Amies A 114 - 3
Amies A 114 - 3
Amies A 114 - 3
Issuer: PMT
July 2021
Rev: 3
Excavation and Backfill AMIES-A-114
AMIES-A-114
Excavation and Backfill
“Any modification on the AMIRAL standard is not retroactive and does not require
implementation or modification to existing facilities.”
This Engineering Standard defines the requirements for excavation, placement, inspection,
and management of earth and rock materials during construction and/or maintenance.
The present document or drawing is property of SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY and TOTAL RAFFINAGE CHIMIE S.A. and
shall not, under any circumstances, be totally or partially, directly or indirectly, transferred, reproduced, copied, disclosed or used,
without its prior written consent, for any purpose and in any way other than that for which it is specifically furnished or outside the
extent of the agreed upon right of use.
Page 1 of 17
SAUDI ARAMCO TOTAL PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX
Issuer: PMT
July 2021
Rev: 3
Excavation and Backfill AMIES-A-114
Table of Contents
1 Scope ................................................................................................................................ 4
2 Conflicts, Deviations and Clarifications .......................................................................... 4
3 References ........................................................................................................................ 4
4 Definitions ....................................................................................................................... 5
5 General ............................................................................................................................. 6
6 Fill and Backfill ............................................................................................................. 10
7 Excavation ..................................................................................................................... 15
The present document or drawing is property of SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY and TOTAL RAFFINAGE CHIMIE S.A. and
shall not, under any circumstances, be totally or partially, directly or indirectly, transferred, reproduced, copied, disclosed or used,
without its prior written consent, for any purpose and in any way other than that for which it is specifically furnished or outside the
extent of the agreed upon right of use.
Page 3 of 17
SAUDI ARAMCO TOTAL PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX
Issuer: PMT
July 2021
Rev: 3
Excavation and Backfill AMIES-A-114
1 Scope
This Engineering Standard defines the requirements for excavation, placement,
inspection, and management of earth and rock materials during construction and/or
maintenance.
3 References
The selection of material and equipment, and the design, construction, maintenance,
and repair of equipment and facilities covered by this standard shall comply with the
latest edition of the references listed below as of the CUT-OFF DATE as specified
in the Contract unless otherwise noted.
3.1 Company References
Company Engineering Standards
AMIES-A-111 Borrow Pit Requirements
AMIES-L-450 Construction of on-Land and Near-Shore Pipelines
AMIES-L-460 Pipeline Crossings Under Roads and Railroads
AMIES-Q-001 Criteria for Design and Construction of Concrete Structures
AMIES-Q-006 Asphalt Concrete Paving
AMIES-Q-007 Foundations and Supporting Structures for Heavy Machinery
AMIES-S-070 Installation of Utility Piping Systems
The present document or drawing is property of SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY and TOTAL RAFFINAGE CHIMIE S.A. and
shall not, under any circumstances, be totally or partially, directly or indirectly, transferred, reproduced, copied, disclosed or used,
without its prior written consent, for any purpose and in any way other than that for which it is specifically furnished or outside the
extent of the agreed upon right of use.
Page 4 of 17
SAUDI ARAMCO TOTAL PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX
Issuer: PMT
July 2021
Rev: 3
Excavation and Backfill AMIES-A-114
Company Manuals
Company Blasting Services Manual
Inspection document "Schedule Q"
3.2 Industry Codes and Standards
American Society for Testing and Materials
ASTM C136 Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse Aggregates
ASTM D422 Particle-Size Analysis of Soils
ASTM D1140 Standard Test Methods for Amount of Material in Soils Finer
Than the No. 200 (75-um) Sieve
ASTM D1556 Standard Test Method for Density and Unit Weight of Soil in
Place by the Sand-Cone Method
ASTM D1557 Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil Using
Modified Effort 56,000 ft-lbf/ft³ (2700 KN- M/M³)
ASTM D2167 Standard Test Method for Density and Unit Weight of Soil in
Place by the Rubber Balloon Method
ASTM D2487 Classification of Soils for Engineering Purposes
ASTM D2922 Standard Test Methods for Density of Soils and Soil-
Aggregate in Place by Nuclear Methods (Shallow Depth)
ASTM D2937 Standard Test Method for Density of Soil in Place by the
Drive-Cylinder Method
ASTM D4253 Maximum Index Density and Unit Weight of Soils Using a
Vibratory Table
ASTM D4254 Minimum Index Density and Unit Weight of Soils and
Calculation of Relative Density
ASTM D4318 Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit and Plasticity Index of Soils
Process Industry Practices
PIP CVS02100 Site Preparation, Excavation, and Backfill Specification
4 Definitions
4.1 Definitions presented in this Standard and other AMIRAL documents have
precedence over other definitions. Conflicts between various definitions shall be
brought to the attention of Company Representative by the Contractor for resolution.
