Excavator Work: Clearing Land, Building Driveway, and Installing Silt Fence

Land Clearing and Brush Management

• 🪵 Log removal was a priority, with logs being loaded onto a truck and hauled away to clear the area.
• 💨 A large brush pile was created using excavators and grappler rakes, with plans to burn it later.
• 🌳 Efforts were made to clear brush and stumps, with some material being pushed into valleys to blend into the slope.

Driveway Construction and Extension

• 🛣️ The team worked on laying out and extending a circle driveway, utilizing available stone.
• 🚧 The clay base was noted as mushy due to rain, requiring a thick layer of stone for stability.
• 🪨 Plans were made to undercut an old section of road and use it as base material for the new driveway.

Silt Fence Installation and Erosion Control

• 🚧 Silt fence installation was a major focus, with trenching done to secure the fence.
• 🌧️ The work was driven by the need to implement erosion control measures before incoming weather.
• ⚠️ Running out of silt fence near the end of the job meant the installation was incomplete.

Equipment and Workflow

• 🚜 The 350 excavator was used for moving large piles of brush, while the 220 excavator with a grappler rake assisted in stacking brush.
• 🦺 A dozer was used for blading and leveling areas after brush clearing.
• 💨 The skid steer was utilized to move stone for the driveway, especially while the ground was drier.

Challenges and Future Plans

• 💧 The site experienced significant wetness due to rain, impacting ground conditions and work progress.
• 🚧 The lack of a suitable low area for burying brush presented a challenge for waste disposal.
• 📅 The team plans to return the following week to start work at the road and tackle some tricky tree removals.