How to Work Effectively in Sandy Soil
Whether you’re excavating, transporting materials, or simply navigating a site, sandy soil can present challenges in terms of traction, trench stability, and other aspects of construction and earthmoving projects. To help you overcome these issues and minimize costly delays, we’ve put together some crucial tips and recommended practices for efficiently digging and operating in sandy environments.
Select appropriate CTL and Excavator tracks
When working in sandy conditions, maintaining adequate traction can be difficult, particularly on slopes. We recommend opting for wide, high flotation CTL and excavator tracks. These wider options distribute weight more evenly, reducing ground pressure and lowering the risk of sinking into soft, sandy terrain.
Pick suitable skid steer tires
For non-tracked equipment like skid steers, both solid and air filled tires can provide sufficient grip in sandy soil. Look for skid steer tires with deep tread patterns, as these will offer the necessary traction to maneuver effectively on loose surfaces such as sand, gravel, and similar types of ground.
Exercise caution while digging
When excavating sandy soil, it’s crucial for operators to prioritize accuracy, restraint, and gentleness. Loose soils are easily disturbed, and cave ins are more likely to occur than when working in denser soil types. By proceeding slowly and steadily removing material in smaller amounts, you’ll enhance stability,
minimize the risk of dangerous and time consuming collapses, and improve overall project productivity.
Utilize the right bucket
Selecting the right excavator bucket or skid steer bucket is vital for successfully completing any digging or loading task. For loose, sandy soils, choosing a general purpose excavator bucket or skid steer bucket with wide teeth and curved edges is typically the best choice. These designs help minimize soil disturbance while still allowing for efficient digging and the movement of large material volumes.
Maintain clean tracks
Sandy soil often causes abrasion between components, accelerating wear on CTL and excavator tracks. Throughout the workday, use a shovel to clear the undercarriage and a pressure washer to remove sand and dirt from hard to reach areas.
Apply ample lubrication
Due to its abrasive nature, sand can be particularly harsh on your undercarriage, bucket, bushings, and pins. When digging in sand, we advise ensuring that all these components are well greased, lubricating them several times throughout the day or approximately every five hours. This practice helps keep sand away from sensitive parts, and any accumulated sand will be expelled when new grease is applied.
Implement proper trench protection
Installing trench protection is particularly important when digging in sand. Sloping and benching techniques, which involve angling the trench wall and creating steps, are generally less effective in sand due to its loose nature and poor particle cohesion. Instead, we suggest using shoring and trench shields. These systems employ metal supports to reinforce trench walls and prevent cave ins during excavation work.
Perform soil testing
Soil tests are critical for jobsite and structural safety, especially when dealing with sandy soil. These assessments help on-site experts determine the appropriate benching, shoring, and sloping methods. Understanding your soil’s physical and chemical composition also allows you to assess its weight bearing capacity for excavation and construction, as well as determine the necessary compaction levels.
Contact Us Today
If you’re interested in learning more about working on sandy soil or exploring options for your business, don’t hesitate to contact us at Luby Equipment Services. We’re here to help you find the right equipment to meet your needs and boost your productivity.