Choosing the Right Dirt for Land Grading
Dirt is a versatile substance for filling low-lying areas, building up mounds and berms, covering unwanted objects and spaces, and more. Studies show land grading or leveling costs $5-$10 per square foot. For example, if you’re building a deck, you’ll want to use sandy loam soil that’s easy to dig and compact. However, if you’re building a retaining wall, use clay because it holds its shape once compacted. In general, the types of dirt include sand, clay, loam, and gravel. Each of these behaves differently when compressed. Keep reading if you want to dispose of or acquire dirt for a project.
Choosing the Right Dirt for Your Slope Grade Job
If you’ve ever had to do slope grade work, you know there’s a lot of dirt to choose from. Here are some tips for selecting the suitable soil for your next fill task:
Soil Composition: Consider the composition of the dirt around your site. It should be consistent with the area you’ll place the soil. If not, your wall could collapse due to different densities in the two dirt types.
Water Content: Find dirt with a relatively low water content to help avoid problems with erosion and sedimentation. It won’t compact well if your soil is too wet or dry.
Hardness: The harder a soil type is, the better it will hold up under pressure, but it may be more challenging to dig into or move.
Types of Dirt
Selecting your project’s dirt is essential, and here are some general types that work well as fill/slope grades:
Sand
This soil is composed mainly of minerals like quartz grains that are hard enough to scratch glass with but small enough not to clump together when wet. Shoveling and moving around is easy, but it tends to have less strength than other dirt. If you’re building up a hillside or grade with sandy soil, it might not hold up as well against erosion over time.
Clay
Clay soil is stickier than other soils because it’s composed of tiny particles with a lot of surface area. When you expose these surfaces to water, they attract other elements like sand and silt, creating a thick paste that becomes hard to move. It’s often used to make bricks and concrete blocks because of its high compressive strength, but it can be challenging to work with when wet.
This soil makes great foundations for buildings, but it’s not the best choice if you’re looking for something more flexible, like filling low areas. You should never use this soil on slopes because they compress over time instead of expanding when wet, making it unstable as it dries.
Loam
Loam soil is a mix of sand, silt, and clay. It’s easy to work with because it doesn’t stick together too much when wet but still has enough strength to build things like retaining walls. It’s best for land grading because it provides structure to the earth while allowing water to drain, making it more resistant to erosion. You can also use it for many landscaping projects, such as ponds or flowerbeds.
Gravel/Stone
Gravels are rounder than rocks because water erosion has worn them down over time. Rocks are jagged pieces left over from when the earth was formed millions of years ago. You can use these types for fill projects like walkways, borders, and driveways, but not slopes.
Conclusion
The right dirt can make or break your next fill or slope grade project. Before you start mixing and matching, it’s essential to understand the types of soil available, how they’re used and why some are
better suited for specific applications than others. If you have or need dirt and need a reliable connection, Dirt Match offers support. We connect you to buyers and sellers looking for different soil types in specific amounts to save time and effort. Contact Us to quickly move your fill and save money on trucking and disposal costs.