I.

CLEARING AND GRUBBING

This item shall consist of clearing, grubbing, removing and disposing all
vegetation and debris as designated in the Contract, except those objects that are
designated to remain in place or are to be removed in consonance with other
provisions of this Specification. The work shall also include the preservation from
injury or defacement of all objects designated to remain.

Construction Requirements
General

The Engineer will establish the limits of work and designate all trees,
shrubs, plants and other things to remain. The Contractor shall preserve all
objects designated to remain.

Clearing and Grubbing

All surface objects and all trees, stumps, roots and other protruding
obstructions, not designated to remain, shall be cleared and/or grubbed, including
mowed as required, except as provided below:
(1) Removal of undisturbed stumps and roots and nonperishable solid
objects with a minimum depth of one (1) meter below subgrade or
slope of embankment will not be required.
(2) In areas outside of the grading limits of cut and embankment areas,
stumps and nonperishable solid objects shall be cut off not more than
150 mm (6 inches) above the ground line or low water level.
(3) In areas to be rounded at the top of cut slopes, stumps shall be cut off
flush with or below the surface of the final slope line.
(4) Grubbing of pits, channel changes and ditches will be required only to
the depth necessitated by the proposed excavation within such area

(5) In areas covered by cogon/talahib, wild grass and other vegetations,

top soil shall be cut to a maximum depth of 150 mm below the original
ground surface or as designated by the Engineer, and disposed
outside the clearing and grubbing limits as indicated in the typical
roadway section.

Except in areas to be excavated from which obstructions are removed shall

be backfilled with suitable material and compacted to the required density.
 II. REMOVAL OF STRUCTURES AND
OBSTRUCTIONS

Description

This Item shall consist of the removal wholly or in part, and satisfactory
disposal of all buildings, fences, structures, old pavements, abandoned pipe lines,
and any other obstructions which are not designated or permitted to remain,
except for the obstructions to be removed and disposed off. It shall also include
the salvaging of designated materials, and backfilling the resulting trenches, holes
and pits.

Construction Requirements
General

The Contractor shall perform the work described above, within and
adjacent to the roadway, on Government land or easement, as shown on the
Plans or as directed by the Engineer. All designated salvable material shall be
removed, without unnecessary damage, in sections or pieces which may be
readily transported, and shall be stored by the Contractor at specified places on
the project.

Removal of Existing Culverts, and other Drainage Structures

All existing culverts and other drainage structures in use by traffic shall not
be removed until satisfactory arrangements have been made to accommodate
traffic. The removal of existing culverts within embankment areas will be required
only as necessary for the installation of new structures or pipelines. Abandoned
culverts shall be broken down, crushed and sealed or plugged. All retrieved
culvert for future use as determined by the Engineer shall be carefully removed
and all precautions shall be employed to avoid breakage or structural damage to
any of its part. All sections of structures removed which are not designated for
stockpiling or re-laying shall become the property of the Government and be
removed from the project or disposed off in a manner approved by the Engineer.

Removal of Pipes Other than Pipe Culverts

Unless otherwise provided, all pipes shall be carefully removed and every
precaution taken to avoid breakage or damaged. Pipes to be re-laid shall be
removed and stored when necessary so that there will be no loss of damage
before re-laying. The Contractor shall replace sections lost from storage or
damage by negligence, at his own expense.

Removal of Existing Pavement, Sidewalks, Curbs, etc.

 All concrete pavement, base course, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, etc.,
designated for removal, shall be broken into pieces and used for riprap on the
project

There will be no separate payment for excavating for the removal of

structures and obstructions, or for backfilling and compacting the remaining cavity.

III. EXCAVATION

Description

This Item shall consist of trench excavation, and the disposal of material in
accordance with this Specification and in conformity with the lines, grades and
dimensions shown on the Plans or established by the Engineer.

Construction Requirements
General

When there is evidence of discrepancies on the actual elevations and that

shown on the preliminary plans, a pre-construction survey referred to the datum
plane used in the approved Plan shall be undertaken by the Contractor under the
control of the Engineer to serve as basis for the computation of the actual volume
of the excavated materials. All excavations shall be finished reasonably smooth
and uniform surfaces. No materials shall be wasted without authority of the
Engineer. Excavation operations shall be conducted so that material outside of the
limits of slopes will not be disturbed. Prior to excavation, all necessary clearing
and grubbing in that area shall have been performed in accordance with Clearing
and Grubbing.

