Excavating supporting floor to lay limecrete

[briany]

Thanks Gervase, the exhaust issue did come to mind. I'll be hoping that a stiff sea breeze with all the windows and doors open will keep it to a minimum, or else I'll keep the use of a digger to a minimum. I had already planned on using a conveyor, though I did find a blog from a chap renovating a structure in France that gave something of a thumbs down: http://radio.weblogs.com/0136203/2007/11/18.html#a497

I understand on the angled approach to the walls. I will be excavating at least a metre in from the walls, this should provide a good margin of safety, added to the compacted, stony and dry nature of the subsoil.

 

[ljn]

I used a hand held pneumatic breaker to dig the concrete and underneath was chalk which was broken up with a pick and shoveled out.

 

[AMc]

The comment about how powerful the digger is brought to mind another memory...
One of the builders reckoned that the power/weight ratio on their Hitachi was so high that with well compacted subsoil it might well drag itself forwards across the floor rather than pull out the chunk of spoil.
While that might be quite amusing at first I imagine the bucket finally breaking free and hitting the ceiling or the digger dragging itself into the wall would be less funny.