ponytug
Super Member
You are a wizard with that TV620B. That looks great.
All the best,
Peter
All the best,
Peter
Building Lake Corona
- Thread starter jk96
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BackRoad
Veteran Member
Mr. JK, what are the details on your process?
Are you lifting, moving and dropping buckets of clay to where you need it, or are you pushing it from the source like a dozer to cover the areas needed?
Are you lifting, moving and dropping buckets of clay to where you need it, or are you pushing it from the source like a dozer to cover the areas needed?
For the pond basin mostly pushing like a dozer. I'm pushing new cuts downhill from the source. On the new cuts of hardpack clay I have to be carefull because this machine will continue to push and roll it right up to the windshield. I'm probably pushing 2.5 to 3 yards downhill at a pass. Once I get a few good piles of loose material I'm again dozing for the most part but I'm able to move 4+ yards at a time pushing the loose stuff.
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Still getting a feel for this machine but I'm really impressed so far. It is amazing for grading. I think the longer 74" track length and huge amount of weight at 16,800 lbs are key to that. Once you set your blade and start pushing it holds true. It doesnt matter how much dirt is in the bucket or how hard the material pack is, the bucket doesn't pull down like other CTLs I've ran requiring adjustments. I would like a few more hp working the hills. This one is 114 and feel like 130 would suit it better. It doesn't struggle but it is slower uphill than my TV450. When you add 1.5 yards of met mucky clay like I had cleaning out the pond thats 21,000 pounds fighting gravity.
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4570Man
Super Star Member
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- Tractor
- Kubota M59, Kubota L3800, Grasshopper 428D, Topkick dump truck, 3500 dump truck, 10 ton trailer, more lighter trailers.
I think a track CTL will compact material better than you give it credit for. If you put it down in 4-6” lifts and track it down with the right moisture you can make a tight pad. I’ve done pads that way that a loaded dump truck barely leaves a mark on.
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
I disagree. A tracked vehicle is designed to have a little weight as possible under it. The tracks spread the weight so the machine will not sink in and have more contact with the soil to increase traction.
The easiest way to prove this is to drive over an area of soil that has been spread with a tracked vehicle and see how far the tires sink. Even a pickup truck will sink in that soil.
Sadly, there are a lot of homes built by spreading the soil with a tracked skid steer that develop foundation problems over time. It might even be the number one reason for foundation problems in houses.
Even with a vibratory roller, or sheepsfoot roller, and the proper moisture, it is still very hard to get proper compaction to pass an inspection.
bindian
Super Member
I agree with Eddie. I can run over ground with my CAT excavator to help smooth out wet muck that the tractor just leaves ruts in. I step in it and my foot sinks deeper than the track did.
Pixguy
Super Star Member
Thanks for the updates jk. Many of us have followed you from the start.
ponytug
Super Member
In many areas, the local DoT suggests / requires sheep's foot vibratory rollers to get enough compaction in clay substrates. Most of the weight of the roller is on a single foot in sequence. Even then, for road uses, sometimes lime is mixed in and compacted to make a stronger, cement like road base.
I think that clay is tough to compact as it tends slip on itself, reducing the effect of compaction.
I'm with @EddieWalker on tracked vehicles not being great at compaction. I have done the math on the actual surface pressure for a couple machines and it was quite low, which I think is the intention; I think that an easily bogged piece of earth moving equipment is not very useful on most construction sites.
All the best,
Peter
I think that clay is tough to compact as it tends slip on itself, reducing the effect of compaction.
I'm with @EddieWalker on tracked vehicles not being great at compaction. I have done the math on the actual surface pressure for a couple machines and it was quite low, which I think is the intention; I think that an easily bogged piece of earth moving equipment is not very useful on most construction sites.
All the best,
Peter
It will and I haven't commented on it because there are people that will go to their grave saying a CTL is horrible so normally I skip the argument on that one. It depends on how it is done. Larger lifts yes it's no good. Take this machine and load the bucket full shifting the weight forward and in smaller lifts as you suggest it will pack well. I put up a building last year and had about 18" of fill for the pad. Only used the ctl to compact the dirt. You could barely drive rebar into when I was done. I am still going to run a padfoot roller on this project.
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Welcome. It may still be a failure in the end but thought I woukd take one more stab at fixing it.
4570Man
Super Star Member
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- Kubota M59, Kubota L3800, Grasshopper 428D, Topkick dump truck, 3500 dump truck, 10 ton trailer, more lighter trailers.
If you do even a half way job tracking it in and spreading in lifts a pickup isn’t sinking in. This track was made by a loaded dump truck and that dirt was packed using my described method. Would it pass a nuclear compaction test? Idk maybe not but I’m not building a skyscraper on top. The vast majority of pond and lake dams in the entire world were just tracked down with dozers. Vibratory rollers are pretty new to the construction industry. They had non vibration rollers but that wasn’t very common.
dodge man
Super Star Member
I worked for a civil engineering firm and did compaction testing over the years starting in 1984. Vibratory rollers new? I guess that’s a matter of perspective but they had them in 1984.
4570Man
Super Star Member
- Joined
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- Messages
- 19,006
- Location
- Crossville, TN
- Tractor
- Kubota M59, Kubota L3800, Grasshopper 428D, Topkick dump truck, 3500 dump truck, 10 ton trailer, more lighter trailers.
What percentage of dams in the country were built prior to 1984 or even 1960 vs after?
Removed most of the growth on the dam and spread a layer of clay on it today. I was able to track it in pretty well. I will say it's a hell of a ride if you back up too far and too fast at the top of the dam. I need to pick up a 45 degree elbow for the end of the inlet to get it off the pond basin. Looks like the rain missed us. Tomorrow I'm going to spread some clay on the side banks and hopefully pickup the vibratory roller on Tuesday. At the moment I'm about 20 hours in on the rehab including mucking it out. 78 gallons of fuel and burning about 4 gallons an hour according to the trip meter.
A few final pics before compacting. Picking up the roller tomorrow. My time this week is limited and rain moving in Friday and Saturday. I'm planning to compact tomorrow. If I can I would like to get bentonite down and mixed in at least on the lowest portion of the pond basin so if I do get some rain I don't have to completely drain it and wait for it to dry out again.
bindian
Super Member
How are you mixing the Bentonite?
Trying to decide if I am going to till it in and recompact or do the blanket method where it is spread evenly then covered with another 4" of clay, then compacted. Blanket is supposed to be more effective but is obviously going to mean moving more clay and more time.