Conservation of Topsoil

Where provided for on the Plans or in the Special Provisions, suitable

topsoil encountered in excavation and on areas where embankment is to be
placed shall be removed to such extent and to such depth as the Engineer may
direct. The removed topsoil shall be transported and deposited in storage piles at
locations approved by the Engineer. The topsoil shall be completely removed to
the required depth from any designated area prior to the beginning of regular
excavation or embankment work in the area and shall be kept separate from other
excavated materials for later use.

Utilization of Excavated Materials

 All suitable materials removed from the excavation shall be used in the
formation of the embankment, subgrade, shoulders, slopes, bedding, and backfill
for structures, and for other purposes shown on the Plans or as directed.

Only approved materials shall be used in the construction of embankments

and backfills.

All excess materials, including rock and boulders that cannot be used in
embankments shall be disposed off as directed.

Materials encountered in the excavation and determined by the Engineer

as suitable for topping, road finishing, slope protection, or other purposes shall be
conserved and utilized as directed by the Engineer.

Prewatering

Excavation areas and borrow pits may be prewatered before excavating

the material. When prewatering is used, the areas to be excavated shall be
moistened to the full depth, from the surface to the bottom of the excavation. The
water shall be controlled so that the excavated material will contain the proper
moisture to permit compaction to the specified density with the use of standard
compacting equipment. Prewatering shall be supplemented where necessary, by
truck watering units, to ensure that the embankment material contains the proper
moisture at the time of compaction.

Borrow Areas

The Contractor shall notify the Engineer sufficiently in advance of opening

any borrow areas so that cross-section elevations and measurements of the
ground surface after stripping may be taken, and the borrow material can be
tested before being used. Sufficient time for testing the borrow material shall be
allowed.

All borrow areas shall be bladed and left in such shape as to permit
accurate measurements after excavation has been completed. The Contractor
shall not excavate beyond the dimensions and elevations established, and no
material shall be removed prior to the staking out and cross-sectioning of the site.
The finished borrow areas shall be approximately true to line and grade
established and specified and shall be finished, as prescribed in the approved
detailed engineering plans

IV. STRUCTURE EXCAVATION

Description
 This Item shall consist of the necessary excavation for foundation of
bridges, other structures not otherwise provided for in the Specifications. The
backfilling of completed structures and the disposal of all excavated surplus
materials, shall be in accordance with these Specifications and in reasonably
close conformity with the Plans or as established by the Engineer.

This Item shall include necessary diverting of live streams, bailing,

pumping, draining, sheeting, bracing, and the necessary construction of cribs and
cofferdams, and furnishing the materials therefore, and the subsequent removal of
cribs and cofferdams and the placing of all necessary backfill.

It shall also include the furnishing and placing of approved foundation fill
material to replace unsuitable material encountered below the foundation
elevation of structures.

No allowance will be made for classification of different types of material

encountered.

Construction Requirements

Clearing and Grubbing

Prior to starting excavation operations in any area, all necessary clearing

and grubbing in that area shall have been performed in accordance with, Clearing
and Grubbing.

Excavation

(1) General, all structures. The Contractor shall notify the Engineer
sufficiently in advance of the beginning of any excavation so that
cross-sectional elevations and measurements may be taken on the
undisturbed ground. The natural ground adjacent to the structure shall
not be disturbed without permission of the Engineer.

Trenches or foundation pits for structures or structure footings shall

be excavated to the lines and grades or elevations shown on the
Plans or as staked by the Engineer. They shall be of sufficient size to
permit the placing of structures or structure footings of the full width
and length shown. The elevations of the bottoms of footings, as shown
on the Plans, shall be considered as approximate only and the
Engineer may order, in writing, such changes in dimensions or
elevations of footings as may be deemed necessary, to secure a
satisfactory foundation.

After each excavation is completed, the Contractor shall notify the

Engineer to that effect and no footing, bedding material or pipe culvert
 shall be placed until the Engineer has approved the depth of
excavation and the character of the foundation material.

(2) Structures other than pipe culverts. All rock or other hard foundation
materials shall be cleaned of all loose materials, and cut to a firm
surface, either level, stepped, or serrated as directed by the Engineer.
All seams or crevices shall be cleaned and grouted. All loose and
disintegrated rocks and thin strata shall be removed. When the footing
is to rest on material other than rock, excavation to final grade shall
not be made until just before the footing is to be placed. When the
foundation material is soft or mucky or otherwise unsuitable, as
determined by the Engineer, the Contractor shall remove the
unsuitable material and backfill with approved granular material. This
foundation fill shall be placed and compacted in 150 mm layers up to
the foundation elevation.