Company: AMIRAL (Saudi Aramco and Total Petrochemical Complex).
Company Representative: A designated person from the Company or an assigned
third party representative with overall authority and responsibility for the Project.
The present document or drawing is property of SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY and TOTAL RAFFINAGE CHIMIE S.A. and
shall not, under any circumstances, be totally or partially, directly or indirectly, transferred, reproduced, copied, disclosed or used,
without its prior written consent, for any purpose and in any way other than that for which it is specifically furnished or outside the
extent of the agreed upon right of use.
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SAUDI ARAMCO TOTAL PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX
Issuer: PMT
July 2021
Rev: 3
Excavation and Backfill AMIES-A-114
5 General
5.1 Quality Control
The present document or drawing is property of SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY and TOTAL RAFFINAGE CHIMIE S.A. and
shall not, under any circumstances, be totally or partially, directly or indirectly, transferred, reproduced, copied, disclosed or used,
without its prior written consent, for any purpose and in any way other than that for which it is specifically furnished or outside the
extent of the agreed upon right of use.
Page 6 of 17
SAUDI ARAMCO TOTAL PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX
Issuer: PMT
July 2021
Rev: 3
Excavation and Backfill AMIES-A-114
The Contractor shall institute a quality control program that will verify or ensure that
the work performed under the contract meets the requirements of this Standard and
the design drawings as per Inspection document "Schedule Q". Company shall have
access to all facilities and records of the Contractor for the purpose of conducting
performance inspection/audits. During the audit, any inspection, test reports, and/or
engineering analyses and calculations associated with the scope of work shall be
furnished upon request.
Inspection & Testing Agency
5.1.1 The Contractor's quality control testing requirements shall be performed by either a
Company -approved independent testing agency or by the Contractor's own
laboratory, approved by the Company Inspection Department.
5.1.2 All required laboratory and field acceptance tests required in Section 6.3.3 and all
seismic refraction testing required in Section 7.5 shall be performed by a Company -
approved independent testing agency.
5.1.3 If testing and/or inspection is done by Company, this does not relieve the Contractor
of the responsibility to meet all requirements of this Standard. Should it be later found
that some work has been completed not in compliance with this Standard, it shall
remain the Contractor's responsibility to repair or reconstruct deficient work until
specifications are met at no cost to Company.
5.2 Submittals
The Contractor shall be responsible for transmitting the following submittals to the
Company Representative:
5.2.1 Bi-weekly reports including all test logs and comments. These reports include:
density and moisture content test logs indicating location by coordinates and elevation
and Progressive Number. A complete record of all test logs and comments, compiled
at earthwork completion, for permanent project records, shall also be submitted.
5.2.2 Borrow (Fill) Materials and Water. Sources and test results of all borrow materials
and compaction water used for fill prior to beginning fill operations.
5.2.3 Excavation Plan, submitted to Loss Prevention as per the Construction Safety
Manual, Part II, Section 2.1. All shoring and sheeting materials and systems will meet
the minimum requirements established within the Construction Safety Manual, Part
II, Section 2. If excavation bracing is required, the Contractor shall:
a) Describe the materials and shoring system to be used.
b) Indicate whether or not any components will remain after filling or backfilling.
c) Provide plans, sketches, and/or detail along with calculations prepared by
Company or a licensed engineering establishment.
