Project Site Excavation Importance and Cautions

Excavation is the most crucial part of the construction process, and it is the very first stage of starting a structure of any kind.

Before building a new project, business, playground, skatepark or anything that needs the ground to be leveled, dug, or mechanically customized, you must budget the cost, time frame and contractor of the excavation scope of work before the plans are complete.

this is not a very simple process, nor is it a method that should be taken lightly. Site excavation construction is something that is extremely important, particularly in those regions where the soil is not suitable for supporting a foundation of the building.

 Luckily here in Clark County Washington, there is plenty of sturdy, rocky, and excellent foundation soil to work with.

In other words, we can say that excavation is a process that is essential for starting the foundation which you will be constructing your project.

The excavation process starts once determining the estimated placement for your new project, and all necessary permits and paperwork have been filed with the correct agencies and local utilities.

In some areas such as Colorado, there are sites where soil volume can change rapidly due to absorption of water. These are also known as “expansive soils.” Some of the best examples of these soils are Clay and silt. These kinds of soils will waste no time in drawing all the water whenever possible.

These type of soils can vastly affect the foundation of the construction and can cause a real-time threat to the building. In some cases, it can even lead to damaging the whole foundation of the project.

These kinds of soils can be easily founded in United states such as California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, and other southern and western regions. There is a vast majority of structures across the whole United States that are exposed to massive internal and structural damage due to soil expansion caused by moisture absorbed.

It is estimated that around $2.5 Billion worth of damage has been caused by expansive soil in the United States annually. That is approximately twice the damage caused by natural calamities such as hurricanes, floods, avalanches, tornadoes, and earthquakes combined.

The expansive soil is that underestimated, yet large devastating force that can be usually witnessed within the first initial months or in some cases after 1 or 2 years after the project is constructed.

As water spilled by rain or irrigation system comes in contact with below the foundation of the project and filters through it, it causes a condition called “edge lift.” This condition can lead to generating cracks in the project’s foundation and in some cases this condition causes the cracks that we see on inside walls of a project. Gradually, as time passes by, the moisture underneath the foundation can also reach to the center of the housing slab, and it brings about more critical damage to the property.

Therefore, we can say that excavation plays a vital role to make sure that the foundation is strong enough to support the construction of a new project while maintaining the rigidity for several years to come.

The cautiousness and persistence when deployed in the beginning, can provide a long-lasting impact on the design, strength, and integrity of the building. 

Nowadays, builders have to ensure that they acquire services of a geologic engineer, to make a soil report based upon the soil conditions at the site of construction before the excavation process starts. 

This will help find soil expansion at the earliest, thus avoid any chances of structural damage and it will help the builder build a project in such a way that it will minimize the soil expansion.

A Survey of the site helps accomplish two tasks; one is, it enables the builder to find the ideal location for building a project. Additionally, it helps the client to analyze the site, whether the site will work or there is a higher excavation cost. Thus, the client can take appropriate measures such as closing the deal during the testing phase of the site, as it results in mitigating the added expenses.

Fortunately, Nylund Inc. and our local cities and towns have very little clay soil, and these issues do not arise very often. Even so, we strive to make our projects run as smoothly and safely as possible and at the same time making sure our customers are taken care of with industries leading standards and specifications.

If site excavation is something that you will need shortly give us a call today and let us help you make your dreams come true.