Generally speaking, in order to prepare the ground for a concrete slab the first step is to remove all the organic material such as sod and topsoil, it is preferable to excavate down to clay. In order to create a proper base a minimum of 6 inches of compacted Flex Base should be installed under the slab so you must take into account the thickness of the slab plus the 6 inches of flex base and excavate to the desired depth. If you have not removed all the organic material at this point it is best to continue excavation and then build up with select fill or flex base to the desired elevation. The flex base must be installed in layers and properly compacted with a plate tamper or roller.
First things first you are going to need to decide what kind of pond you want on your property, weather it is a swimming pond, pond for fish, or to water animals or simply just to act as a water feature. The purpose of the pond will have a lot to do with determining the size, shape and depth. Once you know these things the next step is to find a suitable place on the property and then dig a test hole to see what type of soil you have. When it comes to ponds clay is your friend. You want to avoid sandy soil, rocky soil or clay with too much sand in it as these soil types will not hold water. You are looking for good solid clay, otherwise you may find yourself with a giant hole in the ground that will require a liner in order to hold water.
In the city of Dallas, the process for demolishing a house is as follows; firstly, you as the homeowner will need to apply for a Master permit for demolition, the city will need to know who is completing the demolition. You should have the home tested for hazardous materials such as asbestos. Once this is completed and a demolition contractor has been retained the next step is to apply for a utility disconnect, a permit is required in order to have the power and gas disconnected from the property. At this point the home is ready to be demolished. It is a great idea to contact a non-profit organization such as habitat for humanity and allow them to remove any items of value such as doors, hardware and kitchens from the home to be sold or used, doing so can also reduce your tax liability. Once the home has been stripped of valuables the demolition contractor will generally use an excavator to tear the home down, forcing all the debris into the basement with the machine and then loading all the debris out into garbage bins to be hauled away to the landfill to be sorted and disposed of. Once completed the lot can be prepared for the new construction project.
There is no one answer fits all, it is always dependent on the condition of your existing line and the number of obstacles present on your property. If your existing line runs under a structure such as a deck or garage of expensive landscaping then pipe bursting will generally be the best option. If your line does not run under any structures then it depends on the condition of your existing line. If you have any long sags in the line or if it is already collapsed then pipe bursting may not be the best option, even though it is less invasive it is not always the best method to replace your sewer line.
Soil moisture conditioning refers to the process of preparing the soil for construction of a structure or slab. This is achieved by either reducing or increasing the moisture content of the soil to a pre-determined level in order to prevent unstable soil conditions from developing below the structure.
The process to moisture condition soil in North Texas is relatively simple although it is not overly easy, the area to be conditioned is over excavated down to the required depth the excavated material is then saturated with water until the desired moisture content is reached at which point it is re-installed and compacted in lifts in its original position, once completed the soil is typically covered with poly and then capped with 12 inches of either select fill or flex base.