Installing a Riprap Channel to address erosion issues

[@MistahHeffo]

Shawn, you're the MVP for sitting on these videos for months at a time until you can get back out to inspect and get some good rain footage of your work. That's attention to detail and pride in your work right there.

[@GCFD]

Thank you! It's definitely tough to sit on a competed video that is only waiting on rain before I can upload it. But I really think it's worth it to wait.

[@seasfas]

@@GCFD We ALL think it is worth it man :D No rain? No bueno :P

[@bikingchupei2447]

well put.

[@jeffprentice2518]

Exactly what I was commenting about I love it. I was thinking the whole video I hope he gets some rain footage and...... BAAAMMMM rain footage there be. Keep up the AMAZING work Shawn love your attention to detail that's how you give 110%

[@MistahHeffo]

@@GCFD definitely worth the wait!!

[@HuntMountain06]

When you head back for the after shots during rain is what makes this channel gold.

[@daytonafuntim]

I've watched countless videos of yours and don't always comment, but I greatly appreciate how thorough you are in completing these jobs as well as following up so we can all see how they worked in reality. Appreciate you, Shawn and crew 👍

[@ozricus]

Thanks for taking us along for the ride!

[@roberts9785]

Great Video. I like that you come back in the rain and show how your solution to the problem works and not leave it up to the imagination of the viewer.

[@GCFD]

Yes! I love seeing the work in action and actually solving the problem. It's a huge pain to get the after footage but so worth it I think.

[@tamtdc]

Top work… and you got the money shot at the end with all that water running down the channel 👍👍👍

[@GCFD]

I do love the money shot!

[@sportsfamily77]

I've learned a tremendous amount from watching your videos, and once the ground thaws and dries out a bit I'm going to attempt a drainage solution to combat some of the standing water that is accumulating on the concrete/yard that I have. Genuinely appreciate you sharing the correct way to get drainage systems installed 👍

[@GCFD]

Thank you! Good luck with your project and remember to mind your fall 👍👍

[@marke.1021]

Love the results. Nice use of drone as really shows the bigger picture of the job.

[@GCFD]

Thank you Mark! I've been trying to find ways to show the bigger picture and I think the drone is a great step towards that.

[@edbug007]

Its so satisfying when you go back to all your jobs and show us how all your hard work has paid off

[@GCFD]

This one took forever and a few trips to catch it during a good rain. that's why there was a lag in posting

[@azr6917]

Got so excited to see a new video posted

[@GCFD]

Same!

[@Reidbit]

i would love for you to talk more about the behind the scenes side of the business. I like how you were talking about fixing things that weren't quoted. Items that were quoted and how you would have possibly done different. Seeing how things are being done and why from the business owners mind is something that is refreshing.

[@GCFD]

I will try to do that for sure. Our job from last week has a ton to talk about and I will make sure to include that.

[@samwinglewich2133]

Shawn! I am a young landscaping contractor in CA and I get calls for drainage a lot. It's difficult to find really educated drainage advice. Thanks for all the entertainment and knowledge, your videos helped a lot of people I did work for this year.

[@martinworrall5888]

Hi Shawn, it good to see a boss with such a hands on approach to the jobs, very impressive 👍

[@GCFD]

Thank you. I enjoy the work for sure.

[@djuanbenjamin9149]

Look at those trees, beautiful colors. I love it here. Great drone shot, you can really see the elevation.

[@GCFD]

Yep! It took a few tries to get some good rain footage which is why there's a lag in the timing when I uploaded.

[@tracyrain4941]

One: what an amazing job. You basically created a river. And the filming, the music, the sound...well done! Two: really liked the sound of the riprap being dumped. Three: would you ever consider getting a wee foldaway table and chairs for you and the lads (and lasses) for your pizza? If it was me, I'd have full picnic service going on with everything including the kitchen sink, but I'm a bit mad like that! 🤭😊

[@Lotsielots]

Great idea. That would be moralle boosting to have somewhere to sit properly and eat. Plus the table could be used for plans and maps etc. When working. And mugs of coffee etc.