The present document or drawing is property of SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY and TOTAL RAFFINAGE CHIMIE S.A. and
shall not, under any circumstances, be totally or partially, directly or indirectly, transferred, reproduced, copied, disclosed or used,
without its prior written consent, for any purpose and in any way other than that for which it is specifically furnished or outside the
extent of the agreed upon right of use.
Page 7 of 17
SAUDI ARAMCO TOTAL PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX
Issuer: PMT
July 2021
Rev: 3
Excavation and Backfill AMIES-A-114
The present document or drawing is property of SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY and TOTAL RAFFINAGE CHIMIE S.A. and
shall not, under any circumstances, be totally or partially, directly or indirectly, transferred, reproduced, copied, disclosed or used,
without its prior written consent, for any purpose and in any way other than that for which it is specifically furnished or outside the
extent of the agreed upon right of use.
Page 8 of 17
SAUDI ARAMCO TOTAL PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX
Issuer: PMT
July 2021
Rev: 3
Excavation and Backfill AMIES-A-114
5.4.5 All diverted and pumped water shall flow to specified collection areas and shall be
disposed of as directed by the Company Representative. Excavations for foundations
and other underground installations shall not be used as temporary drainage ditches.
5.5 Safety and Protection
All excavation and trenching shall be done in accordance with all Company safety
requirements including, but not limited to all relevant AMIRAL General Instructions
and any related environmental or Land use permit.
5.5.1 Required Permits
All necessary permits must be obtained from Company, prior to performing any
earthwork. One or more of the following permits are required as applicable:
− Company Form "Work Permit" as needed.
− Other applicable Company Permits as specified in the Project Execution Plan.
5.5.2 Safety
5.5.2.1 The Contractor shall place and maintain in good condition temporary fences,
guardrails, barricades, lights, shoring, bracing, and other protective measures required
for the safety of personnel and the premises as described in the Company
Construction Safety Manual.
5.5.2.2 A clear space of at least 0.6 m (2 ft) shall be maintained on all sides of an excavation
or trench. When any excavation or trench reaches a depth of 1.2 m (4 ft) or when soil
banks are greater than 1.5 m (5 ft), shoring shall be installed or the sides shall be
sloped or benched and the trench treated as a confined space in accordance with the
Company Construction Safety Manual. A safe means of entry and exit shall be
provided for all excavations and trenches every 7.5m.
5.5.2.3 Excavations shall be inspected daily by the Contractor for possible cave-ins, failures
of protective systems and equipment, hazardous atmospheres or other hazardous
conditions. Inspection shall also be done after rains and blasting. If there is an unsafe
condition, workers shall not be allowed to enter the excavation.
5.5.2.4 Unless otherwise specified, all known utilities within the project limits will be located
and marked by Company or noted in the contract documents prior to earthwork. In
addition, the Contractor shall contact all Company utilities departments to determine
the locations of underground utilities.
Other utility locations may become evident as earthwork progresses which may
necessitate work to stop until utilities are identified and specific direction is provided
by Company. Whenever the presence of underground utilities is known or suspected
or the excavation is around or near electrical substations, mechanical excavators
The present document or drawing is property of SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY and TOTAL RAFFINAGE CHIMIE S.A. and
shall not, under any circumstances, be totally or partially, directly or indirectly, transferred, reproduced, copied, disclosed or used,
without its prior written consent, for any purpose and in any way other than that for which it is specifically furnished or outside the
extent of the agreed upon right of use.
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SAUDI ARAMCO TOTAL PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX
Issuer: PMT
July 2021
Rev: 3
Excavation and Backfill AMIES-A-114
shall not be used until all underground utilities have been exposed by hand
excavation.
5.5.3 Protection
5.5.3.1 No excavation is permitted under existing foundations. Excavations are not allowed
to intersect a 45 degree plane extending downward from the bottom edge of existing
foundations unless an engineered support system is in place prior to the start of work
or the excavation is in stable rock.
5.5.3.2 Excavations adjacent to existing underground installations (e.g., piping, manholes,
electrical and duct banks) or sidewalks shall use bracing and shoring to protect those
installations during construction.
