revised March 15, 2000

SECTION XXIII

EXCAVATION AND BACKFILLING

This section includes guidelines for excavation and backfilling of utilities and structures.

A. DEFINITIONS

1. Open areas: Those areas that do not include building sites, paved areas, street
rights-of-way and parking areas.

2. Maximum density: Maximum weight in pounds per cubic foot of a specific

material.

3. Optimum moisture: Percentage of water in a specific material at maximum

density.

4. Muck: Materials unsuitable for foundation because of organic content, saturation

to the extent that it is somewhat fluid and must be moved by dragline, dredge, or
other special equipment, are designated as muck. No extra payment will be
made for muck removal.

5. Unsuitable material: Earth material unsatisfactory for its intended use and as
classified by the soils technicians. In addition to organic matter, sod, muck,
roots, and rubbish, highly plastic clay soils of the CH and MH descriptions, and
organic soils of the OL and OH descriptions, as defined in the Unified Soil
Classification System shall be considered as unsuitable material.

6. Suitable material: Earth or materials designated as being suitable for their

intended use by soils technicians or the soils e ngineer. Suitable material shall
be designated as meeting the requirements of the Unified Soil Classification
System types SW, GW, GC, SC, SM, ML, CI or as designated in these
specifications.

7. Select material: Granular material to be used where indicated on the drawings

or where specified herein consisting of soils conforming to the Unified Soil
Classification types SW, SM, GW, or GM or as otherwise approved by the
Engineer as select fill. Select material shall contain no stones or rubble larger
than 1½” in diameter.

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8. Crushed stone (gravel): No. 57 aggregate or equal conforming to ASTM C -33.

9. Excavation: Excavation of every description regardless of materials

encountered.

B. EXCAVATION FOR UTILITIES

1. Excavate for utilities by open cut.

2. Remove boulders and other interfering objects, and backfill voids left by such
removals.

3. Remove wet, or other material unsuitable for foundation or sub-grade and

replace with acceptable pipe foundation material.

4. Depressions:

a. Dig bell holes and depressions for joints after the trench has been
graded. Provide uniform bearing for the pipe on prepared bottom of the
trench.

b. Except where rock is encountered, do not excavate below the depth

indicated or specified.

c. Where rock is encountered, excavate rock to a minimum overdepth of 4"

below the trench depth indicated or specified, and to provide 6'
clearance in any horizontal direction from all parts of the utility and
appurtenances.

5. Provide depth of cover shown or minimum cover of 36", whichever is greater.

6. Where minimum cover only is required, carry excavations to depths necessary

to properly grade the pipe on tangents and vertical curves as directed by the
Engineer.

7. Provide minimum clearance of 6" between pipe walls and trench walls or
sheeting and bracing lines.

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 revised March 15, 2000

8. Where lines are constructed in the rights-of-way of the South Carolina

Department of Transportation, provide minimum cover of 36" below the
elevation of the pavement.

9. Comply with pertinent OSHA regulations in regards to the excavation of utilities.

C. BACKFILLING FOR UTILITIES

1. Backfill trenches and excavations immediately after the pipe are laid, unless
other protection is directed or indicated.

2. Select and deposit backfill materials with special reference to the future safety
of the pipes.

3. In lower portion of trench, deposit approved backfill and bedding material in

layers of 6" maximum thickness, and compact with suitable tampers to the
density of the adjacent soil until there is a cover of not less than 12" using
special care not to damage pipe and pipe coatings.

4. Except for special materials for pavements, backfill the remainder of the trench
with material free from stones larger than 6" or ½ the layered thickness,
whichever is smaller, in any dimension.

5. Under roads, streets and other paved area:

a. Mechanically tamp in 6" layers using heavy duty pneumatic tampers or

equal.

b. Tamp each layer to a density equivalent of not less than 100% of an

ASTM D698 Proctor Curve.

c. Provide additional compaction by leaving the backfilled trench open to

traffic while maintaining the surface with crushed stone.

d. Refill any settlement with crushed stone and continue such maintenance
until replacement of pavement is authorized by the Engineer.

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 revised March 15, 2000

D. EXCAVATING FOR STRUCTURES

1. Conform to elevations and dimensions shown within a tolerance of 0.10', and

extending a sufficient distance from footings and foundations to permit placing
and removing concrete formwork, installation of services, other construction
required and for inspection.