[@royordway9157]

They may get to comfortable and not want to go back to work. I brought a coffee maker to a job once for the help. They spent more time drinking coffee than working. It disappeared. When I started in construction, home building, in 1975 we brought our own sandwiches, coffee in a Thermos and drinks for the day. If anyone smoked, they had to bring enough for the day too. No running to the store. Keep in mind that it was back when gas stations sold gas, not coffee.

[@GCFD]

Thank you Tracy! I had to turn down the volume when that rock was dumped because it was ear splittingly loud.

[@GCFD]

Yes some contractors spend more time "going to the store" than actually working. Luckily my crew doesn't do that.

[@tracyrain4941]

@@GCFD ... oh my word, of course it would have been loud! But it did sound great though...on the video, anyway! Tyfs and lowering the volume 😊

[@fuglyfeet3373]

I have watched quite a few of your videos i like that you go back and show how your improvements work

[@GCFD]

Thank you Fugly. Thanks for watching and commenting - Shawn

[@steverusie6986]

Another great job! It is amazing that you can go from draining a residential backyard with pvc to draining a parking lot with a massive riprap channel! A thumbs up 👍 to you and your team!

[@DryCreek182]

These videos are so satisfying to watch!

[@GCFD]

Thank you!

[@AlexanderMeisel]

Great video Shawn! Maybe a slight 'delta finish' with the remaining rip rap catches the fanning out water down there!?

[@GCFD]

Yes that might be the ticket for sure. We have the riprap still on site!

[@MrSparks701]

Absolutely worth waiting on. Thanks for sharing Shawn.

[@GCFD]

thank you! I think so too

[@rons3103]

Hey Shawn, wonderful job, love it! I was thinking about your comment on "little bit jumping out at the end" in comparison to the end of a river. Next time, maybe dig a little bit deeper and maybe a 1/2 bucket wider. That should represent the mouth of a river, where it collects that river water plus any additional run off that get added at the end! 😁😁

[@GCFD]

Yes! We could also easily add some of the extra riprap to the end there and fan it out a little more.

[@dcwshoreline5416]

Thats a super cool place with the factory next door/hydro cut. Good work Shawn!

[@dcwshoreline5416]

Love the at night walking in the rain footage! Its a unique sort of thing that you do and is awesome!

[@vinnyhern]

Excellent video, awesome editing too! enjoy the mix of updates, work done and time laps, keep on keeping on....

[@GCFD]

Thank you! I like those too for keeping the flow and the story going. 👍

[@AtomicQuotient]

Amazing job Shawn and team .. crazy amount of work and hard labor and that one guy looked like he wasn't even using gloves throwing that rip wrap around, you guys are machines.

[@GCFD]

Haha for sure! It was a lot of work on this one so I brought a lot of help.

[@MrDbone75]

Good Sunday morning to you all in the USA from Wellington Somerset in the UK

[@GCFD]

👍👍

[@royordway9157]

At first, I wondered why you didn't install a big catch basin in the parking lot with a pipe to the pond. I like the solution you came up with though. Another great video Shawn. I also like that you go back and show the results.

[@GCFD]

Thank you Roy. This one took awhile before I caught it on a good hard rain.

[@johnclements6614]

The objective is to get the water into the pond as slow as possible. It is a retention pond, it smooths out the peak of a flood so that there is less flow at one time downstream. If the water gets into the pond faster, it will fill up faster and over top and still flood downstream. The business would not want to pay to have the pond enlarged to retain more water.

[@royordway9157]

@@johnclements6614 Now I understand, thank you

[@johnclements6614]

@@royordway9157 In most cases you want to get water off your property as quickly as possible. Shawn should have explained what a retention pond was in the video. If you look at 0:37 you will see that the outlet structure has a grating over it to drain the pond when it fills in a storm. There will be a lower small pipe to drain the pond when the flow is low. I also notice that the bottom of the pond may be in two sections, there is a line of weed across the pond which could be the top of a berm. If it is a berm, it could have been used to help keep the area outlet "dry" during construction and future maintenance and could be to catch silt in one end of the pond so that it can be removed.

[@sparkydave2783]

Great job 👏 Your production quality is just getting better and better too!

