Standard specification

Earth work

Water table to be brought down to minimum 300 mm below the foundation

level. Suitable standby arrangement to be kept ready to address the raise of
water table because of possible failure of pumps or generators.
Unsuitable material shall include the following:
- Peat, organic soil and other similar materials.
- Materials from swamps, marshes and bogs.
- Materials susceptible to spontaneous combustion.
- Stumps, roots and perishable material.
- Excessively wet materials.
- All materials producing bearing capacity lower than the assumed designvalue.
- Clays of liquid limit exceeding 40% (BS 1377:Part 2:1990:Clause 4.5)
and/or plasticity index exceeding 6 . (BS 1377:Part 2:1990:Clause 5.4)
- Material with >20% fines passing through 0.063mm sieve.
- Soaked CBR < 15%
- Rock size > 63mm
The extra excavation shall be backfilled with either Class C concrete (lean concrete) or
special backfill (road base)
The maximum density and moisture content relationship for each type of fill shall be
determined in accordance with BS 1377 or equivalent.
After having added the required amounts of water, the fill/backfill shall be compacted by
vibratory steel wheeled roller with static weight of at least 10 tons.
The minimum required degree of compaction shall be, tested according to modified
proctor density:
a. 98% for the roads, pavements, embankments and parking areas
b. 95% general fill

The moisture content shall be maintained and if necessary adjusted by

approved means to fall within the range 1.5% above to 1.5% below the
optimum moisture content.
Pile Works
The maximum permitted deviation of the finished pile from the vertical at any
level is 1in 75.
Epoxy coated reinforcement shall be used. Minimum concrete cover to
reinforcement bars shall be 75 mm.
The concrete of the pile shall be brought up to at least 600 mm above the
cut-off level to allow for complete removal of slush and of any foreign
material from the main pile to obtain sound and uniform concrete.
Concrete for bored piles shall be self-compacting, with a slump range of 150 -
200 mm.
Concrete shall be introduced into the pile via a hopper and suitable length of
rigid delivery tube to ensure that the concrete falls vertically and centrally
down the shaft.
Concrete to be placed under water or support fluid shall be placed by tremie
in one continuous operation and shall not be discharged freely into the water
or support fluid.
The tremie must be fully charged with concrete before it is lifted off the base
of the pile.