such as lighting, security cameras, and emergency call boxes. This can make people feel safer when parking their vehicles and walking to their destination. Some parking lots in China have special surveillance technology too spy on their people but out in Parker and Elizabeth, CO we aren’t that crazy so we just like our parking lots to be a safe place to come and go.Overall, when parking lots are installed properly they provide convenience, accessibility, and safety for people who need to park their vehicles near your business. And Dirt Dogs Excavation is the best company to call when you need a new parking lot.
This is what happens when you have a poorly designed parking lot….
If you’ve made it this far…then you’ve probably had this question…
When was the first parking lot invented?
According to parking lot historians…the first known multi-story parking lot which was in fact a commercial parking garage was built in 1918 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. However, the concept of parking areas for vehicles dates back much earlier. Not quite to the Stone Age because no one needed to park back then. Pay attention now…in fact, the first public parking lot in the United States was created in 1904 in Boston, Massachusetts. It was a simple dirt lot that charged five cents per hour for parking. Prior to that, people would park their horses and carriages in designated areas, but the concept of a parking lot specifically designed for automobiles was a new invention back then. If that inventor had patented his idea and took a dollar for every parking lot ever created he would be…. dead…That’s right. Because no matter how rich you get you can still only live so long. OK…class is over. Thanks for paying attention!
Dirt Dogs is here to help you get the best parking lot or driveway or earth moved however you need AND sometimes we even educate along the way! But we all know you can’t teach an old dog new tricks so if you’re one of those old dogs…you’ll probably forget about everything you just read here. No matter. Have a great day – but don’t forget about Dirt Dogs Excavation and give us a call when you need earth moving expertise.
Need a new driveway? Dirtdogs Excavation is your driveway expert across the entire front range of Colorado! For example, we just installed a beautiful recycled concrete road base driveway on a super nice rural property in Parker, CO. This gorgeous driveway is about 700ft. long – about normal in this area where coyotes roam and horses and land are still abundant. We know how to prepare any driveway for proper drainage from snow and rain plus we can also improve, repair and fix existing driveways so if you need help with a new or existing driveway … give Dirt Dogs a ring!
Got a long driveway? Dirt Dogs Excavation can help you! We just finished installing a 1300 ft long crushed brick driveway for a really nice home in scenic Larkspur, Colorado. Larkspur is a beautiful town in Douglas County with some high-end ranches and properties that have extra-long driveways. We soothed out the drive way and graded it so water can drain off to the side easily. We were able to complete this job in just 3 days thanks to our great crew and our big league road grader.
If you have your own a driveway (large or small) that needs some TLC – we can help keep you too. Just give us a ring!
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!
