| Author |
Message |
r jensen (63.231.61.100)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2004 - 3:48 pm: | |
You know what this country really needs …, a cheap, safe efficient service pit. I don’t think that there is anything you can do that will net the longevity and reliability built into a bus than having a service pit at hand. It just takes the hassle out of so much. I have most of this September off and my first priority will be to build a pit.
First there is very little information on the net about building one. The pit I have in mind will be roughly 14 feet long, around 5 feet and a width of 12” less than the track of the rear wheels. I would like to plumb it for air and electricity, have stairs instead of a ladder. The people I’ve talked to don’t like the darkness of a pit or not having tools close at hand, or the safety issue of falling in. I would like to include florescent lights, built in notch’s for removable floor panels and cutouts in the walls for tanks and a small chest.
I thought I would build it like a foundation …, dig the hole, layout a floor and footing, pour, then build the wall forms and top. I’m having a problem with the dimensions, for the footings, walls, spans etc. If anyone has experience with pits, or knows anyone that does, I would like to hear from them. If there is real interest in this I will pass alone any information, design, as well as progress reports. |
bowlingshoegiverouter (65.179.192.226)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2004 - 3:58 pm: | |
I built a pit years ago...kinda 'shadetree' compared to what you are thinking..all this elec. & tools & stuff,guess you are thinking of putting it inside a building...mine, I rented a trencher,dug a rectangular box,filled it with concrete,came back a week later & dug the dirt out of the middle...trencher ,I think dug a 3" or 4" wide trench...but,they make them where you can turn the blades over & dig 6" wide...(no framework building,) |
r jensen (63.231.61.100)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2004 - 4:07 pm: | |
Shadetree works, for the air and electrical I'm thinking of just running a 6" pvc pipe through the wall form and plumbing the air and elctrical latter, how has this pit worked out for you |
bowlingshoegiverouter (65.179.192.226)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2004 - 4:20 pm: | |
I built it for cars...before I had a bus,can't get the bus close to it,it's on the west corner of my garage,& has a (low) a-frame over it,for chain hoist..I'm happy with it...trencher only dug 40" deep, below that is dirt walls(&dirt floor)guess you could find a trencher that dug deeper...it does fine for me.. |
Chuck Lott (68.215.244.91)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2004 - 5:03 pm: | |
rjensen, I've kept this link on my computer for my "Dream Garage"
Has good pit info- http://www.utbiz.com/shop/ |
Cliff (65.33.16.29)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2004 - 5:36 pm: | |
I saved the same info. I was thinking it would be easier to pour the floor with steel bent up, lay some blocks and pour solid with a tie beam across the top using cut out blocks. |
bowlingshoegiverouter (65.179.192.226)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2004 - 6:36 pm: | |
nice pictures,nice pit..mine cost 100.00 |
ChuckMC9 (Chucks) (66.167.143.218)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2004 - 11:33 pm: | |
Here's a link I saved a long time ago of construction of a barn with pit. Choose the Bus Barn link down a few from the top of this page.
http://www.guycarrier.com/bus/default.htm |
MC - Iv (24.83.128.151)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 21, 2004 - 3:40 am: | |
Before we built our pit I checked with Luke, (I think they have 3?) He was generous enough to give a detailed description on their construction.
We used his dimensions for size, and we made sure the concrete had "LOTS" of steel.
Iv. |
Peter E (Sdibaja) (67.117.219.151)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 21, 2004 - 8:18 am: | |
I plan such a project too.
What I have seen in commercial pits is the floor at 7 or 8 feet below grade and scaffolds of various height so you can work with your shoulders at the height needed fot the task at hand... better then crouching.
Also, make it longer than the bus, long enough to work anywhere and exit at either end.
Built-in tool racks, air, power, water outlets...
You will never get a chance to make it bigger!
PeterE |
r jensen (63.231.61.100)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 21, 2004 - 11:22 am: | |
So MC-Iv, how do I get a hold of Luke? How long did it take to construct it, did you do it yourself. What should I expect to spend. |
R.J.Bob Evans (64.110.227.72)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 21, 2004 - 11:26 am: | |
I too have been watching pits in anticipation of the bus barn we will build "someday". Another useful feature that I have seen is a roller track along both sides of the top that doubles as a pocket for the pit cover. If you embed 2" angle iron around the top of the pit you can then build a roller frame that will serve to carry tools or your waste oil tank and you will be able to easily slide it from one end of the bus to the other. I'd second the advice to make the pit longer than the bus and put steel stairs in at each end. |
James Maxwell (Jmaxwell) (66.81.215.198)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 21, 2004 - 12:03 pm: | |
Has anybody considered using a pre-cast concrete 1500 gal. septic tank as a basis for one. Remove the top, breakout the tank partitions, re-inforce the top rim, and go. Perhaps too narrow? but I think about 4' wide by about 12' long. |
John Rigby (24.174.238.253)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 21, 2004 - 5:33 pm: | |
Sounds good, how much are they? Were do you buy them? Can you get them in Texas?
John |
Tom Caffrey (Pvcces) (65.74.65.65)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 21, 2004 - 8:55 pm: | |
Visit a local Jiffy Lube. They have a good fall protection scheme and looks just about right. The one I use has the right width for our duals.
