Page 198 - Moving the Earth_ The Workbook of Excavation

BASEMENTS

4.38 THE WORK

FIGURE 4.34 Basement digging in a hill.

The sidewalk edge of the pit might also be cut by a clamshell standing on the sidewalk. The
dirt could either be loaded into trucks or cast out into the pit in reach of the scrapers.
If additional fill is needed in the parking area, it should not be trucked in until the building
foundation has set long enough to give support to the driveway.
Hill Removal. It often happens that the building site slopes up from the street, sometimes very
abruptly. The hill must be removed, in layers if it is high enough, before digging down from the street.
Figure 4.34 shows one such situation. The first cut starts above the street level so a ramp is dug
up to it. When the top has been removed, digging is started at the street level, and the underground
cuts are taken afterward. Two or more shovels can work on the job, usually on different levels.
The upper cuts should be sloped so as to drain toward the street, but not steeply enough to cause
gullying and washing of dirt onto the street, as the contractor is responsible for any damages
caused by the work.