When foundation piles are used, the excavation of each pit shall be
completed before the piles are driven and any placing of foundation fill

shall be done after the piles are driven. After the driving is completed,
all loose and displaced materials shall be removed, leaving a smooth,
solid bed to receive the footing.

(3) Pipe Culverts. The width of the pipe trench shall be sufficient to permit
satisfactory jointing of the pipe and thorough tamping of the bedding
material under and around the pipe.

Where rock, hardpan, or other unyielding material is encountered, it

shall be removed below the foundation grade for a depth of at least
300 mm or 4 mm for each 100 mm of fill over the top of pipe,
whichever is greater, but not to exceed three-quarters of the vertical
inside diameter of the pipe. The width of the excavation shall be at
least 300 mm greater than the horizontal outside diameter of the pipe.
The excavation below grade shall be backfilled with selected fine
compressible material, such as silty clay or loam, and lightly
compacted in layers not over 150 mm in uncompacted depth to form a
uniform but yielding foundation.

Where a firm foundation is not encountered at the grade

established, due to soft, spongy, or other unstable soil, such unstable
soil under the pipe and for a width of at least one diameter on each
side of the pipe shall be removed to the depth directed by the
Engineer and replaced with approved granular foundation fill material
properly compacted to provide adequate support for the pipe, unless
other special construction methods are called for on the Plans.

The foundation surface shall provide a firm foundation of uniform

density throughout the length of the culvert and, if directed by the
Engineer, shall be cambered in the direction parallel to the pipe
centerline.
 Where pipe culverts are to be placed in trenches excavated in
embankments, the excavation of each trench shall be performed after
the embankment has been constructed to a plane parallel to the
proposed profile grade and to such height above the bottom of the
pipe as shown on the Plans or directed by the Engineer.

Utilization of Excavated Materials

All excavated materials, so far as suitable, shall be utilized as backfill or

embankment. The surplus materials shall be disposed off in such manner as not
to obstruct the stream or otherwise impair the efficiency or appearance of the
structure. No excavated materials shall be deposited at any time so as to
endanger the partly finished structure.

Cofferdams

Suitable and practically watertight cofferdams shall be used wherever

water-bearing strata are encountered above the elevation of the bottom of the
excavation. If requested, the Contractor shall submit drawings showing his
proposed method of cofferdam construction, as directed by the Engineer.

Cofferdams or cribs for foundation construction shall in general, be carried

well below the bottoms of the footings and shall be well braced and as nearly
watertight as practicable. In general, the interior dimensions of cofferdams shall
be such as to give sufficient clearance for the construction of forms and the
inspection of their exteriors, and to permit pumping outside of the forms.
Cofferdams or cribs which are tilted or moved laterally during the process of
sinking shall be righted or enlarged so as to provide the necessary clearance.

When conditions are encountered which, as determined by the Engineer,

render it impracticable to dewater the foundation before placing the footing, the
Engineer may require the construction of a concrete foundation seal of such
dimensions as he may consider necessary, and of such thickness as to resist any
possible uplift. The concrete for such seal shall be placed as shown on the Plans
or directed by the Engineer. The foundation shall then be dewatered, and the
footing placed. When weighted cribs are employed and the mass is utilized to
overcome partially the hydrostatic pressure acting against the bottom of the
foundation seal, special anchorage such as dowels or keys shall be provided to
transfer the entire mass of the crib to the foundation seal. When a foundation seal
is placed under water, the cofferdams shall be vented or ported at low water level
as directed.

Cofferdams shall be constructed so as to protect green concrete against

damage from sudden rising of the stream and to prevent damage to the
foundation by erosion. No timber or bracing shall be left in cofferdams or cribs in
such a way as to extend into substructure masonry, without written permission
from the Engineer.
 Any pumping that may be permitted from the interior of any foundation
enclosure shall be done in such a manner as to preclude the possibility of any
portion of the concrete material being carried away. Any pumping required during
the placing of concrete, or for a period of at least 24 hours thereafter, shall be
done from a suitable sump located outside the concrete forms. Pumping to
dewater a sealed cofferdam shall not commence until the seal has set sufficiently
to withstand the hydrostatic pressure.

Unless otherwise provided, cofferdams or cribs, with all sheeting and

bracing involved therewith, shall be removed by the Contractor after the
completion of the substructure. Removal shall be effected in such manner as not
to disturb or mar finished masonry.

