Are you dragging your feet on scheduling excavation services in Central Washington? Planning your excavation at the right time to manage weather and its impact on your soil conditions can help you avoid costly excavation challenges and delays. Learn how weather and soil conditions impact your excavation timeline and keep your project on track with these tips from Fisher Construction.
How rainy weather affects excavation
Rain increases the risk of soil instability and collapse, causing significant project delays.
How freezing weather affects excavation
Freezing weather makes excavation slow and difficult, adding to your timeline and costs.
How soil conditions affect excavation
The type of soil and its impact on drainage and stability influence the tools, techniques, and timing required for a successful excavation.
Planning prevents seasonal excavation issues
Adjusting your excavation schedule to minimize the impact of problematic weather conditions ensures timely project completion.
How Rainy Weather Affects Excavation
Our experienced residential and commercial groundwork contractors strongly recommend against excavation in rainy seasons. Rain is a common cause of delays in excavation projects. Frequent and heavy rains soften soil, causing or worsening instability and increasing the likelihood of collapse. Puddling water can fill excavated trenches and holes, requiring pumping. Altered water flow patterns may increase the risk of soil erosion on the site, compromising existing foundations, driveways, and retaining walls, leading to future structural issues if left unaddressed. Oftentimes, work must stop until the weather and ground conditions improve.
How Freezing Weather Affects Excavation
Frozen, dense ground presents major challenges during excavation. Freezing temperatures can cause trench walls to become slippery, sharp, or unstable. Specialty groundwork equipment, such as frost teeth, jackhammers, and thawing equipment, is often needed to accomplish digging. Installing electric, water, and sewer lines may be delayed to avoid future risks due to brittle, unstable soil conditions. If backfilling is needed, it must be stored and replaced later with unfrozen soil to prevent shifting or settling. Shorter shifts may also be required to protect workers from frigid temperatures. To prevent significant project delays and cost increases, we recommend avoiding winter excavation.
How Soil Conditions Affect Excavation
Soil type has a significant impact on its moisture-retaining and structural properties. Testing is essential before beginning your excavation project to identify potential soil-related issues, ensuring proper planning and an accurate timeline:
Sandy soil
Loose, sandy soil more easily collapses, requiring reinforcement.
Clay soil
Fine clay soil particles can retain a significant amount of water for an extended period, delaying excavation after heavy or prolonged rainfall.
Rocky/compacted soil
Dense soil and rock are difficult to remove, requiring heavy machinery and longer excavation times.
Unstable soil
Unstable soil may shift, requiring stabilization or removal and subsequent backfilling, which adds time and expense.
Poorly draining soil
Fine soil, improper sloping, inadequate drainage, and other site conditions that impact puddling and flooding on-site require additional drainage and erosion control measures before excavation.
Proper Planning Prevents Seasonal Excavation Issues
DJ Fisher understands how seasonal weather impacts excavation, planning your project accordingly. We have decades of expertise working in Central Washington weather, keeping your property’s unique soil conditions in mind to schedule excavation services at the right time of year to reduce project disruptions from:
- Dense, frozen winter soil
- Spring rain and mud
- Summer heat and hard, dry drought conditions
- Fall unpredictability, from frequent rain to early freezes
Avoid Excavation Project Delays and Added Costs
Learn how weather and soil conditions impact your excavation timeline and plan for success with help from Fisher Construction. Contact us at 509-424-6072 to discuss your upcoming residential or commercial construction project in Yakima, Selah, Moxee, Naches, Sunnyside, Toppenish, Wapato, or Zillah today.
