Need a Conveyor

Cool.. so there is still a ray of hope for me.

Made a call to dexpan and the whole open face concept kind of eluded me. Whoops.
They wanted me to dig down exposing one complete face of this beam so it had someplace to expand to. You would think if the shit can push rock, it should be able to push SOIL so whatever. Looks like that's plan B.

 

I reveal my devious plan to rule the garage!

 

Nice video Jason, I like the little cartoon cut-ins to explain 'trolley' and 'conveyor'.

 

lol.. thanks.

 

After spending almost 3 weeks buried in airplane maintenance, I'm back on the job. I finally found the bottom of this beam nightmare! That sucker is every bit of 18" deep and a foot wide!
I have to say, digging the clay with a spade on the bosch makes digging almost FUN! If only it was this stuff all the way to the bottom... I KNOW there is layers of caliche down there somewhere! Anyhow, I removed about 5feet of this beam today and it took more hours than I care to admit with the bosch. I've had it! I'm going on the hunt tomorrow for a jack hammer.
The local hazard fart is out of stock on that big hercules they sell.... Anyone know if that thing is worth a damn??? https://www.harborfreight.com/power...mer-with-maximum-vibration-control-56407.html



That lowes shovel is pretty decent for the money btw.. It's got big pads to stand on.

 

For a one time use it's a hell of a lot cheaper to rent one for the weekend.

 

You are right bonz.. but when I did that floor, I humped my ass off for a 4hr rental and it was still 150bucks. I see some serious time to get the other 22ft of this beam ripped out. I'd rather not destroy myself again like that. On the bright side, I bet I can dump a like new jack hammer on craigslist for 500bucks! I tried my local pawn shops and they all said they sell within a day or two when they get em.

 

I still have all this!

 

When you have a big job you can maximize the rental by picking it up Friday at closing time. You pay for Saturday and Sunday is free. Return Monday morning.

 

Looking back, instead of renting, I should have bought this to start with. The hilti from the HD is $4600! For the same money you could have 6 monkeys driving these Hercules and ya wouldn't care when one walks off. I swear this hits just as hard. Best part, when I got tired, I stopped and quit for the night. No rush and no jumping through my ass.



I'm glad to see the switch is on top so when you are pulling your ass off getting it out of a hole, it's not running on you.

 

Haha! Love the madness! Looks like you're having a blast.

 

Yeah it is fun being inside the garage in the AC, no bugs, and plenty of light. The location is great, but it's pretty hard work. I'm good for a hard 20minute stretch, then it's time to pick up and fill up the buckets. It will be nice once all the concrete is outta here so I can automate the digging. The beam does have rebar in it and it's really close to the bottom. So close, I've found a lot of corrosion on the bar. Funny how the shit almost looks like it's been through a fire!





Pretty good progress tonight after dinner.




Had to trench out next to the beam. It's almost to the door now. The spade on the bosch works a treat. Then the digging is easy breezy.
That's a big ass pile of clay there!
Buckets waiting for a ride around town to a couple of dumpsters. It's almost time to build the trolley rig!

 

Oh yeah man thats a good pile there. Looks like a solid 2 ton. Shifting earth is hard work. Its taken me all summer to dig foundations for a garden wall in my yard. Hardest work there is imo.

 

I'm telling you man... that spade on the end of the bosch is the ONLY way to dig! I use it to F up the soil pretty good, then it digs like butter. My only complaint is it needs to be about 2feet longer so I'm not hunched over like quasimodo. That trench in the last photo is about 16" deep, over a foot wide and I ran 12feet. SOLID CLAY and it took me about 2hrs! It would have taken me a week with a shovel and pick! If I was king kong, I'd make a spade for the jack hammer! With a spike on it, if I slip off the concrete, it is no fun jerking it's heavy ass out of the clay. I saw someone on YT took the head off a shovel and stuck it on an SDS-Max. Now that's a dirt mover!

I put a bucket full of concrete on a scale.. 80lbs!!!! I've lost count how many I've hauled away, but it's been a shitload! I'm trucking all the concrete 5mins away and dumping it. The guy that owns the storage unit where the cars are has a spot and wants everything! The dirt will be leaving via trailer I think.

 

I thought about it... Only trouble is the grade beams are pretty damn thick. I'm still not positive that's what these things are called. I thought they ran around the slab and not through them.

I'm more on board with concealed beam... https://civiljungle.com/what-is-slab-beam/
Further reading here https://rebarpeople.com/grade-beams-construction/

I guess at the end of the day it doesn't really matter what the F it's called. It's leaving and that's that! Assuming that thing runs all the way to the footer on the far wall, it's still gotta be doing some work. Now if I removed all of it and installed a pair of these lifts, I might find myself in hot water down the road. Who knows... I hope to be gone by then.

I'm more concerned where it's tied into the remaining slab. The goal is not to have that crack all to hell and back! I'm pretty sure if I'm careful, I can trim it back out of the way and it will disappear with the new wall.



Here I am tonight, slow but steady.

 

Jason,
You're pouring new Walls in the pit before the lifts go in. Just make sure to drill and glue in some rebar from the main slab (6" should be enough) and tie it into the Rebar that goes through the new walls and you shouldn't have issues . Do the same with the beam sections (maybe 12" lengths there). It's really the to stiffen the slab and to keep it from breaking when the dirt settles. in theory you're replacing them with 2 narrower beam 10X as tall (walls) and moving a section of the slab down 12' (the pit floor) . Knowing your adherence to the redneck engineer's code "If it's worth doing it's worth overdoing!" You're walls are going to have a 4-10X safety factor. You shouldn't have any issues and can sleep soundly at night after it's built.
The section that joins the slab is going to need some saw work to guarantee that you don't crack the slab. Clean the dirt/concrete around the sides and cut in as far as you can from all four sides. Then go at it with Jackie, or if you're feeling young give it the old Tonia Harding.


* Please note that all the claims and reassurances are from a Redneck. I'm not certified by anyone in any kind of engineering (or enginerding). All things stated or inferred are for entertainment purposes only. Follow my suggestion under your own peril!!! (you do it and Die, or get hurt it's on you!)

 

I will be pinning the rebar to the existing slab.. Thought I mentioned that one in the video. Maybe not.

 

I think you might have... I was just making sure.

 

no worries. I like the idea of sawing near the area I have to chip out. That will prevent cracking getting stupid.
You know me too well. I've been talking with a concrete engineering expert and it's funny what he recommends is a quarter of what I am proposing.
If it's worth doing, it's worth OVER DOING! I totally agree! Who knew I was a redneck?