Trackhoe over the bank

[s219]

Saw this when coming back into my creek from fishing the other day. When we went out earlier in the day I saw a young guy running the machine and knocking down trees, then getting out to cut the rootball with a saw, all by himself, and was impressed. Hope he didn't get in trouble with the boss after this. I haven't had a chance to go back and see if they got it out yet, but I'm thinking they may have an easier time getting a barge in there and driving down! All very soft sand, and of course we have been getting hammered with rain starting that night.

 

[GAFarmer2]

Now that is NOT good. Hopefully everyone was OK. I've seen that kind of thing happen way too many times before. You never put heavy equipment near a bank...period. I'm sorry, it's just too dangerous!

 

[RSKY]

I grew up on a farm that had a small river as the west boundary. One of the worst meltdowns my Dad ever had was when I got too close to the 5-10' drop-off down to the river bed while mowing around the edge of the field. I can still hear him today, "Boy, you NEVER put any machinery ANYWHERE near a river or creek bank! Are you wanting to mess the tractor up when it falls in?"

The fact that it would have probably killed me was never mentioned.

Strange how fifty year ago memories can pop into your mind. Guess I'm getting old.

RSKY

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I don't get too close to my little creek, because the creek undermines the bank in some areas.

 

[3930dave]

It happens, even on large supervised sites.

This one was a subway excavation in Toronto, a few years back:

Drilling rig collapse kills 1 at Toronto's York University - Toronto - CBC News

Pic doesn't really give you the scale, IIRC the machine that fell over was a large Liebherr (sp?); modern enough that all the operating data was analyzed almost immediately in Germany via telemetry. The fatality was a bobcat operator; its roll-cage is obviously not designed to withstand that much weight landing on it.

A fencing contractor I know had been on that site working not long before that accident. After driving posts, he felt the soil conditions were pretty sketchy, but didn't say anything - he figured the white-hats wouldn't spend much time listening to someone with calloused hands....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Saw this when coming back into my creek from fishing the other day. When we went out earlier in the day I saw a young guy running the machine and knocking down trees, then getting out to cut the rootball with a saw, all by himself, and was impressed. Hope he didn't get in trouble with the boss after this. I haven't had a chance to go back and see if they got it out yet, but I'm thinking they may have an easier time getting a barge in there and driving down! All very soft sand, and of course we have been getting hammered with rain starting that night.

View attachment 518320 View attachment 518319

^ another vote for the barge option.

Rgds, D.

 

[LD1]

Looks like the trees that "we're" there played a vital role in bank integrity. But someone was greedy and wanted a better view of the river.

 

[lexluther]

Seems like he can dig himself out easy, what am i missing?

 

[oosik]

I was just wondering what he was doing that far over the bank. Being devious of mind, my first thought - do you have public sewer there. I wonder if he was trenching a sewerage discharge line out into the little creek. Whatever he was doing - he was surely doing it bass-ackwards.

 

[Wagtail]

Looks like the trees that "we're" there played a vital role in bank integrity. But someone was greedy and wanted a better view of the river.

My thoughts exactly (although , I would have used "were" instead of the "we are" contraction). He, or the significant other, wanted a better view and decided to eliminate those pesky trees. 'Sucks to be him' comes to mind.

On the upside, once the trackhoe is extricated, he'll have a gentler slope to reach his soon-to-be built boathouse/dock/sundeck.

 

[LD1]

My thoughts exactly (although , I would have used "were" instead of the "we are" contraction). He, or the significant other, wanted a better view and decided to eliminate those pesky trees. 'Sucks to be him' comes to mind.

On the upside, once the trackhoe is extricated, he'll have a gentler slope to reach his soon-to-be built boathouse/dock/sundeck.

Good catch. New phone and it seems I have to reprogram the auto correct. At first, I thought there was no way autocorrect would change were to we're....but sure enough:mur:

 

[LD1]

Seems like he can dig himself out easy, what am i missing?

