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Explain this phenominum

PelicanPelican Member Posts: 1,061 ✭✭✭✭
edited February 2002 in General Discussion
I just dug a hole about 2 1/2 feet deep with post hole diggers. The hole was about 6-7 inches in diameter. I stood a piece of pipe 3" in diameter in the hole. Then I filled in the area of the hole around the pipe with the dirt that I took out of the hole.Now, why instead of having dirt left over (I mean the pipe displaces area), I did not have enough dirt to adequately fill the hole.All you fizzazist out there get to work on this and let me know.
The Almighty Himself Entrusted the Future of All Living Creatures to a Wooden Boat.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -"Audemus jura nostra defendere"
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Comments

  • chesuschesus Member Posts: 145 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think this "phenominum" may not be best explained by a "fizzasist." I cannot answer the question and I think you may want to refer to a "Murphy's lawyer."
    Taste my Wind Fist!
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  • gap1916gap1916 Member Posts: 4,977
    edited November -1
    My best guess is that you compressed the dirt more so than when you dug the hole. Thus more dirt fit into a smaller place.
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  • Gordian BladeGordian Blade Member Posts: 1,202 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Your problem is obvious, I'm surprised you didn't see it immediately. You are doing your digging in inches instead of metric units. The laws of physics, in this case the conservation of dirt, only apply to metric units.
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  • steve45steve45 Member Posts: 2,940 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    This is a sign that you should have gone shooting instead of digging post holes. Some other signs are taking a garbage bag out to a filled container or wanting to wax your car with a cloud in the sky.
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  • badboybobbadboybob Member Posts: 1,658 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Pelican I don't know what a fizzasist are.The problem you describe is an ancient one.When you dig a hole you are removing the soil that was placed there by nature. Soil is a mixture of air, moisture, and "dirt". When you dig the stuff up you compact it by compacting the air structure. Then when you put it back in the hole the air structure is gone and it has less volume. The dirt going back into the soil has the same mass, but it is compacted.
    PC=BS
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  • njretcopnjretcop Member Posts: 7,975
    edited November -1
    The missing dirt is:A. On the bottom of the diggers shoes.B. On the post hole digging tool.C. Compacted from being stepped on.D. All of the above.
    It's the stuff dreams are made of AngelNRA Certified Firearms InstructorMember: GOA, RKBA, NJSPBA, NJ area rep for the 2ndAMPD. njretcop@copmail.com
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  • Big Sky RedneckBig Sky Redneck Member Posts: 19,752 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    No No No y'all got it wrong! Them little critters took it when you wasnt lookin! I seen 'em do it ! I swear! It's happened to me before, they sneak in and take it and giggle at you you. Beware, I see they look like little martians and they carry .218's chambered in handguns!!! Watch out! They want your dirt to build a new world! Don't beleive me? ask Judge, he will tell you!
    If you want my guns you will have to kill me first. I was born free and to take that from me you better be ready to fight.
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  • whiteclouderwhiteclouder Member Posts: 10,574 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Poop:What you describe is physically impossible. New (undisturbed earth) is compacted, removing it adds air, thereby adding volume. If you will pay airfare and expenses I would be happy to fly in and consult.Clouder..
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  • pops401pops401 Member Posts: 616 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Compaction. Years ago I worked as a lineman, and when we set telephone poles, the foreman would add 2 shovelsfull of dirt to the hole to insure we tamped it in enough. No mounding up around the pole either.By the way Pelican, how bout the picture? Who was right?[This message has been edited by pops401 (edited 02-14-2002).]
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  • XracerXracer Member Posts: 1,990 ✭
    edited November -1
    No, no, no! You've all got it wrong!There's a black hole in space (out near where Judge Dred lives) that's a collecting point for all those mismatched socks from clothes dryers, ballpoint pens, posts that get poofed by Nunn, a bunch of my old Zippo lighters, eyeglasses we put down and can never find.....and all other kinds of neat stuff we lose.And now, we can add to that, some dirt from Pelican's hole. [This message has been edited by Xracer (edited 02-14-2002).]
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  • badboybobbadboybob Member Posts: 1,658 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    7mm has it right! The rest of you are full of condensed dirt!
    PC=BS
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  • Judge DreadJudge Dread Member Posts: 2,372 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It is that the hole got wider ,next time dontput so much presure on that hole with that big pipe.
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  • varmit huntervarmit hunter Member Posts: 1,674 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Tell you the country boy verson.Do the same thing on a full moon,Try it on no moon.You will see a difference.If not I will fly in with clouder to consult.
    A unarmed man is a subject.A armed man is a citizen.
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  • jastrjastr Member Posts: 463 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hey xracer dont forget about that 1 shoe on the freeway! Ps. just dig another hole somewhere else and use that dirt
    lets all be responsible! shoot a criminal!
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  • RosieRosie Member Posts: 14,525 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You may want to look down into the pipe.
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  • timberbeasttimberbeast Member Posts: 1,738 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think you have some sort of "sink hole" at the spot where the hole was, either a small spring, or an artesian "vessel" of some sort, or very porous soil. I can tell you from personal experience that two (2-ton) dump truck loads of dirt are discarded from the displacement of a burial vault in one grave (yep, I used to dig them). There would still be a 2-3 foot mound which had to be mechanically tamped before sodding.
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  • competentonecompetentone Member Posts: 4,696 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    JD has it right; the hole got wider.As you're digging with the post hole digger you're forcing the circumference of the hole wider; the final volume of the hole is greater than the removed soil.The compressed and slightly swelled earth around the hole is not as noticable as the seeming missing soil.Really big stuff can be "driven" into the right soils--the soil is displaced, but you can't perceive it visually.(Although, 7mm nut's explanation is a possibility too.)[This message has been edited by competentone (edited 02-14-2002).]
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  • PelicanPelican Member Posts: 1,061 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks to all y'all fer yer wisdom.Oh Pops: Allendan was the first to get it right.And clouder, just keep checkin' yer mail box. You plane fare and expense money is on the way. Look fer en envelope with Ed's picture on it.
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