2. Where earth will stand, shallow footing excavations may be cut to the exact size
of the footing.

3. Separate suitable materials and stockpile for future use.

4. Dispose of unsuitable material and excess suitable material.

5. Foundation subgrades:

a. Excavate foundations and footings to a level bottom in firm, solid,

suitable material.

b. Take care not to disturb the bottom of the excavation unless further
compaction of the subgrade is required.

c. The Developer’s Design Engineer is to inspect the completed

excavation prior to work being performed on the foundation subgrade.

d. Should unsuitable or soft material be encountered at subgrade elevation,

remove such material and replace with compacted suitable material or
crushed stone from firm earth up to the indicated elevation.
1) In wet excavations or where groundwater is normally present,
replace unsuitable material with crushed stone or lean concrete.
2) In dry excavations above the normal groundwater level, replace
unsuitable material with compacted suitable material.

6. Provide drainage and control grading in the vicinity of the work to prevent
drainage into the excavation.

7. Unauthorized excavation:

a. Excavation of material to depths below the grades indicated will be

deemed unauthorized excavation.

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 revised March 15, 2000

b. Backfill and compact unauthorized over excavation.

1) In wet excavation or excavations below normal groundwater
elevations: use crushed stone or lean concrete.
2) In dry excavations above normal groundwater elevations: use
compacted suitable material.

8. Dewatering:

a. Remove all surface and subsurface waters from excavations and

maintain the excavation in a dry construction operations.

b. Maintain the water level below the excavation subgrade during

excavation and construction.
1) Remove material disturbed below the foundation subgrade due
to improper dewatering and replace with crushed stone or lean
concrete.
2) Dewatering by trench pumping will not be permitted if migration
of fine grained natural material (running sand) from bottom, side
walls or bedding material will occur.

E. BACKFILLING AND COMPACTION FOR STRUCTURES

1. Use suitable material for all filling and backfilling operations.

a. Provide suitable material free from organic matter and deleterious

substances, containing no rocks or lumps over 6" in greatest dimension,
and with not more than 15% of the rocks or lumps larger than 2½” in their
greatest dimension.

2. Fill under structures: Deposit suitable materials in layers not exceeding 8" in
depth and compact each layer using proper equipment.

a. Do not place rock that will not pass through a 6" diameter ring within the
top 12" of the surface of the completed fill or rock that will not pass
through a 3" diameter ring within the top 6" of the completed fill.

b. Do not place broken concrete, bricks, or asphaltic pavement in fills.

3. Backfill excavations as promptly as progress of the Work permits, but not until
completion of the following:

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a. Inspection and acceptance of construction below finish grade including,

where applicable, dampproofing and waterproofing.

b. Inspecting, testing, approving and recording locations of underground

utilities.

c. Removing concrete formwork.

d. Removing shoring and bracing, and backfilling of voids with satisfactory

materials.

e. Removing trash and debris.

f. Cast in place foundation walls have been in place seven days.

4. Placing and compacting:

a. Place backfill and fill materials in layers not more than 8" in loose depth.

b. Before compacting, moisten or aerate each layer as necessary to

provide the optimum moisture content with ±2%.

c. Compact each layer to required percentage of maximum density for

area.

d. Do not place backfill or fill material on surfaces that are muddy, frozen, or
containing frost or ice.

e. Place backfill and fill materials evenly adjacent to structures, to required

elevations.

f. Take care to prevent wedging action of backfill against structures by

carrying the material uniformly around the structure to approximately the
same elevation in each lift.

g. Do not operate heavy equipment closer to foundation or retaining walls

than a distance equal to height to backfill above the footing.
1) Compact remaining area using power driven hand tampers.

h. Where the construction includes basement or other underground walls

having structural floors over them, do not backfill such walls until the

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structural floors are in place and have attained sufficient strength to

support the walls.

5. Compaction requirements:

a. Compact soils to not less than the following percentages of maximum

dry density as determined in accordance with ASTM D698, Method A
(Standard Proctor).

b. Existing in place subgrade below structures where subgrade has been

disturbed by water, improper dewatering, or construction traffic:

Top 12" of subgrade 100%

Below top 12" of subgrade 98%

c. Fill beneath structures and beneath an area extending 10 feet beyond

the limits of the foundation:

Top 12" of subgrade 100%

d. Compaction of suitable material used to replace unsuitable material

below foundation subgrades:

Top 12" of subgrade 100%

Below top 12" of subgrade 98%

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