Excavation & Rock Removal
Excavation in a Nutshell
So, what is excavation, exactly and why do we need it on a construction job? Surprisingly, to our excavation contractors, it can actually mean two things:
#1 -The cutting and removal of material to lower an elevation; for example, to dig trenches and lay foundations for home and roads, or to create an empty space for a swimming pool in a backyard.
#2- Filling of new material; when we raise an elevation by filling an area with a material that wasn’t there before. Fill or cut, excavation is the preliminary job of any construction project, whether residential or commercial.
Any job, large or small, requires quite a lot of activity before the first digger can break ground; creating trenches, tunnels, and shafts for the underground utilities and foundations required for any surface required to bear a structural load. The site must be examined for any natural habitats that might be disturbed as a result of the excavation, and the ground prepared. Every aspect must carefully follow the detailed plans and drawings drawn up by the company that outlines the new lot or building boundaries.
At Greenway of Nashville, our highly skilled excavation contractors are experts in the different kinds of ground material to be excavated. We only hire staff that is properly qualified to operate the heavy machinery that moves dirt, material, and debris, grade roads, dig trenches for underground utilities and excavate ditches for gas or water lines.
Foundation Excavation for Commercial Buildings
The ground across the country is not consistently one material or another. Some areas are naturally rockier, others home to expansive soils like clay, loam, and silt. Expansive soil can change volume when it soaks in water, causing movement at the foundation level and massive damage to homes and buildings months or years later. Part of the job undertaken by the excavation contractors at Greenway of Nashville is, therefore, to ensure that a proper geologic report is prepared so that we can advise customers on the route to take that will best mitigate or minimize any foreseen issues. Depending on the ground type, there are different techniques that we use:
Soil Excavation
Our excavation division will understand the extent of the soil by making trial pits in the construction site. Tracing lines on the ground helps to identify the boundaries for excavation. Using machines like hydraulic excavators and tractors, and hand tools like crowbars, shovels, and pickaxes, our expert team will remove soil, stones, and vegetation to prepare the land for the next phase in the project.
Rock Excavation
There is an altogether more complicated process for excavating rock as it needs to be blasted or, drilled with the use of specialist equipment. For smaller rock breaking, jackhammers can be used. However, for larger areas of rock, the hoe ram is the machine that we prefer. The hoe is a hydraulic breaker attached to an excavator with a powerful precision hammer that is foot-operated by a professional operator.
Concrete Excavation
Concrete was built to last, through cold, heat and rain, so it’s no surprise that as a material, it’s hard to break down. Heavy, specialist cutting machinery is required, operated by experienced contractors who also understand how to transport and then dispose of concrete materials, safely.
