Spring Floods: A Reverse Bathtub

[capnjuan]

Well ... my earthwork is only so-so but a conventional 30 sq yd load of fill can run anywhere from $80-$120 depending on far it's being hauled and how badly the seller wants to get rid of it. If I was going to mess with it, I'd get a D-9 with a blade on the front and a ripping tooth on the back:

I'd have the D-9 operating around the perimeter in the morning loosening up all the soil immediately around Rancho Grande there and I'd bring in a drag-line:

To scoop and stack the loose earth. When the D9 got far enough ahead of the drag-line, it would come back and shape with its blade. Before the flood, there'd be big ditch the reverse size/shape of the berm. When the flood was gone, I'd hit the 'go back' button including using a sheepsfoot roller to compact air out of the fresh fill.

The uniform appearance of the sides is a function of the soil's angle of repose which varies a little depending on what's being piled up but you're right, somebody went around the top 'capping' or smoothing the top; keeps the soil from eroding when it rains and blowing away in the wind.

As I suggested earlier, it was done by somebody who owns the equipment; somebody that knows what they're doing. I doubt whether that's a farmer's house; more likely the superintendent of earth-moving company ... the owner probably lives on higher ground ... :wink:

 

[adorshki]

As I suggested earlier, it was done by somebody who owns the equipment; somebody that knows what they're doing.

Yep. Somebody who knows their dykes alright.
A minority/woman owned business perhaps?

 

[capnjuan]

Yep. Somebody who knows their dykes alright. A minority/woman owned business perhaps?

Hi Al; I'm avoiding non-PC post these days ... jocular though they may be.

We had a younger member here several years ago who was married to a female doctor (maybe he was a female too ... I don't know) but he/they got upset when somebody told a 'Doctor Joke'; medically know as a case of the asshole rouge. These days, I try and stick to insulting people directly, not indirectly. :wink:

 

[adorshki]

Yep. Somebody who knows their dykes alright. A minority/woman owned business perhaps?

Hi Al; I'm avoiding non-PC post these days ... jocular though they may be.
We had a younger member here several years ago who was married to a female doctor (maybe he was a female too ... I don't know) but he/they got upset when somebody told a 'Doctor Joke'; medically know as a case of the asshole rouge. These days, I try and stick to insulting people directly, not indirectly. :wink:

Yep...understand...as somebody said once before, I'm just going for the low-hanging fruit on the humor tree..not really trying to "bait" anyone...speaking of fishes... ba-DUM-ching!

 

[CA-35]

Capnjuan love the pic of the Cat D-9!!

That's a mighty earth-moving machine alright!

how bout this monster; In 1965, west coast businessman Buster Peterson hooked up a pair of D9Gs to pushload the largest wheel tractor scrapers built. In 1986 Caterpillar bought the rights to this concept and thus the 770 hp (570 kW) DD9G was created (D stands for Dual D9G). Peterson also built the first SxS D9G which has two D9Gs side-by-side, pushing a 24-foot (7.3 m) wide bulldozer blade.

 

[cjd-player]

Her is another one, but this one is for real for sure.
http://www.mostwatchedtoday.com/man-builds-a-moat-around-house-white-river-flood/


But if you drive to see it, remember that the road in unsafe when under water. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[poser]

That image caught the eye of a CNN reporter. Not much more information , but it is for real:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2011/05/21/ac.petty.miracle.moat.cnn?hpt=T2

 

[fronobulax]

That image caught the eye of a CNN reporter. Not much more information , but it is for real:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2011/05/21/ac.petty.miracle.moat.cnn?hpt=T2

Just for clarity - this is referring to the video of a much less professional appearing levee built around a home and not the still picture referenced earlier in the thread.

 

[cjd-player]

Oops. Never mind ...

 

[capnjuan]

... In 1965, west coast businessman Buster Peterson hooked up a pair of D9Gs to pushload the largest wheel tractor scrapers built...

Hi Scott; don't know if this variation can be credited to Mr. Peterson or not; pictured are two (believed to be) D9s; the one in front has a ripping tooth and the rear unit's weight/blade being used to keep the tooth/front D9 from reacting to the rock. I understand this is called 'uncomfortable' ripping ... where the going is a little tough (photo from Horace Church's Excavation Handbook; the textbook/'bible' for a generation of engineers, contractors, and people in the business of re-arranging the earth):

But ... if you want to move a lot of dirt in a hurry ... AEP's 'Big Muskie'; for years, the King of Dragline Hill:

(rhetorically) Gee Juan; just how big was Big Muskie? The answer: Big. See Biggie's bucket below:

But ... if you're really serious about moving some dirt, the answer is a bucket-wheel excavator like this nice German-built Euro model now in service re-arranging Bulgaria (this is the steel resonator model, also available in rosewood and maple) :shock: :

I think the 'moat' in the linked vids is the by-product of creating a berm, not the objective. If the water in the moat is water that leaked through the berm ... well ... I guess berm-building is like posting on a BB ... better done when not drinking. (burp * :wink: )

 

[Nigel Wickwire]

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[CA-35]

Incredible pictures from both Capnjuan and Nigel. Men and their toys.

A D9 weighs 105600 lbs a D11 weighs 230581 lbs.

I wonder what the fuel consumption would be on those bad boys? Gallons per minute?

 

[poser]

That image caught the eye of a CNN reporter. Not much more information , but it is for real:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2011/05/21/ac.petty.miracle.moat.cnn?hpt=T2

Just for clarity - this is referring to the video of a much less professional appearing levee built around a home and not the still picture referenced earlier in the thread.

You're right again. For some reason CNN would not give me the URL for the video clip that has the levee in question. The clip visits the site in question. The family decided that they wanted to save the family homestead regardless of the cost. The built two levees here is a screen shot of the larger view.

If you want to see the report I guess you'll just have to search CNN.

 

[SFIV1967]

Here is one of the videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ct5VjGa8Lw

 

[poser]

That's the one. Thanks.

 

[bluesypicky]

I wonder what the fuel consumption would be on those bad boys? Gallons per minute?

A quick googly search indicates the Caterpillar D10 will use upwards of 800 to 900 gallons of diesel fuel in a typical day of running. :?
Looking for one for your commute? :lol:

 

[killdeer43]

Looking for one for your commute? :lol:

Traffic jams would pose NO problem! :lol:

Joe

 

[Dr. Spivey]

Looking for one for your commute? :lol:

I worked part time for a guy who repaired Cats, used to test drive them on occasion. The ride was a tad harsher than my Buick. It would take a 12,000 watt stereo to overcome the engine/mechanical noise, assuming you mounted the speakers within a foot of your head. :shock:

That was twenty some years ago, I hear the new ones are more refined. :lol:

Oh yeah, this was my original reason for posting, more home made dykes:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...sidents-build-homemade-dams-saves-houses.html

 

[bluesypicky]

The ride was a tad harsher than my Buick.

So you decided against trading it in? :lol:

These pictures are all absolutely amazing.
The most impressive to me is the one first posted by Capnjuan, (that we see better after opening your link Doc), this levee has got to be worth 5 times the value of the house, but I'm sure the homeowner doesn't regret one penny he put in it: without it you could hardly see the tip of the roof above the water.

 

[Nigel Wickwire]

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