No, I think that is a good operator right there to make the decision to park it.

No telling how far back the bank integrity is compromised by ripping out stumps.

Sure the machine has the hydraulics power to drag himself out.....but will the ground hold??? Or will it give way and put him in deeper.

Plus it probably ain't good running on that angle. Probably starving the engine oil pump.

Knowing when to park it and get help vs attempting to be a hero is a sign of experience.

I was just wondering what he was doing that far over the bank. Being devious of mind, my first thought - do you have public sewer there. I wonder if he was trenching a sewerage discharge line out into the little creek. Whatever he was doing - he was surely doing it bass-ackwards.

Looks like he wasn't real close to the bank. Looks like he was clearing trees at the bank edge and probably parked back a ways reaching out to the bank.

The combination of trying to pull and lift on trees stumps....equal and opposite reaction and all.....he was putting alot off downward and forward (toward the edge) force on the tracks. Looks like he collapsed in one heck of a chunk of the bank.

From how he was positioned when working, I would assume he managed to swing 180* and make a futile attempt at pulling himself out before he realized he needed more than he had and set the bucket to anchor himself and parked it.

 

[Wagtail]

Good catch. New phone and it seems I have to reprogram the auto correct. At first, I thought there was no way autocorrect would change were to we're....but sure enough:mur:

Just be thankful that Steve <smstonypoint> didn't catch you for that grammatical faux pas or he would have written you up for a violation. :cop:

 

[s219]

Looks like the trees that "we're" there played a vital role in bank integrity. But someone was greedy and wanted a better view of the river.

This was one of the river properties that had enough erosion and instability that the county granted them permission to cut back and re-grade the bank. It's sort of a game for people with money, because it's the only way to get a better view *but* it's very expensive. They have to cut the bank back at a 2:1 slope, then armor the shoreline with rip-rap, then mulch everything and put in plantings (with a bond until they have grown in). It costs about $50K-100K to do from what I am told. It actually looks pretty awful when done, as it's un-natural, but it's a net gain for the environment in terms of erosion and sedimentation into the waterway, so it's allowed in these cases.

I looked with my binoculars last night and the machine is gone, so it looks like they got it out, or maybe high tide solved the problem!

These banks are very interesting -- they are really only held together by a layer of topsoil, mulch, and tree roots. Once you dig through the topsoil it's loose sand. I had to put stairs down a similar bank on my property (ours is stable and covered with trees/vegetation, and I like it that way). Once I busted through that root layer the shovel practically dug the post holes by itself. I was very careful to not do anything to undermine the rest of the bank. Many folks are not so careful or they don't care if it causes problems. Otters and muskrats can also take out a bank.

 

[EddieWalker]

Glad to hear they got it out of there. I've had my backhoe stuck like that at the edge of the pond and it was terrifying feeling it sink towards the water when trying to dig myself out. Fortunately I have a dozer that I was able to get close enough to hook my bucket over the blade and pull it out. I'll never take that chance again!!!!

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I would like to know where is the silt fence protecting the waterway ??? That's an EPA fine waiting to happen...

 

[s219]

I would like to know where is the silt fence protecting the waterway ??? That's an EPA fine waiting to happen...

I thought the same thing, and I could see a fence rolled up on the bank. There was already a good cloud of silt in the water when we went by.

 

[coldsteelva]

Silt fence...meh....think of the fine if he got that diesel-fueled, hydraulic fluid-laden, greased pig into the waterway. I would think that some type of clover or vine would be better than planting trees and grasses for rapidly locking down the slope and preventing erosion.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

He had a small crawler above the trackhoe. The problem is nothing to rig to, but if he can get a cable long enough and a pass block he could haul it right out. He can't do much digging without tipping it over backwards. His counterweight is all downhill. His best bet is just to call a tow truck. I had a moron driver tip a fully loaded concrete truck over in a 4' deep ditch once. The tow truck driver just started pulling out pass blocks, set some monstrous wheel chocks, and hauled him right out.