What the heck am I digging into ?

[easyrider]

I started digging post holes and every hole required jack hammering . It's like a seam of tanish, whitish , greyish concrete with big black rocks is under this virgin ground. Each hole has taken a good 90 minutes or better to get 20 inches. This isn't my first seam of rock excavation but is the first of this kind. Anyone know what it is ?

Bill

 

[DrQ]

In Texas, I'd say Caliche. IDK if you have that in your neck of the woods.

 

[Passepartout]

I dunno, Bill. It there a college thereabouts with some geology classes that you could take some samples to an instructor? Or maybe even a local rockhound club?

Around here' we commonly run into the lava cap that basically covers everything due to the moving hot spots that were once under the whole Snake River plain and Craters Of The Moon to Yellowstone. I can see that the stuff you have found doesn't look like lava. (or Basalt)

Another thought. . . How about your County Extension Agent? They have to know the makeup of the ground under crops.

 

[easyrider]

In Texas, I'd say Caliche. IDK if you have that in your neck of the woods.

I think you are right. I looked at images of Caliche and found a picture of what I'm digging through. It's a real job getting through that layer. It might take all summer, lol.

Bill

 

[billymach4]

There's Gold in them thar hills.

 

[DrQ]

I think you are right. I looked at images of Caliche and found a picture of what I'm digging through. It's a real job getting through that layer. It might take all summer, lol.

Bill

Down here, it's formed when rain leaches calcium carbonate from the soil and stops percolating at a certain level and starts depositing it to create an impermeable layer.

 

[Elan]

I agree that it's Caliche. We had it all over our farm in Easter Oregon. Had to excavate through it for our pump house, by hand. Not fun...

 

[Talent312]

Look for the buried treasure.
-- "Holes" (2003) - a movie.

 

[easyrider]

I agree that it's Caliche. We had it all over our farm in Easter Oregon. Had to excavate through it for our pump house, by hand. Not fun...

Tell me about it. I'm using the chisel on the jack hammer and a 6ft steel point. It's taking about 90 minutes a hole but if I include breaks it's taking 4 - 5 hours per hole. This hole with the big black rock bent the steel pole. I was able to bend it back. I'm going to have to make the hole bigger to get that rock out. What a mess my good ideas get me in, lol.

Bill

 

[davidvel]

I have no idea but would have guessed some very very old foundation. But your virgin comment nixes that.

 

[easyrider]

I have no idea but would have guessed some very very old foundation. But your virgin comment nixes that.

Originally I thought it might be old concrete from a canal but the rocks are too big and everything breaks too easy with the exception of this rock in the picture. The rock doesn't want to break so it will probably need to be dug out.

Bill