Moving really heavy rocks

[D&RW]

The plan for the new waterfall involves moving some very heavy rocks in a relatively small operating space. I've done some research and there are several mini sized earth moving types of equipment for rent including a front end loader and even a small crane. Each of these is less than 40 inches wide, but will lift a remarkable amount of weight.

I checked with my rock purveyor and was astonished at the potential weight of some of the rocks. He said a rock 3 ft X 2 ft X 2 ft would weigh between 1500-2500 pounds. He said a rough bulk density is 160 pounds per cubic foot. I'll update the forum with specifics once I'm on task.

 

[DrCase]

I use i hand truck with big wheels ,,, if i find a real big rock i like ,i use a winch to pull it up in my trailer,,,and winch it off the trailer into its spot

 

[D&RW]

I'm worried, frankly. I have a much damaged back and while it operates ok right now, it does not tolerate much labor. I'd love to use a dolly only, it'd be way easier and cheaper. However, it'd have to be motorized and then I'm not sure I could position the rocks with it.

 

[DrCase]

I use a back brace when i move rocks around,,
A few friends are nice to have around.......
Make sure you put a heavy linner under all parts of the stream..
And use the left over pieces to place under the lower rocks for padding

 

[D&RW]

Hi again Doc,

At my new job there is a waterfall I plan to copy. The way they did it was to create a cement cove with a 5-6 in. back wall that slopes up to a height of maybe 4-5 ft and then back down and forms a semi circle, maybe 8-9 feet from front edge left to front edge right. I assume I'll have to coat it with a sealant or cure it so it won't hurt the fish. Then they stacked the rocks inside the cement wall. Very clever. Of course, I could line it too if the cement can't be rendered harmless.

I have some photos of it and yesterday they turned it off so I got a few without the water. Much easier to see the construction and layout of the rocks.

This is my first pond and waterfall, but I did underlie each rock with extra pieces of liner and in the cases of sharp rocks with several.

Disassemble is going to be a major undertaking, but I plan to start this weekend. First I have to move some roses. I don't look forward to the mess, but I want to finish the new WF before the warm weather comes back.

My email is: (e-mail address removed) and I live in Salem, OR. I managed to resize one of the photos of the Silverton Hospital Waterfall. Poor quality, but it shows the basics.

BTW, I've always heard back braces didn't help much and even can give a false sense of security, but I'm willing to try one. Do you have an orthotic made for you or a store bought?

Friends to help. Yes indeed. I have two in mind who are both very strong. One, a neighbor, helped a lot with the first pond construction. Much stronger than I.

Rick

 

[DrCase]

I bought it off the shelf ..It seems to help ..I just put on tight...
If i were going thru the trouble of building a stream ,
Even if it had a concreat base , i would line it with 45 mill rubber.
were only getting older :icon_mrgreen:

 

[D&RW]

Today I spent a couple hours measuring and trying to visualize the new waterfall. I copied a couple articles from the web on building cement block walls. Did some drawings and more measuring. Then, I got my back-up filtration/water movement system started--all I need is a couple fittings and I can set it up and take the old waterfall offline.

Shouldn't move the roses till spring. That was news to me, but it's what the gardening folks say.

May line the final structure with liner before assembling the rocks. It certainly would be best. I'll be posting photos as the work progresses.

These photos are what I want my new waterfall to look like. The fall will be over 6 ft, so lots of sound too.

rw