5.5.3.3 All reference points, property markers, bench marks, etc., will be carefully
maintained during excavation, backfilling, compaction and earthwork. Unless
otherwise specified, damage to a reference point by the Contractor during
performance of the work shall be repaired or replaced by the Contractor to the
satisfaction of the Company Representative at no cost to Company.
5.5.3.4 The Contractor shall be responsible for preserving and avoiding damage to trees,
shrubs, and all other vegetation in the areas beyond the designated excavation area.
5.5.4 Rock Blasting
All rock blasting shall follow the procedures in the Company Blasting Services
Manual.
5.5.5 Hazards
Whenever Company determines that any excavation or embankment or fill on
Company property which was created by a Contractor and which is a hazard to life
and limb, or endangers property, or adversely affects the safety, use or stability of a
roadway or drainage channel, the responsible contractor, upon receipt of a notice in
writing from Company, shall immediately repair or eliminate such excavation or
embankment so as to eliminate the hazard.
The present document or drawing is property of SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY and TOTAL RAFFINAGE CHIMIE S.A. and
shall not, under any circumstances, be totally or partially, directly or indirectly, transferred, reproduced, copied, disclosed or used,
without its prior written consent, for any purpose and in any way other than that for which it is specifically furnished or outside the
extent of the agreed upon right of use.
Page 10 of 17
SAUDI ARAMCO TOTAL PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX
Issuer: PMT
July 2021
Rev: 3
Excavation and Backfill AMIES-A-114
Page 11 of 17
SAUDI ARAMCO TOTAL PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX
Issuer: PMT
July 2021
Rev: 3
Excavation and Backfill AMIES-A-114
The present document or drawing is property of SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY and TOTAL RAFFINAGE CHIMIE S.A. and
shall not, under any circumstances, be totally or partially, directly or indirectly, transferred, reproduced, copied, disclosed or used,
without its prior written consent, for any purpose and in any way other than that for which it is specifically furnished or outside the
extent of the agreed upon right of use.
Page 12 of 17
SAUDI ARAMCO TOTAL PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX
Issuer: PMT
July 2021
Rev: 3
Excavation and Backfill AMIES-A-114
Commentary Notes:
See Section 6.3.3.3 for use of a method statement for compaction procedure with
reduced testing requirements.
6.3.2.3 Fill and backfill adjacent to structures such as retaining walls, pits, and basements
shall not be compacted with heavy equipment, but shall be compacted with hand-
operated equipment to a distance of 1.2 meters (4 feet) or greater beyond the sides of
the structures. Every effort shall be made to place backfill materials symmetrically
and in uniform layers to prevent unnecessary eccentric loading on a structure or
foundation.
6.3.2.4 Bedding and backfill for pipeline and utility trenches shall conform to AMIES-L-450,
AMIES-L-460, or AMIES-S-070 as applicable.
6.3.2.5 Fill or backfill placed beneath footings, grade beams, mats, buildings, and process
areas shall be compacted to at least 95% of the maximum Modified Proctor density
as determined by ASTM D1557. For cohesionless free draining soils, 85% relative
density as determined by ASTM D4253 and ASTM D4254 shall be used.
For foundation static loads over 320 kPa (6500 psf) and foundations for vibrating or
heavy machinery as defined in AMIES-Q-007, and for asphalt and concrete
pavement sub-grades, fill shall be compacted to 85% relative density for cohesion-
less soils or 95% of the maximum density as determined by ASTM D1557 for
cohesive materials.
When the backfill material cannot clearly be classified as cohesive or cohesion-less
both relative density and Proctor density tests must be performed per the above
paragraph. The backfill shall then be compacted to the greater density.
The present document or drawing is property of SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY and TOTAL RAFFINAGE CHIMIE S.A. and
shall not, under any circumstances, be totally or partially, directly or indirectly, transferred, reproduced, copied, disclosed or used,
without its prior written consent, for any purpose and in any way other than that for which it is specifically furnished or outside the
extent of the agreed upon right of use.
