[Stonehenge]

I already am. The guns on the machine pictured on top of that stone are already starting to wear out....

Putting that stuff in was a blast.

[dan deutekom]

I wasn't here for the installation of this one but I am quite intimate with it. It is granite and has a hole bored down the centre so that water is pumped out of it creating a very pleasant water feature. Size is 12' tall by about 7' diameter.

[Stonehenge]

Wow - that is cool!! And knowing how much our stones weighed, that one must've been a real monster!

I would guess that stone would weigh in somewhere around 75-80,000 pounds. Ours were 3,000-4,500.

I bet it's a fun one to just sit and look at.

We were at our big stone project for a little while today - I guess they've become the hit of the neighborhood - they've met all kinds of neighbors they never knew they had, from them all stopping in to see what the heck was going on in their yard.

[dan deutekom]

Every time I look at it I wonder if I could get our Case 1845C skidsteer to move it just a little to the left

[Just Turned Pro]

That looks familiar? Is it in a park in Vancouver?

[dan deutekom]

Well it is Canada. It is Rosetta Mclain Gardens. The best kept secret in Toronto.

[Tim]

I have no idea how load or unload these stones, but I have talked with a contractor down in Texas about how he transported a boulder the size of a small garage. They used a monster oil well rigging truck. I have never seen one before, but it must only feed at night!

[Stonehenge]

I have a new issue I want to address with the mambo-jamba stones - because they are limestone, the stone is in layers, and because we placed them vertically, the seams between those layers are now exposed to the elements. Nothing bad has happened to them, but I can see how something might over time. Specifically, I'm concerned about water getting into the seams and splitting the stones in winter. Is there some kind of sealant that would help to protect these seams?

[Bill Schwab]

Get a 330 Cat excavator with a 360° rotator and a claw bucket. Grab em and set em anywhich way ya can.

[Paul]

I wouldn't worry about it. We have had stones set on and in rivers and lakes without any problems. Locally Sears Headquarters business park in Hoffman Estates has had stones set vertically for the past 20 years without any problems.

[VoodooChile]

I wouldn't doubt Paul on this, except I have noticed that older pieces of flagstone I remove/replace frequently have seperated into thinner sheets.

Of course this stuff is set horizontally at ground level, perhaps increasing the chances for water to soak in, freeze, expand and cause the sheeting.

The vertical stones probably shed all rainwater, and most snow melt, and don't absorb enough water to suffer the ravages of freeze/thaw...just a theory.

[Prosno]

I think your project is absoloutly wild, we work with large stone when we can and its more fun than any other projects we handle. I'll post some pics of our work when I can. Stone work like that isnt something the average landscaper does so its very different and also an added nitch. looks great!

[Stonehenge]

Thanks Prosno - It was a blast to put in.

[greg9504]

Pulling up this thread...

For Dan D. you mentioned digging a 4' hole. Did you actually put 4' of stone in the ground? Or did you fill the hole up with crushed stone a bit (1'-2') before placing the stone?

For Stonehenge - It looks like the biggest stone is sticking out about 8' above ground. How much is below?

I'm looking to do something similar and just can't image hiding 4' (frost line here) of stone below ground. So I am thinking of concrete with stainless pins or setting it in wet concrete.

I set this smaller granite column. I think total height was about 4', about 3' above ground. I set it in concrete about 7" - 12" thick (bottom wasn't flat) to stabilize it. It's hard to tell from the picture but I then added about 5" of soil (clay) over the concrete ring to bring it to grade. I realize this isn't ideal. I had the stone, decided I wasn't going to use it for what I had originally planed and next thing I know I'm mixing concrete at 10:00 pm and setting the stone

Anyway I plan to grab 2 longer stones in the 7'-8' range and put them near this one. Hopefully spending more time planing things this time



Thanks.

[dan deutekom]

We put about a foot of "A" gravel in the hole, compacted it and then put 3' of the stone into the ground surrounded by "A" gravel that was compacted.

As a side note that old crane truck in your picture looks very familiar. Did it use to be purple in its younger years? And by the looks of the interior it was origionally white?