fill dirt question

drkelly

drkelly

Dipstick who put two vehicles on jack stands
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Location
Oak Ridge/Stokesdale, NC
I'm going to either build a shed or have one built in about a year or two. The spot where I want to build it is not perfectly level. It slopes about 2' over a length of about 15-20'. Obviously I could build the shed on the slope and just use more blocks under the runners of the down hill side. I want to also create level parking spaces beside the shed so I can put my two trailers there. I would most likely put a layer of gravel down in the parking spot areas. We just had a patio built and I told them to put any excavated dirt in the future shed location to start leveling that area out. I am thinking about renting a dump trailer and getting a few loads to finish the job. The question I have is should I use just regular fill dirt, or sandrock? The cost difference between fill dirt and sandrock is not something I am concerned. I just don't want to end up with erosion or sinking/settling problems later on. This is something I don't know much about.
 
Also keep in mind the problem areas for erosion is where the roof drips. And you can always go more gravel or even splurge on concrete if you got issues later on.
 
"Sandrock" or ABC or something like that will be easier to compress than dirt. But it sounds like your timeline is long enough that it shouldn't really matter.

But if you build anything more substantial than a shed there, you'll want to go down through all that fill to get to clean bearing.
 
Just use sandy clay. If you want to keep it decent, keep it covered to keep it from getting too wet so you can compact it as best as you can. Your fill is only as good as your existing soul, so make sure you have something decent to start off with.
 
ecoast said:
Whatever you use, you will have to compact it...but you already know that
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Actually I didn't know that. I was thinking that if the dirt/sandrock sat for about 1+ years that it would be OK for a shed and parking a trailer on. Am I wrong? I guess I could rent a compactor if needed. I could also just drive my Samurai back and forth over the area a bunch of times, LOL.

We just had this house built about 2 yrs ago. Some of areas where dirt was moved around were super soft for about a year, but are now firm enough to drive my truck on. I actually got my Dodge truck stuck in one spot a few months after we moved in after some rain. That area is now firm enough for me to drive on even after some rain.
 
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Even if you were going to wait I think I would either roll it or compact it. I would hate to pour a slab and have it crack anywheres...
Hopefully a builder will chime in
 
ecoast said:
Even if you were going to wait I think I would either roll it or compact it. I would hate to pour a slab and have it crack anywheres...
Hopefully a builder will chime in
Click to expand...

I won't be pouring a slab. I am just going to build a shed with 4x4 treated runners that will sit on a bunch of solid concrete blocks that will sit either on the dirt or on a small bed of gravel in a hole.

It will look something like these picture I found on google:
ashedplans101.org_wp_content_uploads_2015_10_Build_a_shed_foundation.jpg


abestwaycontracting.com_images_foundation.jpg
 
Definitely compact it. And even if you do, it will probably still sink and settle over a couple of years unless it's exceptionally well compacted. Fill is fine for driving on, but I'd make darn sure the foundation for the posts was resting on undisturbed soil. When I built my shop, I recessed it inot the hillside so that the front edge was on undisturbed soil, and the back was several feet below the original grade. I then used all the dirt that was removed from the hillside to make a nice big flat area out in front that is level with the front of the shop.

Also, be aware of how water flows. You don't want water flowing through or pooling under your shed.
 
A good set of BFG's compact very well. Swampers I'd imagine even better for compacting.

I think of gravel as a "go as you go" sort of material. Now concrete is a whole other matter...
 
6BangBronk said:
Also keep in mind the problem areas for erosion is where the roof drips. And you can always go more gravel or even splurge on concrete if you got issues later on.
Click to expand...

I didn't think about that. I could add gutters on the front and back and pipe the water away to a safe drainage spot. I have no problem doing that.
 
Agree.
... and after having my shed/ shop on three quarter recycled crushed concrete for a couple years, I finally put down a flat wood floor. Having said all that I wish I had spent the money and did concrete. Just something to think about.
 
This is just a shed though, not a shop. I will not be doing any work in this shed. It will be used to store all our lawn and garden stuff plus spare car/truck parts so the current garage is not so cluttered. I may put a garage style door on one end so I can store my Samurai in there, but I doubt it. We had a 12x20 shed at our old house, and it was great for storing all the stuff I mentioned above. I am planning this one to be 12x24 with a steeper pitched roof than our old one to allow for some overhead storage.
 
If you're just building a shed with no plans for a concrete pad, I would NOT level it underneath. The better the drainage is, the longer the wood will last/ not rot or get moisture in it. You can always add gravel where you're going to park trailers or equipment.
 
I was not planning on making the spot level, just reducing the slope from 2' over 15-20' down to 4-6" over 15-20'. I read 2 percent grade is recommended for proper drainage. Hitching and unhitching trailers on a slope is annoying.
 
I have a plate compactor you can borrow if you decide to compact it.
 
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