That time a post hole collapsed on me in a muddy backyard in Springfield

I was setting a corner post in this super wet clay soil last Tuesday, and the whole side of the hole just gave way and buried my level. My helper just stared at me, and I could feel the whole schedule slipping. I ended up using a piece of scrap plywood as a temporary brace to hold the dirt back while I got the post set and poured the concrete. Anyone else have a good trick for dealing with a sudden cave-in?

3 comments

3 Comments

victor_carr252mo ago

I mean, my main trick is just accepting that my tools are part of the foundation now. Had a shovel get swallowed up by a hole last month and I just left it there. Maybe it's just me but I figure it adds character to the fence line.

wright.taylor2mo ago

Honestly, that idea about leaving the shovel is just asking for trouble later when the ground shifts and it turns into a rusted hazard. Nobody brought up that you can dig a "relief trench" a few feet away to channel that wet clay's pressure sideways and keep your hole stable. Saves your tools and your schedule without having to bury anything.

xenawhite2mo ago

Wait, you just left the shovel in the hole? @victor_carr25, that's wild (and honestly kind of funny). I would have been digging for an hour trying to save a twenty dollar tool. The plywood brace is smart though, I've used a cut-up bucket for that same trick when the dirt wouldn't stay put.

-1