Here are some Basic Outline Of Foundation Excavation:
Call 811 Before you dig, To determine the location of the Gas and electric and Water lines.
•Survey and Mark proposed excavation areas with white paint.
•Call before you dig 2 days before you dig.
•Waite required time, to allow the utilities to mark their lines.
•Respect the marks and follow them when digging.
•Dig with Care with in 24 inches of the outside edge of the underground line.
•Choose a route that will not damage valuable plants or appurtenances on the property. Trees, shrubs and other plants may suffer injury or die if their roots are damaged in excavation. Driveways, sidewalks, and structures can collapse if they are undermined.
•Determine the type of soil you will be digging in. Sandy soils, loose stony soils, and wet, mucky material will make excavating a straight, deep ditch difficult and dangerous, so you may have to plan additional measures to complete your project successfully.
•Shoring. This process uses a support structure for your ditch sides so they do not cave in and injure anyone, or undo the digging you have done before the project is complete. Examples may be sheets of plywood with posts to support them for small excavations, or steel trench boxes or sheet piling for very large ones.
•Dewatering. This will remove the excess water from the soil to help stabilize it while working. This can be accomplished either with a well point system or a sock pipe and mudhog type diaphragm pump to remove the water as it seeps into the excavation.
•Benching the excavation. This is the technique for dealing with loose soils illustrated in this article. As the trench is excavated, the sides step down so the banks do not have to support more material than they are capable of.
•Determine the depth the utility or other function of your trench will require. Some plumbing systems are gravity operated, and require a slope so the waste or water will flow unaided to the discharge location. In this situation, you may find the trench will be deeper on one end than the Utilities provided, Be sure to Design the correct slope for the sewer lines, if neede allow in your budget for the Sewer Ejection Pump if the slope does not work out per code.
