ICE Specification For Ground Treatment PDF

The Institution of Civil Engineers
SPECIFICATION FOR
GROUND TREATMENT
.....
\I Thomas Telford, London
Companion publication
SPECIFICATION FOR GROUND TREATMENT
notes for guidance
Terms used in this publication include terms which are defined in the
ICE conditions of contract. These terms are printed with initial letters in
capitals to indicate that the defined meaning is intended
Published for The Institution of Civil Engineers by Thomas Telford Ltd, Telford House,
1 Heron Quay, London E 14 9XF
First published 1987
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

Specification for ground treatment
1. Building sites-Standards-England
I. Institution of Civil Engineers
590 TH375
ISBN: 0727703889
©The Institution of Civil Engineers, 1987
All rights, including translation, reserved. Except for fair copying, no part of this
publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the
prior written permission of the publisher. Requests should be directed to the Publications
Manager at the above address.
The information suggestions and/or advice contained in this publication are intended for
use as a general statement and guide only. Neither the Institution nor any Committee of
the Institution can accept any liability for any loss or damage which may be suffered by any
person as a result of the use in any way of the information contained herein and any person
using such information or drafting contracts, specifications or other documents based
thereon must in all cases take appropriate professional advice on the matters referred to in
this publication and are themselves solely responsible for ensuring that any wording taken
from this document is consistent with and appropriate to the remainder of their material.
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CONTENTS
1. General requirements for ground treatment work 1
2. Ground treatment by vibrocompaction/vibroflotation 3
3. Ground treatment by vibrated stone columns 5
4. Ground treatment by dynamic compaction/consolidation 7
5. Ground treatment by deep drains 9
6. Testing ground treatment 13

The Institution of Civil Engineers Specification for ground treatment
1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GROUND TREATMENT WORK
1.1. Standards and All materials and workmanship shall be in accordance with the appro-
definitions priate British Standards current at the time of tender, including those
1.1.1. British Standard listed in this Specification, except that where the requirements of British
specifications Standards are in conflict with this Specification, the latter shall take
precedence.
1.1.2. Codes of practice All work shall be carried out generally in accordance with the principles
of relevant codes of practice current at the time of tender, including
those referred to in this Specification.
1.1.3. Definitions In this Specification the terms 'approved', 'approval' and 'required'
mean 'approved by the Engineer', 'approval of the Engineer' and
'required by the Engineer' respectively.
1.2. General contract All materials and work shall be in accordance with this Specification.
requirements Where there may be a conflict in requirements between the Specific-
1.2.1. Precedence of ation and the Particular Specification for any method of ground treat-
specification ment, the latter specification shall take precedence.
1.2.2. Contractor to work The Contractor, where so directed by the Engineer, shall be required to
to other contractors' work to other contractors' drawings whenever drawings for temporary
drawings works not included in the Contract are related to particular details of the
Works.
1.2.3. Progress report The Contractor shall submit to the Engineer on the first day of each
week, or at such longer periods as the Engineer may from time to time
direct, a progress report showing the current rate of progress and
progress during the previous period on all important items of each
section of the Works.
1.3. Performance The execution and performance of the ground treatment shall be the
1.3.1. Responsibility for responsibility of the Contractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,
the execution and who shall, nonetheless, satisfy the Engineer that all treated ground has
performance attained the required degree of improvement.
1.3.2. Predicted settlement Where appropriate, estimates of the total and differential settlement
anticipated at the working load shall be given by the Contractor
1.3.3. Layout of treatment The Contractor ............................................. shall supply detailed