[@GCFD]

thank you Dave! I've been trying to make better videos for sure. This does not come naturally to me at all so it's been a steep learning curve.

[@cm517chris]

Wow, alot of flow! Awesome job, and the rain footage is always 💯

[@UtilaLife]

Thanks for this! Can you share a little more about material under rocks? Also would plastic lining or no liner work?

[@Myoldiesrecordings]

I love that you went back to check and video

[@GCFD]

that's my favorite part! Seeing the work doing what it is supposed to do. 👍

[@bobpearce3665]

Great job, the follow up to ensure it works is very professional and ensures quality work.

[@GCFD]

Thank you Bob!

[@jasikanicole4222]

I really enjoyed your channel, especially the before, after and the final product working as intended. Keep up the good work, best wishes to your company and your channel !

[@GCFD]

thank you!

[@wrwalsh]

Great job as always. I love the thumbnail and anticipate this will be a popular video based on that and the content.

[@barneslifegeorgiaedition9857]

Great job on the rip rap channel, love to see the water draining the way you designed it to.

[@GCFD]

Hahah I love that too! 👍👍

[@ricardoernestoguzman9455]

Excellent video Sean, thank you very much for sharing it....

[@GCFD]

Thank you for watching and commenting Ricardo!

[@CrestviewCutters]

The after video adds so much. Thank you!

[@jimanderson4495]

Thanks Shawn. It’s good that you got some commercial work. I hope they pay promptly.

[@shanewhite499]

Great job as always Shawn. That looks like a lot of water coming off that parking lot. You always have a great solution to fixing water problems I know the owner is going to be happy with having the problem addressed. Thanks for the upload it's always nice to wake up to a Gate City Foundation Drainage video lol. Hope you get some rain footage so we can get another video soon and don't worry about making the videos to long I think the longer the better.

[@oldstock]

Huge areas of paved surfaces are always an issue to handle the run-off. Although the solution you have adopted seems technically simple, I pretty sure the success of the result is huge. Good job to the GCFD team.

[@GCFD]

i forgot to mention how and why I positioned things where I did. I basically let the water tell me where it wanted to flow and then added the channel there.

[@hollandduck79]

Hello Shawn thanks for the video . nice looking job

[@GCFD]

Thank you!

[@williamlloyd3769]

Looking at your shadow at the start of the video you were out there at the crack of dawn! Interesting video topic. PS - Crew got a workout!

[@GCFD]

Yes I had to get my pile of dirt ready for when the hauler arrived and I wasn't sure how things would go. Everything went well on this job.

[@adambrown3918]

Excellent job! Excellent video editing including the drone footage!! You always have great motivational music = Aspire by Inod. Great work, Shawn! 😊👍

[@GCFD]

Thank you!

[@Stratos53100]

Smooth, Good Music, Great footage, Would imagine since thats a city thing it took a tub of Red Tape to get all that done/assurances that the integrity wouldnt be compromized, Channels like that could always be expanded if needed though it looks great & that is a literal river No wonder why it washed out like it did, Dump truck driver was really good w not slamming the tailgate ( which causes wear and loss of product later on down the road) Footage is superb the way you do it here for extended insurance against future negativity/evidence. The newer volvo has come in clutch.

[@GCFD]

thank you! this was a pretty interesting project for sure. This was my first time loading a full size dump truck too. I spilled some dirt onto the cab a couple times because i failed to level the bucket as I raised it up.

[@Stratos53100]

@@GCFD Heh, its a little higher than the Ford, Certainly needed this, No way it could have been done w the Bobcat

[@leslieclaire]

Great video editing. That was a rushing river for sure. You get hired to do some interesting jobs. Thanks for the video!

[@GCFD]

Thank you! This was an interesting one for sure.

[@moneymoney12]

That trailer is still looking good!

[@GCFD]

Yes it's been working very well.

[@d.d.5633]

Beautiful autumn day.

[@GCFD]

👍

[@starryknightJAK]

Enjoyed the video and all the drone shots!

[@GCFD]

Thank you! I've been trying to do more with the drone stuff.

[@jimalcott760]

Great to always see the rain shots in end…..

