sol reinforcement question for loading pit

Gordon Gould · Sep 7, 2016

I want to make a loading pit or trench so that I can drop my trailer height down 1-1/2 to 2 feet from grade level. I will be backing up a 14,500 lb one ton with dualies on top to within a couple feet of the lip. I would like to use logs or a log for cribbing (10' wide) but don't have a feel for what kind of bracing I need. I am thinking of two 10 to 12 inch diameter logs laid up to give me the height with two or three logs fitted in the joint log cabin fashion buried in the step with everything held together with rebar driven thru. If it falls apart it won't be catastrophic but I would like it to last a while anyway. Looking for advise or suggestions. Thanks

gg

aczlan · Sep 7, 2016

Take a look at Viewing a thread - loading dock - wanting to build one for some ideas.
I would probbaly get 2-3 "mafia blocks" (2x2x6 blocks of concrete) from your local concrete plant (they should be able to deliver them and set them in place for a small fee) and use those to make the face, then backfill as needed to make your ramp. If you want to get fancy, set 5-6 of them longways (2' side toward the trailer) and build a dirt ramp up to that.
Mafia Blocks:

Those should be stable enough to not need any other support.

Aaron Z

roadhunter · Sep 7, 2016

I had to build a loading dock to drive a gooseneck trailer off a drop deck trailer a couple of weeks ago. It was really quite simple. I found a low spot on the property and just came of that spot level going into the hillside. That trailer was 42" so this should be a piece of cake. I used some 9 ft logs at the end to hold the soil back. Worked great and I drove right off the trailer. I was really tempted to leave it but decided to fill it in.

This is small enough that even a few railroad ties might work well.