and dimensioned layouts of the treatment points in duplicate for the
approval of the Engineer. Such approval shall not remove the responsi-
bility of the Contractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . for the
accuracy of the drawings. Each treatment point shall have a unique
reference number for record purposes.
1.3.4. Method statement At the commencement of the Contract the Contractor ...................... .
....................... shall provide a detailed method statement. This shall
include a programme giving full details of both type and quantity of all
the plant he proposes to use, the order of carrying out the work, and
where not already specified by the Engineer the detailed and dimen-
sioned layout of the ground treatment, type and frequency of the
proposed control testing, and where applicable, the anticipated ground
heave after treatment.
1.4. Materials The sources of supply of materials shall be approved by the Engineer
1.4.1. Sources of supply and shall not be changed without prior approval of the Engineer in
writing.
Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment. TIL, London, 1987 1
1.4.2. Rejected materials Rejected materials shall be removed promptly from the Site.
1.5. Site conditions Before the start of the work, factual information or reports on site
1.5.1. Site investigation investigations for the Works will be made available to the Contractor
reports
·················································.
1.5.2. Unforeseen ground The ContraCtor shall report immediately to the Engineer any circum~
conditions stance which in the Contractor's ................................................ .
opinion indicates that the ground conditions differ from those expected
by him from his interpretation of the site investigation report.
1.6. Workmanship The Contractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . shall satisfy the

1.6.1. Suitability of Engineer regarding the suitability, efficiency and adequacy of the equip-
equipment ment to be employed. The Contractor ......................................... ..
shall state the type and number of rigs he intends to use.
1.6.2. Site levels On completion of each area of ground treatment the Contractor
...................................................... shall grade debris and surplus
material arising from the ground treatment to leave a reasonably firm
and level working surface.
1.6.3. Site clearance On completion of the treatment to the satisfaction of the Engineer, the
Contractor ................................................. shall remove from the
site all plant and unwanted material.
1.7. Setting out Setting out shall be carried out by the Contractor .......................... .
1. 7.1. Responsibility ...................... from grid lines provided and maintained by the Con-
tractor. Immediately before treatment, each treatment position shall be
marked by the Contractor .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . with
suitable identifiable pins or markers.
1.7.2. Bench marks The Contractor shall provide and maintain bench marks throughout the
duration of the Works.
1.8. Tolerances All treatment points shall be located to the tolerances given in the
Specification.
1.9. Ground treatment The Contractor shall inform the Engineer at regular mutually agreed
programme intervals of the forward programme of ground treatment.
1.10. Damage If during the execution of the work damage is, or is likely to be, caused
to mains, services or adjacent structures, the Contractor shall inform the
Engineer of his proposals for avoidance or repair of such damage.
The Contractor shall arrange the sequence and timing of the Works to
ensure that damage does not occur to treated ground by any subsequent
work'.
2 Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment. ITL, London, 1987
2. GROUND TREATMENT BY VIBROCOMPACTIONNIBROFLOTATION
The following clauses shall be read in conjunction with the general

requirements for ground treatment work given in section 1 of this
Specification.
2.1. Description The ground treatment shall be carried out by deep vibratory compac-
tion.
2.2. Particular The following matters are, where appropriate, described in the Particu-
Specification lar Specification
(a) design loads and settlement criteria
(b) degree of compaction
(c) depth of treatment
(d) area of treatment.
2.3. Materials Granular material used to fill depressions caused by compaction shall be
2.3.1. Suitability of added free from clay and with not more than 5% material passing the BS
granular material 75 µm sieve. The granular material may be either site material or
imported to the Site.
2.3.2. Fill material The material used by the Contractor for filling to make up ground levels
to the working surface prior to treatment shall be hard inert granular
material capable of passing the BS 106 mm sieve and not more than
10% passing the BS 75 µm sieve.
2.4. Ground treatment Treatment may be by either the wet or dry process. It shall be demon-
2.4.1. Method of treatment strated on site that the required depth of treatment can be achieved and
that the spacing of compaction points is appropriate for the required
degree of compaction. Where a change in the method of treatment is
required by the Contractor ................................................... , the
agreement of the Engineer shall be sought without delay.
2.4.2. Water supply The Contractor shall provide a supply of water. If the wet process is
selected, the Contractor ........................................... shall indicate
the rate of water supply required and be responsible for checking that
this is available. The Contractor ................................................ .
shall be responsible for supplying any extra storage tanks and pumping
as required.
2.4.3. Effluent disposal The Contractor shall be responsible for disposing of effluent to a water-
course or sewer and for complying with the requirements of the statu-
tory authorities. The Contractor ................................................ .
shall state clearly the number and size of any silt traps required. These
shall be provided and maintained by the Contractor. On completion of
the ground treatment the Contractor shall remove all such equipment
and backfill any pits.
2.4.4. Depth of treatment The depth of treatment shall be as shown on the documents and shall
not be varied without the prior agreement of the Engineer.
2.4.5. Tolerances All compaction points shall be located to within 150 mm of the plan
positions shown on the compaction point layout drawings.
2.5. Buried obstructions The Contractor shall break out known near-surface obstructions and fill
2.5.1. Known near-surface the resulting voids with suitable granular material prior to the com-
obstructions mencement of the ground treatment works by the Contractor
2.5.2. Unforeseen Where an unforeseen obstruction is encountered below ground level,

