Backfilling A Retaining Wall And Rough Grading

Backfilling a retaining wall and rough grading a new construction yard. This is the house where the 2" water main is going, I'm waiting on the pipe for the rest of the water main. So I have switched gears to backfilling behind the wall and doing moving the last of the clay in the front yard but I start digging the water line from the house. I put a few loads of clean rock behind the wall before I pushed in the rest of the clay to help with the hydraulic pressure on the wall. Thanks for watching! #EliteEarthworks #Takeuchi #RoughGrade

[@MONSTERMISFITS]

Looking good brother I'm about caught up I been slacking on watching your videos.

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Thanks man! Lol no worries

[@tristardiggin]

Another one in the books! Feed that piggy bank... Sam

[@eliteearthworksllc]

That’s right 😁

[@timmymalone5444]

You are correct. That wall needs a lot more gravel in there, and more bracing. Good luck 🤞

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Yes it does! Hopefully it holds up though. Appreciate you watching

[@derrickpettit86]

Nice work bud, big ol concrete wall, yeah I agree with you about the drainage, it needs that clean rock, thanks for sharing 💪🇺🇲

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Thanks man! Yes it does. It’s a shame to be out of money at that stage

[@sassafrasvalley1939]

Hopefully, they will put in some cable tie backs along the top 1/4 of that wall? Even with the corner to help hold it, the clay is going to push against it mightily. My daughters house was built with a 10’ deep basement. The soil from it looks just like that fill you spread. It was filled against the north east corner in a pad about 3’ deep and 20’ wide. Then, they sprinkled a couple of teaspoons of top soil over it. The only thing that took root was decorative pear trees and Fountain grass. They’ve tried a bunch of other things and failed. About three years ago I used my baby backhoe to dig a 2’ deep by 3’ wide trench along the foundation. We filled it with top soil and composted cow manure. It grows great peonies. But, the rest of the pad only grows dandelions and crabgrass! I hope the contractor doesn’t skimp on the top soil!

[@eliteearthworksllc]

They need to do something that wall has a tremendous amount of pressure on it. I’d believe that, this soil won’t grow anything I’m not even sure if bermuda could grow on it 🤣

[@chargermopar]

That retaining wall sure seems thin for what it has to do. You are so right about hydraulic pressure. The only time you see retaining walls around here is along canals and roadways. Rarely you can find them separating new and old homes because the new ones need to be raised. It looks like the excavator with skid steer bucket is faster than using the loader.

[@eliteearthworksllc]

I agree the wall makes me a bit nervous but hopefully it stays up. That makes sense on the walls. Yes the backwards grading bucket is great. Lots of reach

[@darrenblattner2508]

I still can't believe how you can do such a nice job with the rockiest material around. My hats off to you, I couldn't do what you do. Keep smilin

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Thank you! This one was definitely a challenge but it turned out nice for what it was. Appreciate you watching

[@arkansas1336]

The front grading looks nice

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Thank you! I appreciate that

[@terryrogers1025]

After I retired I went to work for my daughter and son-in-law, they had a curb to property line, turn key operation for new and remodeled homes, that included finished landscaping, and it always seemed the landscape budget got robbed for other things, so when it came to the finish landscaping, we had to get creative. We started salvaging landscape cast offs and refurbished or recycled a lot materials back into scapes and it got to the point it was becoming a nice little side business and saved the landfills and home owners, at times, a chunk of money, but that wall scares me sir, I would be uncomfortable about doing it, but hey, in the end, clients do dictate the finish. Thanks for the ride along sir.

[@eliteearthworksllc]

That’s a cool idea on reusing the landscaping stuff. I bet you guys stayed busy! Yeah the wall makes me a bit nervous, it has a lot of pressure on it. Time will tell. Appreciate you watching

[@dansevern3291]

Nice job as usual, and nice job on all the camera angles. (Even though the "ride" on the excavator bucket kind of made me dizzy.)

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Thank you! 🤣🤣 yes made me a little motion sick when editing

[@leol1682]

Like the video man .

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Thank you!

[@medlinlandmaintenancellc]

Another good job brother!

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Thanks man!

[@medlinlandmaintenancellc]

Yessir, I enjoy watching you and learning from your video's! Keep up the awesome work brother

[@jakeduffin4626]

That was a really cool shot from the bucket! Great job and video as always! Thank you for sharing!

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Thanks I thought it was a neat perspective. Appreciate you watching 👍🏻

[@jakeduffin4626]

@@eliteearthworksllc your welcome and yes, most definitely!

[@michaelweatherhead9470]

Thanks Brandon another great video of you getting it right looking after it.

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Thank you! I appreciate that!

[@Jake9521-t3b]

You must take a lot of satisfaction in making things look so much better, Great job working with some bad material

[@eliteearthworksllc]

I do it’s almost a challenge for me 😁 sometimes it gets old though cause this type of material is just a pain to work with lol

[@dalepremo3695]

What a nice looking house and setting. That grading came out really nice - the usual Brandon touch! Like you, I'd be concerned about that thin wall - seems like it needs a lot more attention to keep it from falling over. Enjoyed those camera bucket shots.

[@eliteearthworksllc]

The view from this property is amazing! Yeah the wall makes me a bit nervous, it has a lot of pressure against it. Appreciate you watching

[@Michael-fd8ob]

Looking great Brandon. I sure hope that that wall will stay up. I sure wouldn't like that at my olace unless it was thicker and it had holds clear out to the grading area.

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Thank you! Yeah me too makes me nervous and it’s a bit of an eye sore for sure

[@DC-1]

Ok, now im all messed up with the postings 🤷‍♂️😂😂

[@eliteearthworksllc]

I’m trying the other day again to see if I can boost the channel again.

[@stephenlehr6020]

Looking at the height and thickness (really the lack of thickness at least at the top) of that wall, and the fact that is all clay behind it now, it should be filled with just stone from this point forward, the top 1 to 2 foot could be topsoil/clay if they want to try to grow grass near the wall, but otherwise just stone. At least that is what I would want done if I owned that wall. Just my opinion of course (sounded like yours was the same), but the builder will want to do the least expensive of course.... The 2150 sure does a good job back filling around the house, keep at it and have a good one!!

[@eliteearthworksllc]

I agree it definitely needs rock almost to the top of it. Hydraulic pressure is no joke they put some deadmen in it but it still has a ton of pressure from that clay. Appreciate you watching

[@blackdogEarthworxLLC]

I worked on a job last summer where "money was an issue". It took me 2 months to get paid. I was not happy as you would expect and I won't work for that contractor again without getting money up front. I'd rather stay home than have to chase someone down to get my money.

[@eliteearthworksllc]

I agree chasing money is the worst. I hate jobs like this where there is no money to do it right.

[@kenore4003]

Is that clay going to infiltrate the stone in time and just push the hydraulicing down the road?

[@eliteearthworksllc]

It could but probably not for a long time

[@jimoakley3436]

Job sounds like C.F.

[@eliteearthworksllc]

It kind of is but not as bad as Starbucks 🤣

[@CaptKirk1701]

Yeah, water behind wall bad. lol

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Lol very bad lol

[@clintoncherry8893]

He's going to regret not spending the extra money now for stone geogrid and proper drainage. Just a guess but he's probably got a good 15k or more invested in that wall system and to skimp on the most important part of the build is a frustrating thing to watch

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Yes he is. I bet he has $15k-$20k in that wall. Another $1000 in rock would have made all the difference in the world. It’s very frustrating

[@vinnyhern]

BAD builder BAD... 😂😂😂

[@eliteearthworksllc]

😁😁