Backfill and Embankment for Structures Other Than Pipe

Culverts

Excavated areas around structures shall be backfilled with free draining

granular material approved by the Engineer and placed in horizontal layers not
over 150 mm in thickness, to the level of the original ground surface. Each layer
shall be moistened or dried as required and thoroughly compacted with
mechanical tampers.

In placing backfills or embankment, the material shall be placed

simultaneously in so far as possible to approximately the same elevation on both
sides of an abutment, pier, or wall. If conditions require placing backfill or
embankment appreciably higher on one side than on the opposite side, the
additional material on the higher side shall not be placed until the masonry has
been in place for 14 days, or until tests made by the laboratory under the
supervision of the Engineer establishes that the masonry has attained sufficient
strength to withstand any pressure created by the methods used and materials
placed without damage or strain beyond a safe factor.

Backfill or embankment shall not be placed behind the walls of concrete

culverts or abutments or rigid frame structures until the top slab is placed and
cured. Backfill and embankment behind abutments held at the top by the
superstructure, and behind the sidewalls of culverts, shall be carried up
simultaneously behind opposite abutments or sidewalls.

All embankments adjacent to structures shall be constructed in horizontal

layers and compacted except that mechanical tampers may be used for the
required compaction. Special care shall be taken to prevent any wedging action
against the structure, and slopes bounding or within the areas to be filled shall be
benched or serrated to prevent wedge action. The placing of embankment and the
benching of slopes shall continue in such a manner that at all times there will be
horizontal berm of thoroughly compacted material for a distance at least equal to
the height of the abutment or wall to be backfilled against except insofar as
undisturbed material obtrudes upon the area.
 V. EMBANKMENT

Description

This Item shall consist of the construction of embankment in accordance

with this Specification and in conformity with the lines, grades and dimensions
shown on the Plans or established by the Engineer.

Material Requirements

Embankments shall be constructed of suitable materials, in consonance

with the following definitions:

1. Suitable Material – Material which is acceptable in accordance with

the approved detailed engineering plan. It can be common material or
rock.

2. Unsuitable Material – Material other than suitable materials such as:

(a) Materials containing detrimental quantities of organic materials,

such as grass, roots and sewerage.

(b) Organic soils such as peat and muck.

(c) Soils with liquid limit exceeding 80 and/or plasticity index

exceeding 55.

(d) Soils with a natural water content exceeding 100%.

3
(e) Soils with very low natural density, 800 kg/m or lower.

(f) Soils that cannot be properly compacted as determined by

the Engineer.

Construction Requirements

General

Prior to construction of embankment, all necessary clearing and grubbing in

that area shall have been performed in conformity Clearing and Grubbing.
 Embankment construction shall consist of constructing roadway
embankments, including preparation of the areas upon which they are to be
placed; the construction of dikes within or adjacent to the roadway; the placing
and compacting of approved material within roadway areas where unsuitable
material has been removed; and the placing and compacting of embankment
material in holes, pits, and other depressions within the roadway area.

Embankments and backfills shall contain no muck, peat, sod, roots or other
deleterious matter. Rocks, broken concrete or other solid, bulky materials shall not
be placed in embankment areas where piling is to be placed or driven.

Where shown on the Plans or directed by the Engineer, the surface of the
existing ground shall be compacted to a depth of 150 mm and to the specified
requirements of this Item.
Methods of Construction

Where there is evidence of discrepancies on the actual elevations and that

shown on the Plans, a preconstruction survey referred to the datum plane used in
the approved Plan shall be undertaken by the Contractor under the control of the
Engineer to serve as basis for the computation of the actual volume of the
embankment materials.

When embankment is to be placed and compacted on hillsides, or when

new embankment is to be compacted against existing embankments, or when
embankment is built one-half width at a time, the existing slopes that are steeper
than 3:1 when measured at right angles to the roadway shall be continuously
benched over those areas as the work is brought up in layers. Benching will be
subject to the Engineer’s approval and shall be of sufficient width to permit
operation of placement and compaction equipment. Each horizontal cut shall
begin at the intersection of the original ground and the vertical sides of the
previous cuts. Material thus excavated shall be placed and compacted along with
the embankment material in accordance with the procedure described in this
Section.

Roadway embankment of earth material shall be placed in horizontal layers

not exceeding 200 mm, loose measurement, and shall be compacted as specified
before the next layer is placed. However, thicker layer maybe placed if vibratory
roller with high compactive effort is used provided that density requirement is
attained and as approved by the Engineer. Trial section to this effect must be
conducted and approved by the Engineer. Effective spreading equipment shall be
used on each lift to obtain uniform thickness as determined in the trial section
prior to compaction. As the compaction of each layer progresses, continuous
leveling and manipulating will be required to assure uniform density. Water shall
be added or removed, if necessary, in order to obtain the required density.