obstructions the Engineer shall be informed immediately. The Engineer will then
decide with the Contractor ................................................ .
whether or not the obstruction is to be removed.
Where it is decided to remove the obstruction, the Engineer will
instruct the Contractor to excavate the obstruction and backfill the void
with approved granular material.
2.6. Site control The Contractor shall keep daily records of the treatment carried out and
2.6.1. Records shal submit signed copies of these records to the Engineer within two
working days. The records shall show
(a) date
(b) compaction point reference
(c) depth of penetration at each compaction point
(d) vibrator power consumption
(i) during penetration
(ii) during compaction
(e) jetting pressure (where applicable)
(f) duration of
(i) penetration
(ii) compaction
(g) obstructions and delays
(h) number and type of tests carried out.
Any unforeseen conditions encountered and reported shall be noted
briefly in the records.
2.6.2. Surface compaction Where ground treatment is being applied to areas where the founda-
tions are less than 600 mm below the treatment working surface,
measures shall be taken by the Contractor on completion of the treat-
ment to ensure that this depth is adequately compacted to the satisfac-
tion of the Engineer.
4 Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment. TIL, London, 1987
3. GROUND TREATMENT BY VIBRATED STONE COLUMNS

Specification.
3.1 Description The ground treatment shall be carried out by deep vibratory compaction
incorporating stone columns formed with imported granular backfill.
3.2 Particular The following matters are, where appropriate, described in the Particu-
(a) type of stone
( b) design loads and settlement criteria
(c) depth of treatment
(d) placement and compaction of fill material prior to treatment
(e) area of treatment.
3.3. Materials Stone used shall be clean, hard, inert material and shall be natural sand,
3.3.1. Suitability of stone • gravel, crushed rock, crushed hardcore, crushed slag or well burnt non-
plastic shale. The material shall be suitable for the ground conditions in
which the stone columns are formed and have no adverse effects on
other work on the site. Grading shall be a nominal single-size material
within the range 20-75 mm or a graded material complying with Depart-
ment of Transport Specification for highway works, granular base type
2. For graded materials the material passing the BS 425 µm sieve shall
be non-plastic.
to the working surface prior to treatment shall be hard inert granular
material capable of passing a BS 106 mm sieve with not more than 10%
passing the BS 75 µm sieve.
3.4. Ground treatment Treatment may be by either the wet or dry process but if the dry process
3.4.1. Method of treatment is used it shall be demonstrated on site that the hole made by the
machine will remain open to enable the stone to be placed cleanly to the
bottom of the hole to form a continuous column to the surface. Where a
change in the method of treatment is required by the Contractor
................................................. , the prior agreement of the Engi-
neer shall be sought without delay.
The stone column shall be formed to the working surface without
inclusion of clay or other unsuitable material preventing intergranular
contact between stone particles.
3.4.2. Treatment technique When the dry process is being used the vibrator may be removed
completely from the hole to allow access for the stone. When the wet
process is being used the vibrator shall be kept in the hole at all times in
order to maintain stability of the sides and to ensure that the stone shall
reach the required depth via the annular space around the vibrator.
3.4.3. Water supply The Contractor shall provide a supply of water. If the wet process is
selected, the Contractor ..... ......... ............... ........ ... ......... shall
indicate the rate of water supply required and be responsible for check-
ing that this is available. The Contractor ....................................... .
shall be responsible for supplying any extra storage tanks and pumping
as required.
3.4.4. Effluent diSposal The Contractor shall be responsible for disposing of effluent to a water-
course or sewer and for complying with the requirements of the statu-
tory authorities. The Contractor ................................................ .
shall state clearly the number and size of any silt traps required. These
shall be provided and maintained by the Contractor. On completion of
Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment. TTL, London, 1987 5
the ground treatment the Contractor shall remove all such equipment
and backfill any pits.
3.4.5. Verticality In the penetration stage the vibrator shall be kept as near vertical as
possible and never deviate by more than 1 in 20 when forming the stone
columns.
3.4.6. Depth and spacing The depth and spacing of the stone columns shall be as shown on the
documents and neither the depth nor the spacing shall be varied without
the prior agreement of the Engineer.
3.4.7. Tolerances All stone columns shall be located to within 150 mm of the plan posi-
tions shown on the ground treatment layout drawings.
3.5. Buried obstructions The Contractor shall break out known near-surface obstructions and fill
3.5.1. Known near-surface the resulting voids with suitable granular material prior to the com-
obstructions mencement of ground treatment works by the Contractor
3.5.2. Unforeseen Where an unforeseen obstruction is encountered below ground level,