[@GCFD]

Thank you jim! It's my favorite part

[@steverietz8912]

Howdy from Reno NV …We have a lot of rocks …if you need some!

[@GCFD]

Hi Steve!

[@dylantrinder1571]

Your solution certainly seemed to be catching a load of water. Great job Shawn.

[@GCFD]

Thank you Dylan

[@georgea6403]

Cool. Thanks for showing actual results!

[@johnhamilton9229]

As a retired chef I can totally see why pizza is the common lunch. However, I feel the urge to show up to your job sites and bring some dark green vegetables for y’all. Another great video to enjoy with morning coffee. Thanks

[@gangisspawn1]

As a retired chef I'm sure you're aware of the terrible American diet that people refuse to change.

[@johnhamilton9229]

@@gangisspawn1 very aware of the food options of convenience. I was trained in the military. We had/have good exposure to healthy menu options while not deployed.

[@gangisspawn1]

@@johnhamilton9229 luckily there are ample varieties of dried, canned, and frozen vegetables/fruits that are cheaper than any meat. Americans don't to cook or even eat decently. It's not food insecurity that makes people over weight. These workers(average Americans) eating pizza for lunch is fine, until you look at their breakfast and dinner, every single day for their life. The only veg they'll eat is corn and potatoes, which nutritionally is no different than cheap white bread. I eat and cook with mostly canned and frozen veg/fruit. Fresh I buy for some things, but I cook for just myself. There is no excuse for the American diet, and alot of harm from it. Moderation and health literacy isn't in the vocabulary. People get cancer in their 40s and blame everything but their lifetime of a poor diet. No one needs to be a vegan health nut, but it's proven you need to eat decently most of the time.

[@johnhamilton9229]

@@gangisspawn1 There are many ways to intake calories. I personally juice vegetables with apples for the majority of breakfast and lunches. Dinners come from around the world depending on what the taste buds say. Time and routine. 👍

[@alecsimages1]

Finished that job beautifull Shaun

[@GCFD]

thank you!

[@ricardoernestoguzman9455]

I saw it again, since it does not allow translation live, so at the end of the transmission I was able to activate it and listen to all the details, I would ask you not to stop visiting it and see how the lake grows and accommodates that beautiful job ...

[@GCFD]

Will do!

[@ybr_master2088]

I've found this channel while was on the clinic having my first kid. I love your videos, your way to do it and the most awesome thing is that you come back to the working site to show how work what you done. I don't know, but your channel is kinda satisfying. Keep working that way!. As a suggestion, update your videos playlist to reach more people. Do one list with one of the most viewed videos like yours on youtube and then one yours.

[@GCFD]

I didn't know I could do playlists like that. I'll check into it.

[@laviniasgarden3648]

Another great video Shawn!

[@GCFD]

Thank you Leah!

[@xxxxcookiesxxxx5590]

Another great job done .

[@GCFD]

Thank you!

[@josephj6521]

Great solution and well executed. 👍

[@GCFD]

Thank you Joseph!

[@graphite737]

Really good looking channel, I wonder if it might be worthwhile for larger projects like this to create a lower point in the middle with the mini bobcat granted the soils aren't to tuff, the only issue would be I am not sure if that would take away from the width of the fabric. Might dig a small test trench in your yard to see how it would all fit. Wish I could join you all and work on stuff like that, looks like a fun project.

[@matadaniel6520]

Awesome... work both videos & content 👌

[@GCFD]

Thank you!

[@toprock9500]

excellent job! that was a ton of water, actually was a river!

[@GCFD]

For sure! It took a few visits before I hit a heavy rain.

[@toprock9500]

@@GCFD always appreciate the follow up rain video, 100% what we want to see

[@supervitallica]

What about putting in a swale like the permaculture people to prevent the water from going over the grass and redirecting it in the channel?

[@johnmargozzi8365]

Hi Shawn, I love your show and have watched almost all of them. I am not in the business, but I just enjoy your content very much! On your medium to large projects it would be great if you could show your thoughts in a diagram with arrows and flow of the water. You speak as if everybody knows what your are trying to convey, most of the time I do. I know its more work for you, but I think it would be very helpful for everybody to understand you better :-) Thank you!

