Site Preparation

Site prep is the best term that is used to describe the operations necessary to make raw land ready to accept improvements such as buildings, parking lots, roads, and other amenities. Once the project has been completed, the site preparation is invisible.

The term site prep is a broad term that can include several different tasks, such as clearing and grubbing, soil erosion, sediment control, storm drains, water and sewer pipes, topsoil stripping, rock removal, underground utility, and several other tasks.

Soil erosion management

To protect the quality of the water, soil erosion and sediment control measures are vital.  With  most locations, storm water permitting is required. All erosion and sediment control measures and devices must be in place and inspected before the first tree drops or first shovel full of dirt is removed.

The designs for storm water management systems are becoming more and more complex. The detention basins have complex and spiraling side slopes and bottoms that have almost flat grades.

Clearing

The limits of clearing can be marked with a GPS dozer. By following the outline of the display  in the cab, the bulldozer can cut a path through the wooded area so other equipment will have a clear line to go by.

The traditional method used to clear debris, such as burning, is rapidly fading away. The air pollution standards will prevent any type of burning of most areas across the United States.

Site prep made easy

Depending on the job site, what you have to do will vary greatly. With excavation, what is needed to complete a job is as different as night and day.  No matter what type of work you are doing, it will almost always require the use of heavy machinery or skid steer

Clearing lots for houses, grading roads, laying pipe, fixing water leaks, and digging foundations are just some of the most common tasks found with  the art of excavation. To do this type of work, it takes a special individual as work is outdoors year round, meaning that you freeze in the winter and burn up in the summer.

Laying pipe is a task that takes skill. You first must dig the trench for the pipe, making sure that the elevation is right, and that the pipe will meet the specifications listed in the blueprints.  There are several different types of pipe that needs to be layed, including water, sewer, and storm drains.

When you first begin your job, you'll need to have the proper permits from the area that you are going to be disturbing the ground in. Once you have the proper permits, you can begin your work. With some jobs, you'll need to document on paper just how much land you disturb each day. 

Sometimes with excavation, the job site and plans will call for ponds or temporary ponds. This can be fun to do, although you have to be careful as well. Very common with sub divisions, ponds are something that take a lot of skill to dig right.

Manholes are something else that you will encounter as well. You can use machinery to set them in place, although they will need to go a certain way. The easiest way to put them in place is by using an excavator, as you can lower it down and have a couple of workers set it in place.

Anytime you are working on an excavation site, you should always be careful and make sure you do things by the book. There are always rules and regulations that you need to follow. Excavation is a rewarding trade, although you'll need to be well versed in following plans and running machinery