obstructions the Engineer shall be informed immediately. The Engineer will then
decide with the Contractor ................................................ .
whether the obstruction is to be removed or the stone column layout
modified.
Where it is decided to remove the obstruction the Engineer will
instruct the Contractor to excavate the obstruction and backfill the void
with approved granular material.
3.6.1. Records shall submit signed copies of these records to the Engineer within two
(a) date
(b) compaction point reference
(c) an estimate of ground heave
.\;(d) depth of penetration at each compaction point
.\-(e) quantity of stone used in each column
+.(/) vibrator power consumption
(i) during penetration
(ii) during compaction
(g) jetting pressure (where applicable)
¥.(h) duration of
(i) penetration
(ii) compaction
(i) obstructions and delays
(j) number and type of tests carried out.
3.6.2. Ground heave In order to reduce ground heave, excessive treatment in the final stage
of the column formation shall be avoided. If ground heave does occur
then the spoil so formed shall be removed from the working area by the
Contractor.
3.6.3. Overtreatment In soft cohesive soils particular care shall be taken to minimize the
reduction of local soil strength by remoulding. Vibration treatment
beyond the optimum, with unnecessary additions of stone, shall be
avoided.
3.6.4. Debris in hole Lumps of spoil shall not be permitted to fall into the bore. Hand spades
shall be kept available for this purpose.
3.6.5. Surface compaction Where ground treatment is being applied to areas where the founda-
tions are less than 600 mm below the treatment working surface,
measures shall be taken by the Contractor on completion of the treat-
ment to ensure that this depth is adequately compacted to the satisfac-
tion of the Engineer.
4. GROUND TREATMENT BY DYNAMIC COMPACTION/CONSOLIDATION

Specification.
(a) materials
(b) design loads and settlement criteria
(c) method of treatment
(d) depth of treatment
(e) area of treatment.
4.2. Materials The Contractor shall supply, where required, prior to and during treat-
4.2.1. Granular layer ment, a suitable granular layer of adequate thickness which shall be
placed over the site to provide a firm dry working surface. The granular
material used shall be inert, and free of clay and organic material. All
particles with any dimension greater than 200 mm shall be discarded.
to the working surface prior to treatment shall be inert granular material
capable of passing through a 200 mm ring with not more than 10%
passing the BS 75 µm sieve.
Where imported material is used for filling the depressions formed by
tamping, this shall be hard inert granular material capable of passing
through a 200 mm ring with not more than 10% passing the BS 75 µm
sieve.
4.3. Workmanship Treatment shall be carried out by repeated tamping on a predetermined