[@GCFD]

Yes I think so too! I have thought about trying to do more of the planning and showing what's going on in a diagram. I may take a stab at it.

[@fillowtree5505]

Love the videos and the info you share. How is the Volvo skid steer with the one arm holding up? Can you do an update video?

[@GCFD]

That volvo is an amazing machine and the one arm is soo much better than two. I'll see if I can get an update video on it.

[@jeremywilcox]

13,000 views in 12 hours say's something Shawn!

[@GCFD]

Wow it sure does! Pretty cool for sure

[@frederickhill460]

Great time lapse of those chem trails in the beginning!

[@GCFD]

Hahah 👍

[@ricardoernestoguzman9455]

Dear Shawn, haven't you been back to this pond to see how it works? It was a video that I was passionate about and I would like to see that pond already grown, if it has rained a lot obviously...

[@nashguy207]

Did you put sod staples in the sod you put down on the bank of the pond. You should always use sod staples any time you are laying sod on a slope.

[@GCFD]

I usually lay the sod lengthwise going down the slope instead of along the slope as they did here.

[@jackww839]

Great job as always👍

[@GCFD]

Thank you Jesse!

[@ShiresMatt]

I’d like to have seen a swale down the side of the parking lot and a culvert pipe from the parking lot to the pond, to save cutting up that land.

[@andrewk8636]

All depends on the budget too tho. I'm sure a culvert mightve cost too much

[@GCFD]

A culvert would have cost more and affected the fall. But the major thing I was working with here was an unknown amount of water. Bu cutting an 8' channel I felt like I could handle whatever amount could possibly be coming across the driveway. I go for 100% results so I am always looking for major capacity in my solutions. 👍👍

[@johnclements6614]

Then the water gets to the retention pond quickly. Too much water and it will overtop rather than retain and flood property downstream.

[@stefanmeier6763]

besides the content, i really like your choice of Music, Shawn! :-)

[@GCFD]

Thank you! It's always difficult to find music that I like and I think everyone else will too.

[@eliteearthworksllc]

Nice job with the rip rap. Alway like how it looks on jobs

[@GCFD]

👍 Thank you!

[@troymajor4127]

Another fine job performed by the GCFD crew. What happen with that pallet of sod or did I miss that part.

[@GCFD]

They were using it with the mini skid to fix the sod at the pond.

[@leolldankology]

I noticed that you use an LED light bar when your filming in the dark, I think a good flashlight would up the production value of your night shots. Maybe a nitcore TMK9 or e4k.

[@GCFD]

Yes I need to solve that better. I just bought an Olight which I'm hoping will work better. I'll look at your suggestions too.

[@Fetchem1222]

The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) has a practice standard to calculate the watershed for average rainfall events. So that building has a roof and a large water shedding parking lot. The NRCS practice standard is 412. It’s could be cheaper for you and the customer. Give it a look see.

[@Verdant02]

Great work- and this video looks sharp! Camera upgrade I assume?

[@GCFD]

Yes I have gotten some new equipment! It makes a huge difference.

[@dbest4541]

Shawn, what is the best way to seed a high traffic and usage area that is hard packed in a back yard in Charlotte NC? Thanks.

[@GCFD]

it might be to install Sod. Sod is as instant fix.

[@mathusvaiaoga9787]

Is the fabric absolutely necessary?? What exactly does it do significantly different than if you did without. Thanks.

[@GCFD]

It's not absolutely needed. It protects the soil under the rock from the swirling water and turbulence created as the rock disrupts the flow of water and slows it down.

[@peterhandelson1193]

How about fanning out the edges of the channel near the pond?

[@stueyg5954]

Love watching your videos you definitely do good work. Interested in getting a quote for a job near Greensboro about 20 min SE in Staley NC.

[@usmc1992usmc]

Haha! Another awesome video! Great job!

[@gattie12ben]

Epic video once again

[@GCFD]

Thank you ben!

