Building up area with Clay

[AlanB]

My property is fairly low, and stays wet constantly.

I would like to build up the area where I will build my shop hopefully this summer so that I have more positive drainage.

I had the idea of removing the topsoil, then digging the new area for my house (pretty much adjacent to my shop) and using the red clay spoils to raise the level of the shop area.

I plan on building a 40' X 60' shop so I would think an area roughly double that should be built up.

I plan to top dress with Rock and gravel, then concrete for half the shop, and gravel for the other half. (shop will be a pole barn)

So my thoughts / questions

I thought Red Clay would be the ideal material to use as fill, other projects I have been involved with, the general consensus was to get to the red clay, then build up from there, but one of my partners in crime suggests that it is not good to build on clay. Short question, should I use the available red clay as fill or bring in something else?

I am kind of keeping my eyes out for a "small" sheepsfoot, or something similar.

Is there a practical easy way to get the compaction, and then the follow on question is how do I test it? Is there an easy cheap method or is it a "hire an engineering firm" kind of thing?

It is just a farm building for my use, not a commercial etc. etc. enterprise.

 

[gabby]

Clay should be fine, and you can get pretty good compaction just by driving back and forth on it with your tractor. Just load the tractor with extra weight and add clay in layers then pack each layer.

 

[ScottAR]

If we didn't build on clay around here, we'd be living in tents. Just like gabby says, compact/wheelroll the layers as you go and all will be well.

 

[EddieWalker]

Alan,

With your backhoe, you are all set to do exacly what you want. Haul one yard to the shop site, dump it and backdrag it out. It's a slow process, but by spreading it out like you are, it will get very hard because you will be driving over it all the time spreading out each load.

As for building up the pad twice the size of your building.... Why? Except for a driveway, there is no reason to make such a large pad unless you just have the extra dirt to spread out. Red Clay is a very good building material and extremly strong so that you can build it up with very steep sides is you wanted. One of the problems I run into with building on hillsides is that people tend to not pay for more dirt then they need, so the ground tends to drop away rather quickly just a few feet past the foundations. Make it as steep as you can mow or maintain, and it will be more the sufficiant.

There are all sorts of types of clay, and I've seen some that are not buildable. Red clay isn't one of them. It's an awesome material that is in high demand where I live.

Top soil is usually very thin to non existant in clay soils. Some people seem to dig down a certain depth without regard to the actual depth of the topsoil. I've seen a foot of good clay removed and called topsoil when there was only an inch of topsoil. I have areas with less then that, and others with a few inches at most.

If it gets wet, you have to wait for it to dry out. The way to tell is if it's moving when you drive over it. The term I was told, is that it's "pumping" water in it. Until the water level drops, there is no integrity to the soil. There is a point of perfect moisture in clay that when it is compacted and dries, it's like rock. There is allot of science that's gone into the perfect formula for this, but really all you need to do is grab the soil with your hand and make a ball of it. If it holds together really tight, then it's good to work with. If water comes out like a sponge, it's too wet. If it wont hold together, it's too dry.

You'll get the feel for it in a very short amount of time. In fact, the pad will get so solid that you'll find it very dificult to dig your post holes or hammer in stakes!!!!

Eddie

 

[AlanB]

Thanks, the "twice the size" comes from my thinking that I will want "wings" or sheds or whatever all around the building eventually, so I wanted to raise the ground up there as well while doing it.

Where I am at, there are months where the clay does not dry out enough to work, which is why I want to raise it some.

I also have some grey clay in my backyard, and was told that that stuff was just a mess, and too stay away from it, I know it can suck a backhoe down faster then I can hit reverse

What you said with the hoe, is exactly what a buddy of mine just said as well Eddie, just keep going over it. I guess I was thinking along the lines of dumping it with the hoe, and having Dean compacting it with the 1925 while I went for another scoop.

Oh, and we swipe all the topsoil we can, and use it in the landscaping jobs, we never seem to have enough. Right now I am struggling getting some to a jobsite, unfortunately, the job is probably 40 miles from the house, and if I haul it there 2 yards at a time or so, it will be quite an expensive proposition. It is an ongoing struggle we have.

 

[grnspot110]

Well packed clay will be your best bet for a solid floor area! I was lucky when we bought our property, I needed to build up the driveway (increase in size) some as much as 4-5' deep. The City was putting in new water lines nearby. I was able to get them to bring me clay dug with a trencher free of charge. I spead & packed it with my JD 520 & rear blade as it came. 25 years ago & it hasn't settled yet! Main thing with any building project is to get the water away. ~~ grnspot110

 

[Egon]

When the sheeps foot packer walks out its compacted. Note; you want continuous packing rather than layered compaction.

 

[rexcramer]

Clay makes a great base, hard as concrete when its dry. I would put some sand over the top of the clay, its a lot easier to compact and level sand for the concrete floor.

The only downside to clay is that when you go to dig your postholes (if its gonna be a pole building) you need to really man up to use a two man auger to dig a 12" hole through the clay. Plan on using four guys.