Observatory Project: Breaking Ground! Excavation Complete!
Date: Sept 5, 2024
Finally - we have broken ground!
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NOTICE!
This post shares my preliminary design thoughts for a Roll-Off-Roof Observatory.
I make NO representations regarding the fitness or soundness of the designs and design decisions discussed.
Use this information at YOUR OWN RISK!
If you decide to build your own version of this project, YOU ASSUME ALL LIABILITY for your efforts and their results.
Earlier Posts in this Series
I have been thinking about building an observatory for a while now. Below are previous posts that have led up to where I am today.
Observatory Project: A Final Update Before We Break Ground! Aug 2024
Observatory Project: Opening The Roof! Aug 2024
Observatory Project: Final Roof Track System Hardware Selection July 2024
Observatory Project: Designing Custom Steel Piers - Part I June 2024
Observatory Project: Galvanic Corrosion and a Change in Track Selection! June 2024
Observatory Update: Designing the Roll-Off-Roof Track System! May 2024
The Move is Complete, Now Pivoting to the Observatory Project! April 2024
An Observatory Project Update: Success! We Just Bought A Property and Will Be Moving! Nov 2023
An Observatory Project Update - One Year In Feb 2023
Goals for my Observatory Project March 2022
Breaking Ground!
After a very long time and a lot of work and planning, we have finally broken ground on the observatory project!
Farrell Landscaping and Excavation did work and did an amazing job!
The first task was excavation. Over a two-day period, Farrell Landscaping and Excavation came, and Chad and his crew transformed the top of the hill in my backyard.
The observatory will be built on the slope of this slight hill.
So, the goal for this work is to create a flat, level construction pad that is slightly larger than the actual building. The pad needed is 3' larger than the building's perimeter
This involves the following work:
Measure and place the corner posts for the pad.
Painting the outline
Preserving the N-S central line with posts well outside of the work zone.
Using a Laser Level to establish the height of the desired pad
Remove excess topsoil
Bringing in Crush-and-Run Gravel to fill the now leveled pad space
Compress the gravel in place - making sure it is level and at the right height
Take the excess topsoil and grade the surrounding areas - building up where it is low and cutting into the hill where it is high
The Equipment Used
The Excavotor - a back hoe like thing with a scoop shovel and small bulldozer blade. Seems weird to call it an excavator. The Excavator (the person or the company) uses an Excavator (the equipment) to Excavate!
The main business end of the excavator.
The small "bulldozer end."
A Roller or Compactor—this is, in my mind, a steam roller! It is used to compact and compress soil and gravel to make smooth surfaces. It uses its weight to do this, but it also has a mechanical oscillator that shakes or vibrates the ground in a remarkable fashion to settle things in.
The Roller - side view.
The business end of the Roller.
Dump trucks - are used to pull trailers with equipment on them and, of course, haul dirt and gravel. Two were used on this job: a smaller and a larger one. The smaller one was used when we were not sure how the lawn would hold up to the weight. When it held up well, then the larger one was used to bring a bigger load.
The large dump truck.
The smaller dump truck.
Laser Level - This self-leveling laser rotates and projects a beam that defines a fixed, level plane at the work site. It sits off in the corner of the area and runs continually. This is used with a graduated rod with a mounted laser receiver. Once set to the proper height of the desired flat plane, the rod can be put in any position, and the distance away from this plane can be determined with some precision. Using this along with the excavator, one can remove or add material until the desired level is achieved.
The Laser Level.
Doing The Work
I had already marked out the location of the observatory building and the 3-foot pad area around it. But I am far ffroma a professional. They were much more accurate than I could have been. They remeasured everything and found that while my measures were close, theirs were better. Once the measuring was complete, they pounded in four stakes - one at each corner, and then they painted lines on the grass for the area of the pad.
I wanted the building to be aligned north-south and had some trouble getting to the right. So, they preserved this line by moving stakes well outside the work area so it would not be disturbed.
Once this was done, they fired up the big toys and started to get busy!
Rather than elaborate on how they did this, I think it is best to show you the work done in the video below. This compresses work done over two days into a few minutes!
A Few Final Thoughts And Comments
It feels REALLY good to see things happening. I have been thinking about this for so long it was wonderful to take the first steps to make this real!
Chad and the company did a great job, and I was impressed by the skill shown in using this heavy equipment to adjust levels with a 1/2-inch level of precision. It was awe-inspiring to watch. Add to that - Chd and his entire team were really nice people and a pleasure to work with!
The oscillating action of the roller was a surprise to me. I could feel it working anywhere I stood on the property!
The yard and driveway stood up well to the heavy equipment. I expected more damage, but there was very little. They even loaded their large dump truck up the hill - fully loaded with gravel, it weighed 73,000 lbs and would be the heaviest thing we ever needed to bring onto the property.
Part of this was due to the nature of the soil. High density with a high sand content. Chad indicated this was great to work with and ideal for this building. Between the sandy soil and the gravel bed, I should have no drainage problems.
While I wait for the next construction steps to go forward, I now have an excellent level pad I can use with my little telescope! And I have already been out using it!
Putting the new pad to work!
What’s Next?
Now, I wait. The contractor must finish up some other jobs before he can move the crew over to my project. I hope that will be within this month.
The next steps will be to bore the holes for the building columns and the pier foundations, dig electrical trenches to the house and shed, and create forms for the concrete.
In the meantime, I have received the painted Piers and will be doing a post on how they came out soon. Stay tuned!