[@peterlosangelos4108]

I am enjoying your videos. Just to proof that i paid attention and to increase your YT stts with some conversation here :) : Cant judge the slope of the parkingspace from the video. Looks like a quite some falloff right alongside the parkingspace. What about elevating ground alongside parkingspace with the extra dirt excavated to make sure it follows direction to your riprap channel? The previous contracter also put stones in the center of the field. Of course this was written during the beginning of the video and i was not patient enough to wait for the end :)

[@GCFD]

Yes that would help direct water into the channel for sure!

[@johnclements6614]

The objective is to get the water into the pond as slow as possible. Too much water at once and the pond will overflow flooding property downstream. The pond most likely would be sized for the water to flow over the grass rather than be directed down one channel. The riprap is only required because there is too much water running at one point. If it could have been spread out no riprap would have been required. The people who dug the pond should have filled the area where the water flowed so that it spread out; Shawn's riprap is most likely the cheapest way to protect that defect from erosion.

[@kendee8049]

Shawn, a plumber's drain camera that plumbers' snake through drains for location and inspection would help you find buried drains and also inspect non working drains.

[@alibuolayyan9038]

Good job. I think you should have made the rocks in the shape of a delta at the end and the beginning

[@GCFD]

We did that a little at the end but it could use being wider. The beginning didn't need it because the water was telling us where it was jumping off the parking lot.

[@alibuolayyan9038]

@@GCFD 👍👏

[@1kreature]

No fabric on the sides? That will allow a lot of growth in from the sides over a short amount of time tho?

[@klaernie]

Gotta love the jiggly mountain of dirt at 5:40

[@GCFD]

Hahah my stabilization software did that and I reasoned it was better than the whole thing being shaky.

[@klaernie]

@@GCFD yeah, just hella funny 🤣

[@joedoakes8307]

Be sure and line the ditch with a plastic liner , before adding Riprap so as to prevent any regrowth of weeds and or grass so the Flow of water won't BE affected !

[@26alexther]

What was that black fabric they used?

[@debbieschmidt9316]

So we have farm land with really poor drainage. We regularly have shallow lakes in the middle of a field, and a creek for it to drain to. Do you think it would be more economical to put in drain tile or something like that rip rap channel??

[@GCFD]

Can you grade it to drain better or is the land extremely flat? If it's flat a channel might be good because it creates a low area for the water to collect and stay even if it doesn't flow super well.

[@debbieschmidt9316]

@@GCFD thank you for the quick reply! Yes, it’s very flat. I’ll suggest we go the channel route! Thanks again!

[@mandiegarrett1706]

We are in Arkansas and we have high compacted clay dirt with rocks so can we do dry creek bed or rip rap WITHOUT fabric?

[@Bluewingsniper92]

Nice drone shots

[@GCFD]

Thank you! I've been trying to get better with the drone drainage shots 👍

[@jakebaxa]

Dig It!! Love it !

[@GCFD]

👍👍

[@kennith.]

Shawn a quick question. IS Riprap more expensive than concrete?

[@GCFD]

No riprap is farrrr cheaper in materials, prep, installation.

[@johnclements6614]

It would be quite expensive to put bumps in concrete to match rip rap. You could insert concrete bricks to slow the water down. it would not look as good as the stone.

[@TheWolfster001]

Nice job.. Thank you for sharing..

[@edcannon6392]

Did you get rid of this Volvo skid loader? i notice you are using another one curently. Thanks.

[@GCFD]

Ed this is a 10.5k machine so I use it on large projects. I now have four skids (including the little mini skid) so I have a nice size range.

[@RyJones]

Almost 32k subs!

[@GCFD]

Haha Ry! I noticed that today too!

[@G.I.JeffsWorkbench]

Great job. One question (NOT intended as criticism): was there a reason why you installed the road fabric in pieces / sections, instead of unrolling it? Looks like the time you spent getting the grade right was well worth it.

[@CraigForest]

how did you decide where in the parking lot to put the mouth of the new rip rap river?

[@GCFD]

I should have talked about that but I let the water tell me where it had been. By identifying the eroded channel I knew where the water was flowing. Great question.

[@nox6095]

why didnt you drape the liner all the way up the sides to prevent the sides collapsing?

[@GCFD]

We used the riprap against the sides but you could definitely line the fabric on the sides as well.