Great googely moogely we’re moving dirt.

Ground rising!

Despite what appeared to be the wettest winter (and spring) since weather was invented, it FINALLY dried out enough to start the cut and fill work required to level the site inside the retaining walls.  And in my lack of knowledge, or extreme positivity, I hoped this would only take a few days! Ha!  Between building up a site 8-9 feet in places, crappy non-draining clay soil, glorious trees that block the drying sun – EVERYTHING takes longer than you expect.

Luckily, our GC decided that he’d bring his tractor and disc up the soil allowing things to dry faster, and then moving the dried soil for the next lift.  And then, the soil testing.  Who the heck knew the soil testing involved a radioactive testing device that uses 2 nuclear isotopes and has to be calibrated using their respective half lifes (lives?). Proctor testing involves taking soil samples and drying them in the lab, and determining dry density and then the level of moisture allowed and compaction required (both measured by the nuclear machine).  Passing grades mean the next lift can commence, failing grades mean more compaction.

Crazy radioactive machine measures density and moisture content.

The “good news” is that since we are compacting to the retaining walls, there won’t be an “spread” and loss of compaction and we can march on to footings.  Assuming the heat wave continues, and the pop up thunderstorms miss 15 acres in northern Wake County – we’ll be done with set prep this week.  Onward!  (finally)…

Sheep’s foot compacts the lift