4.3.1. Method of treatment pattern with drop heights appropriately chosen to ensure compaction to
the full design depth. In addition, there shall be an adequate area of
treatment outside the periphery of the proposed structure to ensure long
term stability. If a change in pattern of tamping, drop heights or total
amount of energy is required it shall be carried out without delay and,
unless resulting from unforeseen conditions, without cost to the
Employer.
Where a change in the treatment criteria is required by the Contractor
................................................. , the agreement of the Engineer
shall be sought without delay.
4.3.2. Tolerances The tamper should be dropped within 500 mm of the grid positions
shown on the drawings for each grid spacing.
4.4.1. Daily records shall submit signed copies of these records to the Engineer within two
(a) area treated
(b) date
(c) weight of tamper
(d) height of drop
(e) number of drops at each compaction point
(f) depth of imprint
(g) obstructions and delays
(h) number and type of tests carried out
(i) quantity of imported backfill
(j) readings of installed instruments.
4.4.2. Settlement records Grids of levels shall be taken by the Contractor ......................... ..
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. before treatment commences, at intervals during the
treatment process and on completion. The records of these levels shall
be submitted to the Engineer within two working days of completion of
levelling in any area of the site.
4.4.3. Surface water The Contractor shall keep the site clear of surface water.
4.4.4. E:.xcessive In saturated low-permeability ground with a high water table, particular
compaction care shall be taken to prevent excessive rise in pore water pressures and
any liquefaction of the ground caused by overtamping.
4.4.5. Surface compaction Where ground treatment is being applied to the subgrades for road
bases or ground floor slabs, the ground near the surface shall be
compacted by the Contractor ................................................ .
either by tamping or by rolling.
5. GROUND TREATMENT BY DEEP DRAINS

Specification.
5.1. Description The ground treatment shall be carried out by installation of one of the
following types of deep drain
(a) sand-filled drains
(b) prefabricated sand-filled wicks
(c) prefabricated band drains.
The term deep drainage relates to 'deep' consolidation drains which
are usually installed vertically. In special circumstances inclined drains
may be required and such inclination must be specified.
5.2. Particular The following matters are, where appropriate described in the Particu-
(a) the type of drain and the allowable dimensions and materials of
construction
(b) the consolidation properties of the soils to be drained or the
filtration and discharge characteristics of the drain
(c) the depth of the drains
(d) the drain spacing and layout.
5.3. Materials Unless otherwise specified the sand used in drains or wicks shall be to
5.3.1. Sand grading type C, Table 5 of BS 882, subject to not more than 2% passing
the BS 150 µm sieve. It shall be washed or blown into place to prevent
arching and subsequent collapse settlement.
Stored sand shall be protected from contamination so that the drain
or wick is filled with clean sand as specified.
5.3.2. Water Where appropriate the water used for drain installation purposes shall
not have a deleterious effect on the performance of the drainage system.
5.3.3. Fabric stocking The outer filter fabric stocking used for sand-filled wicks shall contain
the sand without loss during installation and throughout the required
consolidation period. The stocking shall be air-permeable and water-
permeable. The diameter of the filled wick shall nowhere be less than
that specified and it shall be capable of entering the pre-made hole to
the full specified depth.
5.3.4. Prefabricated band The band drain shall have two elements - a core and a filter. These may
drain be manufactured as one unit or the filter may be wrapped about the
core, overlapped and sealed to contain the core.
The band drain shall be flexible, capable of being wound without
damage on a drum of 300 mm minimum diameter, and strong enough so
as not to break, tear or lose its drainage properties during installation.
5.3.5. Anchor shoe Where used, the anchor shoe shall be of the minimum size capable of
holding the drain in place at the required depth as the mandrel is
withdrawn.
5.3.6. Drainage layer The Contractor shall place the specified drainage layer which, when
laid, shall have such characteristics as are necessary to ensure efficient
performance of the drainage system throughout the required period.
Where the installation of drains is to be carried out through the drainage
layer the particle size within the layer shall not exceed 100 mm.
5.4. General drain The drain shall be sufficiently flexible to cope with the anticipated
characteristics settlement of the soil while maintaining continuity and without offering
5.4.1. Drainflexibility any significant support to the structure. The drain material shall be inert
and the drain shall maintain its properties through the required period
of consolidation.
5.4.2. Filter characteristics The drain shall offer the minimum resistance to the passage of water
from the surrounding soil without loss of fines from that soil.
5.4.3. Hydraulic The drain shall be capable of transmitting water along its length without
characteristics significant resistance to flow and shall retain its required discharge
capacity at the maximum specified working depth.
5.5. Transportation and The transportation, site storage and handling of prefabricated drains
care of prefabricated shall be in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. The drain
drains shall be protected from harmful substances and environments.
The manufacturer's instructions for joining two sections of prefabri-
cated drain shall be complied with to ensure that the filter and discharge
capacity are not impaired. The minimum joint length shall be 300 mm
unless otherwise stated.
5.6. Working platform The Contractor shall provide and maintain a working platform of suit-
able material capable of supporting the placement equipment to allow
proper installation of the drains.
The particle size of the material forming the working platform shall
not exceed 100 mm.
5. 7. Installation The installation equipment and its operation shall be such as to mini-
mize disturbance of the treated ground.
5.8. Tolerances All drains shall be located to within 100 mm of the plan positions shown
on the drain layout drawings.
Where a level platform is provided, the maximum deviation of the
drains from the vertical shall be 1 horizontal in 50 vertical, unless
otherwise specified.
5.9. Cut-off level of Unless otherwise specified the Contractor ................................... .

