How to Make Sure You Get the Right Size of Skip Bin When Excavating Soil
Posted on: 18 July 2019
If you've recently moved into a rural home, then you may have decided to introduce a septic tank system and are about to begin work on its construction. You know that you will have to dig down in order to make room for both the tank and the drain field, so you will end up excavating a lot of soil. You may not have any spare room to simply disburse this soil on your property, so you will have to get rid of it instead. Consequently, you will need to bring in a skip bin but will need to get one that is of sufficient size for your excess soil. Why do you need to be careful as you plan?
Careful Calculations
As you get ready to install your septic tank system, you will have gathered details from its manufacturer and will know exactly how much room to make for the tank. You will also have a good idea of how large the drain field should be when it is installed. In theory, you can calculate the volume of the soil that you need to remove from this paper exercise. Armed with this data, you may be tempted to call your skip bin delivery company and order the bin, but you may not be working with the correct figures.
Expansion
If your calculations are based on the soil that you expect to dig out of the ground, then you are not taking into account the fact that it is heavily compressed. When you actually remove it and transfer it to a nearby pile, its volume is going to increase exponentially.
In fact, it could almost double in volume due to the additional space to be found in between the individual pieces of the soil. It will not be subject to natural forces that would otherwise compress it, and when you transfer to a skip bin, you may find that you've run out of room.
Consolidation
If you leave the soil for some time before transferring it to a skip bin and the weather takes a turn, you may also find that it is a lot heavier and more difficult to manage than it would have been if you had let it dry out. The soil will absorb rainwater like a sponge as it is sitting above the surface, and this will cause it to consolidate.
Guidance
It is always best to talk with your skip bin supplier in a case like this. They will help to guide you so that you always select a bin of the correct size.
Share