For what it's worth.
Tom Caffrey PD4106-2576
Suncatcher |
John Rigby (24.174.238.253)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 21, 2004 - 9:08 pm: | |
Tom.
Great, I,LL be over tommorow as I have still a little more work to do under the front end of mine. Tonight I took the wheels off shortend the drag link put everything back together, wheels on, tommorow I need to check and adjust the toe in.If I come across a problem can I leave it over the pit for a day or to until I get the part or find out from my bus buddies like you how to proceed.
Tom you know I am joking about coming to jiffy lube, but doing my own work a pit sure would be handy, |
MC - Iv (24.83.128.151)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 1:35 am: | |
r jensen,
Luke at US Coach.... uscoach@att.net
IIRC..Luke's pits are made of concrete blocks filled with concrete and steel reinforced. They put a 3" angle steel all along the top of both sides so they could rest custom made beams across the pit for jacking etc.
Our pit is 45' long and has poured concrete walls averaging 8" thick and well reinfored with rebar.
The walls vary in thickness because when we had the hole dug out, we built only an inside form and poured the concrete between the form and the soil.
We were fortunate that our soil is hard packed clay. We lined the complete hole with poly, set in all the steel, then built the inside form. The vertical steel was left above the hole about 2' and then bent over outwards and tied into the rebar for the concrete floor which we poured last along with the floor of the pit.
We left a channel on the side for lighting and power and used a 4" plastic conduit at each end to supply electric and air and anything else in future.
Once the hole is excavated, you certainly can build it yourself. The major cost is concrete and that will depend on what size you build. Steel is relatively cheap and we rented forms.
If you don't choose to build a really deep pit, consider say 4 feet deep and then use a seat on wheels to scoot around on.
HTH...Iv. |
James Maxwell (Jmaxwell) (66.81.40.129)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 9:56 am: | |
'Steel is relatively cheap...."? Have u priced re-bar lately? Rumor of suppliers is that it is going to 1650-1850/ton range. That ain't cheap. |
Scott Whitney (66.82.9.92)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 12:32 pm: | |
What are the pros and cons of pouring walls horizontally and then dropping them into place versus pouring the walls vertically in place?
I have a tractor with a front loader, so I think I could lift and drop walls into place if I added a lifting eye and if they were not too big as to exceed loader's load capability. But I have no other heavy equipment so everything else would have to be hired. (i.e. backhoe etc) However, a cement mixer attachment for the tractor would be purchased before I started the project.
How do you address drainage? Do you just pump out any liquid that gets in or is it better to dig a huge deep trench for a true drain. Seems like a lot of work.
My pit will start out life with no building over it and as much as I would love a swimming pool, I don't want one under my bus.
My whole shop will be built on a leveled slope, so it would be feasible to run a drain out to the low side. But sure would be a lot of digging. |
bowlingshoegiverouter (65.179.192.125)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 1:15 pm: | |
the bigger the pit,the more money,why not a ten foot long pit & drive the part you want to work on over it,......drainage? dig it two feet deeper than you want &put two feet of 1 1/2" gravel.. |
Scott Whitney (66.82.9.66)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 1:18 pm: | |
>>>drainage? dig it two feet deeper than you want &put two feet of 1 1/2" gravel..
With my clay-like soil here, that would just get me a pond with gravel at the bottom. . . |
bowlingshoegiverouter (65.179.192.125)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 1:37 pm: | |
welp...then it would have to be a automatic sump pump,(sears) |
Jimmci9 (209.240.205.68)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 2:14 pm: | |
scott.. you're writing about "tilt-wall" construction....basically you flatten out the ground... put forms up... line it with plastic... put the re-enforcing steel in.. then pour concrete...put pieces of steel in the corners to "weld' the pieces of concrete slabs together..stand the pieces up..or in your case, drop them down in a pit....lots of single story buildings are built this way....you can pour 1 slab on top of the other, using plastic, plywood, sheetrock.. anything to separate the slabs....cast some lifting eyes in and move as you are capable....1 yard of concrete will pour approx 50 sq feet, 6" thick... approximately...kinda rough estimates... its what i used when pouring flat work.. 80 sq ft 4" thick... 60 sq ft 5 thick.. 27 sq ft 12" thick....a slab can get heavy quickly... |
John Rigby (65.112.227.94)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 4:14 pm: | |
Drain by having a one cubic foot hole in one corner with a pump and pump the water out.
John |
Timnvt (64.91.164.111)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 6:28 pm: | |
Safety Item.
One point I have not read mentioned is ventilation. One individual I spoke to about building a pit said there is a safety issue with potentially dangerous fumes accumulating in a pit. Because my potential building site has a generous slope to the land, the idea of providing a ground level walkout on one end is my idea of enabling any fumes to escape.
For safety sake you might want to consider a positive air ventilation system to evacuate any harmful or explosive gases. Remember, propane seeks the lowest point, and we know propane leaks.
Timnvt. |
John Rigby (24.174.238.253)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 7:24 pm: | |
Good point Tim.I wounder how Luke adress the propane problem as he has coaches in and out like St Lukes hospital.
John? |