[Stonehenge]

I've landed a project where we're doing some hardscapes, but we're also planting some stones. By planting, I mean taking some long, narrow stones (anywhere from 6'-10' in length, 2'-3' diameter) and planting them into the ground 2-3'+, so that they are pointing skyward.

The idea is to create a bit of a spectacle, where people wonder if the stones are tribal in nature, religious, constructed by aliens , or whatever.

But I'm wondering how to best plant them. I would imagine the heaviest stone will weigh as much as 4.5 tons. Would this be as simple as digging below the forst line and sticking them in the ground? Would you pour any kind of footing?

For placing them into the ground we plan on having a short, sloped trench that we'll drag the stone into, then chain it to a truck to pull, while lifting on the other end with a skid steer.

[dan deutekom]

Did a job in a parkette that had this exact same situation. Our skidsteer could not lift the stone but it could muscle it around on the ground and lift 1 end of them. We just dug a hole about 4' deep and then pushed the stone to the hole. Then the skidsteer just picked up the one end. Filled in around the stone. A little pushing with skidsteer to make sure the stone was straight. Packed around stone with a jumping jack and then every thing was golden . We did 3 of them in a grouping about 7 years ago and they havn't moved.

[Paul]

I need a bit more info? What kind of stone are you using? how Thick is it, give me HxWxD.

[Stonehenge]

H - 6-10', 2-3' diameter. Type of stone - as yet uncertain. Open to ideas.

[Paul]

So your looking at boulders, not Lannon stone.

[Paul]

A 10' x3'x3' grainite boulder that size would weigh around 8 tons, I don't think your going to move it with a skid steer and a truck. For safety start looking for a crane in your area, or a good size excavator. We have set Lannon stone up like that with our LS 190 but the stones where only 6'x4'x2' we figured they weighted about 4 tons.

[Stonehenge]

Hmmm.... Budgetary constraints may not allow us to go hog-wild on subs with cranes - we may look for other alternatives to granite. I'd like to be able to tackle these ourselves with the eqpt we have.

[agla]

Is Stonehenge building Stonehenge?

[Stonehenge]

Heh-heh-heh. Maybe.

[PSUscaper]

Hello,

No doubt about it........I would call up my excavator and have him stop buy with a larger machine to set them up.

C'mon stonehenge............your always preaching about how time is money...................your telling us your gonna waste a good day (possible a few broken machines/trucks) on doing this yourself rather than just making a call, have the right machine come in, and have it done in a day (while the rest of your guys are doing something else making you $ instead of standing around watching your play with big rocks)

I understand the effect your going for.......we have a golf course I do a lot of work in and at the entrance ways they stand rocks up just like your talking about. Looks pretty cool.........and they did them in about 20 mins each with a large track hoe.

steve

[Stonehenge]

I had a heart to heart with one of our stone suppliers - he says he can quarry some stones that will be 2-3' wide, 12" thick, 9-10' tall. We walked through his formula for weight and they came out to be around 3,000 pounds (limestone). Heck, my skidder can lift 3,500, so I'm back in the game.

And yes, time is money, but I can't tell you how much I love installing BIG things. We had to manhandle some Sienna coping units today to make a staircase. Down a steep slope, wheelbarrow access only. I had a blast.

I dunno what it is, but it's like I've had a few drinks when I'm working with big stones - happy, joking, a bit goofy even. I say all this because I really want to install these stones. I don't want to watch someone else do it. I don't care if we lose money doing this portion - we'll make it up elsewhere. This is a part of the job that makes it a real blast.

You don't want me to not have fun, do you?

The quarry is going to select some stones for me to look at next week, to see if they have the look I'm after.

[PSUscaper]

I understand the feeling completely! but............

Too bad you weren't closer......these rocks out in E. PA are absolutely beatiful.............and FREE! (well, except for trucking, loading, etc. etc. etc......lol) This place is like a gold mine of landscape boulders.......everyhouse they have to hammer out the foundation for, and end up with piles of gorgeous rocks......I've never seen such great rock....I've been working a deal to have a few loads dropped off in exchange for a few plans.....

What pisses me off the most is they set up a crusher plant and are pulverizing all these beutiful rocks so that they can have crused stone........those bastards!!! there should be a law or something!

[dan deutekom]

Jeff

Go for it! You will have a blast.

A BOY AND HIS TOYS

Dan

[BRL]

I bet if we traced way way back, we'd find that Stone's lineage started in Egypt maybe? Now those guys would be laughing at us for trying to decide between a crane, skidder or excavator to move a big stone, or be extremely jealous that we have those choices LOL.

[Stonehenge]

It's funny - I was thinking - jeez, they built Stonehenge without the help of machinery (unless it was the building it), this shouldn't be so tough.