Earth Works

I knew that the area behind the chook pen would be a problem.

There was an embankment held back by concrete slabs.  Digging back the embankment to make room for the new siding looked daunting because the soil is a hard heavy clay loam this time of year so I decided to try to leave the slabs in place and somehow fix the screws along the lower joist,which was partially obscured by the slabs.

Embankment must be moved back from the shed

Embankment before it was moved back

I looked at the problem this weekend and saw that there was insufficient room between the shed frame at the lower part of the slabs for the new corrugated Colorbond siding and realized that the sheets that I had removed must not have extended all the way to the ground.  But on the brighter side I could see that with the siding removed skimming 300 mm off the face of the embankment would be relatively easy, and I would be able to remove the soil from the concrete floor below.

Yesterday I got to work.  First I figured out how to remove the heavy concrete slabs (roll them to the side rather than lift them out) then used a heavy bar from above to slice off the embankment. It was not easy work because the temperature hit 37C/99F but fortunately the area was well shaded in the late afternoon.  I  also had to be very careful about my lower back, and fortunately I still  have enough strength in my legs and shoulders to compensate for the tempermental back.

This morning I resumed work at 8  AM to take advantage of cool weather ahead of the expected temperature of 32C/89F and I finished the work at noon, just as the sun began to beat down directly on me.  I got in the house, took a cool shower, ate some cold water melon and grapes, then crashed out on my bed for more than an hour.

Embankment after digging

Embankment after dug back

I carted most of the soil to the site of a path that I plan to brick next spring after the winter rains have compacted the new soil.  I kept some of the soil above the embankment for filling in behind the concrete slabs.

Excess dirt on future brick path

I needed to do the work this weekend because I am expecting the load of corrugated Colorbond on Monday

After a hot and dirty session