Big rock in my way..

[Metal-Marc]

When I was a kid, the neighbor had a large rock in the middle of his field. One day he decided it had to go. He had a tractor and loaded and started digging. It looked like it was 3-4 feet across, but it turned out to be much larger. His loader wasn't up to the task and had another neighbor come over with his old D8 Cat. When the got done the had unearthed a rock the size of an Econoline van that had a weird nub on top that looked like a smaller rock. Another neighbor has an explosives license so they blew it into smaller pieces and hauled it off.

We had glacial till in the area, but that was the largest rock anyone had seen in the area. The glaciers from 14,000 years ago pushed it down from Canada.

Yeah, when I had a trench dug a few years ago, they came upon a rock they said was at least as big as an elephant and they had to go around.

Not sure whats larger, an elephant or an econoline.

 

[Metal-Marc]

So, not to be the primitive in the mix, but if you've got a lot of firewood/scrap wood in the area...

Grab a case of beer, build a fire on top of it and take a break. For about 4 hours. Keep it burning. Feed it like it's a party. After about hour four, stand about 10 feet away and dump about a five gallon bucket of water (an acid like vinegar works better) into the trench at it. It'll break. At least in half, if not pieces. Alexander crossed the Alps with that method, and I've broken a 6 inch granite slab with it.

That's just an excuse to drink beer.

 

[Metal-Marc]

Are you in Vancouver? Odds are that thing is sandstone and you'll make easy work of it...

Ever wondered what Vancouver is built on? This website tells you literally that

Vancouver is till, Richmond is new silt and clay and West Vancouver is a granite

www.vancouverisawesome.com

I had an old foundation on my property that I would have sworn was granite. It turned out to be sandstone and turned to dust when I had my wife break it all up with a sledgehammer.

There you go, have your wife break a sweat swinging a sledgehammer while you sit back and drink beer.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Feathers and Wedges to break it up.

I always wonder how well those would work in the rock/boulder is mostly below the grade ?

 

[karoc]

Thought line was “Oak tree you’re in my way”
Early 90’s I work in Massachusetts, where they would drill holes then drop charges and set them off at same time. Dozer would drag tire blanket over area first I guess to keep rocks from flying all over place

 

[MarcSeattle]

Yeah, when I had a trench dug a few years ago, they came upon a rock they said was at least as big as an elephant and they had to go around.

Not sure whats larger, an elephant or an econoline.

Think of a bull (male) elephant as a gray UPS truck on legs. That's not an exaggeration. 12' tall.

 

[Mikeske]

My choice is just rent one of these. Of course be sure to call before you dig to check for electric, telephone and gas in the area. The tractor is my tractor and the neighbor and I were digging for a new fence when he found a concrete slug for a prior fence.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

How is it no one has yet mention demo grout? If they did I missed it but there are a number of pictures in the Comments on this product:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EUBR2RY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[PCustoms]

How is it no one has yet mention demo grout? If they did I missed it but there are a number of pictures in the Comments on this product:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EUBR2RY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Post 9:

Expose as much of that bolder as you can so you know what you are working with.

After drilling holes in it, use Dexpan Expansive Demolition Grout. It can take 48-72 hours to work, but it will be broken up !

 

[kaymccampbell]

I broke off a 6 foot chunk off a bigger rock that was in my way with a drill, feathers n wedges. It took an hour, but went just fine,

 

[andyvh1959]

Was thinking-This gal :

That's a gal you don't want to piss off.

 

[Innovate1]

Got to blast a few boulders with my dad when I was much younger. Fun but you need lots of clear area. I think the drill or saw and break it up is a good, although slower, plan.

 

[MarcSeattle]

For some inspiration I've attached a couple of videos about the explosion that got rid of Ripple Rock in British Columbia in the middle of what is called the Inside Passage between Vancouver Island and the mainland. This is the main water route between Washington and Alaska. Lots of freight, oil, fish, and now cruise ships.

Ripple Rock was [was the biggest of big-*** rocks] less than 3 meters below the surface of Seymour Narrows. It was a major navigation hazard and caused about 120 shipwrecks between 1875 and 1958 killing at least 110 people.

Solution: dig a tunnel from dry land horizontally under the bottom of the channel, vertically up into the rock, excavate a cavern, fill it with 2,800,000 pounds of explosives, and light off the biggest non-nuclear explosion in history. Git 'er done!

 

[pcmeiners]

"fill it with 2,800,000 pounds of explosives, and light off the biggest non-nuclear explosion in history."

Not even close to the largest....

Largest artificial non-nuclear explosions - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[MarcSeattle]

That's quite a long list of much smaller explosions. I don't have time to read the whole list. When Canadian officials made that claim I think they were talking about an intentional controlled explosion rather than a wartime explosion of an ammo dump. Any larger intentional controlled explosions on that list?

 

[Jazz1]

Drill and pour DEXPAN or similar product into holes to break rock..the product expands. We carried similar product as I hauled explosives for 10 years…you could drill holes and use detonating cord to break a chunk off which is how granite is quarried but you still could damage the curb

 

[pcmeiners]

"I don't have time to read the whole list."

I already went through the list, you can do the same.

 

[Beelzeboss]

I have a different issue with a big rock at my place





I'd really love to remove it so I could extend the garage a bit but I'm terrified that I'd accidentally knock off a chunk so big it would take out the house that's ~1m away, or the garage that's partially underneath it! I think it's sandstone

 

[Metallitubby]

How deep do You have to go?

My ladyfriend says "all the way".