Serious question, has anyone else had a backfill job go sideways because of the dirt?

I had to backfill a foundation for a new house in Cedar Rapids last week. The site boss gave me a load of what he called 'good fill dirt' and told me to just run the dozer over it. I did, but after the first big rain, the whole thing settled almost six inches in one spot. Turns out the dirt had way more clay than anyone said. Now I'm thinking you really need to check the material yourself, even if someone else says it's fine. What's the best way you guys test dirt on site before you start packing it down?

2 comments

2 Comments

bettywright1mo ago

Honestly, you just got bad dirt. Boss should know his material. I'd never trust a load without checking the texture myself first.

wilson.jana1mo ago

Wait, you check the dirt texture yourself? I just assumed the boss would handle that stuff. That's a lot of extra work to do on every load.