Stumped

[550Doug]

I have a roadway to clear through some standing pine and spruce to access a spot for a new shed on sloped area. I can remove the necessary trees but was wondering whether leaving the stumps (10 to 16 inches in diameter) in the ground would create future problems. I suspect that stumps with fill over them would be OK for a roadway, but can I place and pack fill on the slope that is then covered by a cement floor for the shed? At the deepest spot I would probably have 3 feet of fill over the stumps before the cement floor is poured on top. Any suggestions or ideas???
Thanks

 

[El Toro]

I would remove the stumps. Hal

 

[rustyfarmall]

Those stumps will eventually decompose and rot away, and then the soil around them will settle, and eventually you will have big holes. If all of this takes place under your new concrete, there is a very real chance that the concrete will give away.

 

[Goose]

I assume you mean a concrete floor instead of cement. Cement is what holds sand and water together to form concrete.

Now that I'm done being a smart-alec, I think the only concern I would have would be the wood rotting away and leaving a weak spot in the substrate. And whether that would be a problem depends on the thickness of the floor, reinforcement in the concrete, and the amount of weight put on it.

 

[MN Scott]

Remove the stumps that will be under the floor! They will rot and you will have problems with the floor setteling and cracking. You can leave them under the road and just add gravel as they rot but if it was me I would grub them all out.

 

[550Doug]

Thanks folks for the quick replies. I guess I'll start ripping out the stumps.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I'd say take the stumps out, but cut em high, like 2 or 3 feet, that way you have some leverage and something to pull/push on when you remove them.

 

[James Howell]

You are exactly right about the rotting pine.

I cut trees off flush with the ground.

Dig out around them with a 'grubbing' hoe first.

Cut them flush with the ground.

Cover with dirt dug up with grubbing hoe.

Yes, it does shorten the 'life' of the chain on the saw - but I only have to cut it once.

 

[george md]

Doug,

Having done quite a bit of clearing,I
would suggest that you tip the tree over before
you cut it off the stump ,that way you have a
long handle to push on or pull with long cable.
Most likely you are going to need fill on the
lower side to keep the footing from moving or
freezing and moving, so take the material out
of the inside to use for fill. That will give
you virgin soil in which to dig your footings.

george

 

[Dick L]

Sealed under ground with a concrete floor over the top they probly won't rot in your life time. They bring up logs that have been under water for a 100 years and they have not rotted. Big bucks for them as well.

A road built around a lake back before my time, the stumps were covered with gravel fill and then some time in recent years was covered with the chip and seal tar and stone. Every now and then you can see a round stump top shape start to show before they real seal.

 

[Don L C]

No problem covering stumps with 3 ft of fill.....but the ones you want out...leave 8 -- 10ft so the dozer has leverage to push them over.....

 

[550Doug]

What is a grubbing hoe????

 

[James Howell]

Send me an email.

We will post a picture and explanation/description on Monday.

 

[El Toro]

Here's what one looks like. Hal

 

[tractormiallis]

If you have ever watched a highway being built, they rip out the stumps and haul them away. They never ever bury them for if they did the concrete, ashphalt or gravel would settle as the stumps decompose. If you bury the stumps under your concrete floor you never will get adequate compaction and the floor will settle and the stumps will rot and the floor would crack terrible. Now, for your driveway, if it is just a drive with not lots of traffic you might be able to just cut the trees off at level and gravel over them, just dont pave it until they are well rotted out in a few years or else you will have a cracked drive.

 

[tiresntracks]

If those stumps are sealed under a lot of compacted fill they may never rot. But then again, they might. So, why take the chance? Dig them out.