Page 13 of 17
SAUDI ARAMCO TOTAL PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX
Issuer: PMT
July 2021
Rev: 3
Excavation and Backfill AMIES-A-114
6.3.2.6 All other fill shall be compacted to a density equal to that shown on the drawings or
equal to that of the adjacent in-situ material as appropriate.
6.3.2.7 The moisture content of the material being compacted shall be within 3%, plus or
minus, of the optimum moisture content as determined by ASTM D1557. However,
when ASTM D4253/ASTM D4254 are the appropriate test procedures, there is no
applicable optimum moisture content.
6.3.2.8 Compaction by water jetting or flooding is not permitted for most fill material.
However, flooding may be used if the fill material is cohesionless freely draining
sand.
6.3.2.9 In no case shall compaction be allowed on slopes greater than 1 (V) to 5 (H) (20%
slope). A series of horizontal benches, steps, or terraces, at least 10 feet (3048 mm)
wide, should be cut into existing and natural slopes prior to adding new fill.
Construction of new slopes shall be accomplished by compacting horizontal fill
layers at least 1 roller width beyond the design edge of the slope and then trimming
back to achieve the final slope dimensions.
6.3.2.10 If clean sand or dune sand is used for fill, surface protection will be required. A cap
layer of compacted cohesive material 150 to 300 mm (6 to 12 in) in thickness will
generally be sufficient. Capping material shall have a maximum size of one-half lift
thickness or 75 mm (3 in), whichever is less, and shall have between 11-35% passing
the No. 200 sieve. The capping material shall have a maximum liquid limit of 35 and
a maximum plasticity index of 12, per ASTM D4318. Final slopes shall be protected
from erosion.
6.3.2.11 Compacted surfaces of fill and backfill shall be finish graded to the cross sections,
lines, grades, and elevations as indicated on the drawings.
6.3.3 Testing
6.3.3.1 Gradation, density, and moisture content control tests shall be performed at the
following minimum frequencies: one standard sieve analysis (ASTM C136, ASTM
D422 or ASTM D1140) and one Modified Proctor Test per ASTM D1557 with
corresponding Proctor curve performed for each type of fill material or where there
is a change in the type or the source of material. For cohesionless free draining soils,
ASTM D4253 Maximum Index Density and Unit Weight of Soils Using a Vibratory
Table and ASTM D4254 Minimum Index Density and Unit Weight of Soil and
Calculation of Relative Density shall also be performed.
The present document or drawing is property of SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY and TOTAL RAFFINAGE CHIMIE S.A. and
shall not, under any circumstances, be totally or partially, directly or indirectly, transferred, reproduced, copied, disclosed or used,
without its prior written consent, for any purpose and in any way other than that for which it is specifically furnished or outside the
extent of the agreed upon right of use.
Page 14 of 17
SAUDI ARAMCO TOTAL PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX
Issuer: PMT
July 2021
Rev: 3
Excavation and Backfill AMIES-A-114
6.3.3.2 In-place density and moisture content of soils shall be determined by the sand-cone
method per ASTM D1556, nuclear method per ASTM D2922, the rubber balloon
method per ASTM D2167, or the drive-cylinder method per ASTM D2937.
Acceptance testing of in-place density and moisture content (field density testing) on
compacted fill will be performed at the following rates:
1) Under all foundations - one test every 1000 ft² (90 m²) of each lift.
2) Under area paving - one test every 2000 ft² (180 m²) of each lift.
3) Road base and sub-base - one test every 2000 ft² (180 m²) of base or sub-base.
4) Backfill of trenches - one test for every 50 linear ft (15 m) of each lift.
5) General fill - one test every 5000 ft² (460 m²) of each lift.
6.3.3.3 As a minimum, at least one in-place density test must be performed on every lift of
fill and further placement shall not be allowed until the required density has been
achieved.
The number of tests shall be increased if a visual inspection determines that the
moisture content is not uniform or if the compacting effort is variable and not
considered sufficient to attain the specified density.
The Project Inspection Representative may approve a decrease in the number of tests
once a compaction procedure has proven to meet compaction requirements.