Where embankment is to be constructed across low swampy ground that

will not support the mass of trucks or other hauling equipment, the lower part of
the fill may be constructed by dumping successive loads in a uniformly distributed
 layer of a thickness not greater than necessary to support the hauling equipment
while placing subsequent layers.

When excavated material contains more than 25 mass percent of rock

larger than 150 mm in greatest diameter and cannot be placed in layers of the
thickness prescribed without crushing, pulverizing or further breaking down the
pieces resulting from excavation methods, such materials may be placed on the
embankment in layers not exceeding in thickness the approximate average size of
the larger rocks, but not greater than 600 mm.

Each layer shall be leveled and smoothed with suitable leveling equipment
and by distribution of spalls and finer fragments of earth.

Hauling and leveling equipment shall be so routed and distributed over

each layer of the fill in such a manner as to make use of compaction effort
afforded thereby and to minimize rutting and uneven compaction.

Protection of Roadbed During Construction

During the construction of the roadway, the roadbed shall be maintained in

such condition that it will be well drained at all times. Side ditches or gutters
emptying from cuts to embankments or otherwise shall be so constructed as to
avoid damage to embankments by erosion.

Protection of Structure

If embankment can be deposited on one side only of abutments, wing

walls, piers or culvert headwalls, care shall be taken that the area immediately
adjacent to the structure is not compacted to the extent that it will cause
overturning of, or excessive pressure against the structure. When noted on the
Plans, the fill adjacent to the end bent of a bridge shall not be placed higher than
the bottom of the backfill of the bent until the superstructure is in place. When
embankment is to be placed on both sides of a concrete wall or box type structure,
operations shall be so conducted that the embankment is always at approximately
the same elevation on both sides of the structure.

Finishing Roadbed and Slopes

After the roadbed has been substantially completed, the full width shall be
conditioned by removing any soft or other unstable material that will not compact
properly or serve the intended purpose. The resulting areas and all other low
sections, holes or depressions shall be brought to grade with suitable selected
material. Scarifying, blading, dragging, rolling, or other methods of work shall be
performed or used as necessary to provide a thoroughly compacted roadbed
shaped to the grades and cross-sections shown on the Plans or as staked by the
Engineer.
 All earth slopes shall be left with roughened surfaces but shall be
reasonably uniform, without any noticeable break, and in reasonably close
conformity with the Plans or other surfaces indicated on the Plans or as staked by
the Engineer, with no variations therefrom readily discernible as viewed from the
road.

VI. SUBGRADE PREPARATION

Description

This Item shall consist of the preparation of the subgrade for the support of
overlying structural layers. It shall extend to full width of the roadway. Unless
authorized by the Engineer, subgrade preparation shall not be done unless the
Contractor is able to start immediately the construction of the pavement structure.

Material Requirements

Unless otherwise stated in the Contract and except when the subgrade is in
rock cut, all materials below subgrade level to a depth 150 mm.

Construction Requirements

Prior Works

Prior to commencing preparation of the subgrade, all culverts, cross drains,

ducts and the waterlines (including their fully compacted backfill), ditches, drains
and drainage outlets shall be completed. Any work on the preparation of the
subgrade shall not be started unless prior work herein described shall have been
approved by the Engineer.
Protection of Completed Work

The Contractor shall be required to protect and maintain at his own

expense the entire work within the limits of his Contract in good condition
satisfactory to the Engineer from the time he first started work until all work shall
have been completed. Maintenance shall include repairing and recompacting ruts,
ridges, soft spots and deteriorated sections of the subgrade caused by the traffic
of the Contractor’s vehicle/equipment or that of the public.
 VII. COMPACTION EQUIPMENT AND
DENSITY CONTROL STRIPS
Description
When specified, this procedure will be used to determine density
requirements of selected embankments, subgrade, bases, and bituminous
concrete. The procedure will consist of control strip construction to establish target
densities for the specified course plus use of sand-cone method of density testing
equipment to determine in-place densities obtained during the construction
process.
Construction Requirements
Compaction Equipment
Compaction equipment shall be capable of obtaining compaction requirements
without detrimentally affecting the compacted material. The equipment shall be
modern, efficient compacting units approved by the Engineer. The compacting
units may be of any type, provided they are capable of compacting each lift of
material as specified and meet the minimum requirements as contained herein.