6.4 Base Course
The base course for roads, parking areas, and other areas to be surfaced shall be
prepared in accordance with AMIES-Q-006.
7 Excavation
7.1 General Excavation
General excavation shall be performed after clearing and grubbing has been
completed in accordance with PIP CVS02100, Section 6.
7.2 Structural Excavation
Structural excavation shall include excavations for footings, grade beams, pits,
basements, retaining walls, man holes, catch basins, pipeline thrust anchors, etc.
7.2.1 Excavation shall be performed as required by the design drawings to the dimensions,
grades, and elevations as noted and as required for formwork and allowance for
compaction equipment.
The present document or drawing is property of SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY and TOTAL RAFFINAGE CHIMIE S.A. and
shall not, under any circumstances, be totally or partially, directly or indirectly, transferred, reproduced, copied, disclosed or used,
without its prior written consent, for any purpose and in any way other than that for which it is specifically furnished or outside the
extent of the agreed upon right of use.
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SAUDI ARAMCO TOTAL PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX
Issuer: PMT
July 2021
Rev: 3
Excavation and Backfill AMIES-A-114
7.2.2 When soft and compressible soil is encountered at footing grades as shown on the
drawings, such soil shall be removed and replaced with compacted fill or backfill as
specified in Sections 6.2 and 6.3.2 or lean (2000 psi minimum 28-day compressive
strength) concrete.
7.2.3 Over-excavation at footings shall be backfilled with compacted fill or backfill as
specified in Sections 6.2 and 6.3.2 or lean (2000 psi minimum 28-day compressive
strength) concrete.
7.3 Earthen Structures
Earthen structures include permanent work items such as ponds, canals, ditches, etc.
Excavation for such work shall be made to the lines, grades, and cross sections as
shown on the drawings.
7.3.1 Side slopes of excavations shall be cut true and straight and shall be graded to the
proper cross section. Unstable soil in the slopes shall be removed and the slopes
properly prepared. The bottoms of excavations shall be graded to the elevations and
configurations as shown on the drawings.
7.3.2 Over excavation shall be backfilled with suitable material and compacted in
accordance with Section 6.3.2.
7.4 Trenching
Trenching for pipelines and underground utilities shall conform to AMIES-L-450,
AMIES-L-460, or AMIES-S-070 as appropriate.
7.5 Rock Excavation
Seismic velocities will be the sole factor in determining the appropriate category for
the excavation of rock. Excavation of rock will fall into the following categories,
based on the seismic velocities measured in the field by refraction seismic testing.
7.5.1 Normal Excavation
Normal Excavation is excavation that can be accomplished using rippers (defined as
soils and rock falling within the CAT D9N "rippable" range of seismic velocities as
shown in the Caterpillar Handbook of Ripping, latest edition) and/or heavy backhoes
(for trenches and isolated small excavations, defined as soils or rock with seismic
velocities of 1530 mps or less) operated in accordance with good construction
practice. Normal excavation includes all soils and also includes soft, weathered
and/or fractured rock that does not require blasting or pneumatic rock breakers to
facilitate excavation.
7.5.2 Rock Excavation
Rock Excavation is excavation that cannot be accomplished using rippers (defined
as soils and rock falling outside the CAT D9N "rippable" range of seismic velocities
The present document or drawing is property of SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY and TOTAL RAFFINAGE CHIMIE S.A. and
shall not, under any circumstances, be totally or partially, directly or indirectly, transferred, reproduced, copied, disclosed or used,
without its prior written consent, for any purpose and in any way other than that for which it is specifically furnished or outside the
extent of the agreed upon right of use.
Page 16 of 17
SAUDI ARAMCO TOTAL PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX
Issuer: PMT
July 2021
Rev: 3
Excavation and Backfill AMIES-A-114
The present document or drawing is property of SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY and TOTAL RAFFINAGE CHIMIE S.A. and
shall not, under any circumstances, be totally or partially, directly or indirectly, transferred, reproduced, copied, disclosed or used,
without its prior written consent, for any purpose and in any way other than that for which it is specifically furnished or outside the
extent of the agreed upon right of use.
Page 17 of 17