prefabricated drains shall cut prefabricated drains at not less than 150 mm above the working
surface.
5.10. Drain depth and The depth and spacing of the drains shall be as shown on the documents
spacing and neither the depth nor the spacing shall be varied without the prior
agreement of the Engineer.
5.11. Unforeseen Where an unforeseen obstruction is encountered the rig shall be stopped
obstructions and if practicable a shorter drain installed and the Contractor
................................................. shall inform the Engineer without
delay. An alternative drain shall then be attempted at a distance of not
more than 450 mm from the aborted drain. If this alternative placement
fails, the Contractor .. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. . .. .. .. . .. .. .. . .. .. .. . shall con-
tinue with the other drains and the Engineer will decide what measures
to adopt in the area of the obstructed drain.
5.12. Pre-drilling Where pre-drilling is specified, or is required, to enable the Contractor's

................................................. placement apparatus to penetrate
other than soft soils, the pre-drilling unit shall be capable of pre-drilling
the ground for the placement apparatus so that the latter may place the
drain to the specified depth without damaging it.
5.13. Instrumentation The specified sequence of operations for the placement of drains and
instrumentation shall be followed. Where instruments are placed before
the drains are installed, the location of the instruments shall be
adequately marked and maintained by the Contractor.
5.14. Disposal of arisings The Contractor ................................................. shall ensure that

the arisings from the placement operations cause the minimum contami-
nation of the working surface. The Contractor shall remove the arisings.
10 Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment. TTL, London, 1987
Surface depressions around the installations shall be made good by
the Contractor with the specified material before he commences the
Works over the treated area.
5.15. Records The Contractor shall keep daily records of the drains placed. Copies of
these shall be submitted to the Engineer within two days following the
placement. The records shall show
(a) date
(b) grid and area reference of each drain
(c) depth of placement of each drain below the working surface
(d) in the case of sand drains, the quantity of sand placed in each
drain
(e) obstructions and delays
(f) number and type of tests carried out
(g) readings of installed instruments.
6. TESTING GROUND TREATMENT
6.1. General All materials and workmanship shall be in accordance with section 1 and
those sections of this Specification relating to the type of ground treat-
ment carried out, the Particular Specification and this section; except
where there may be conflict of requirements, in which case those in the
Particular Specification and in this section shall take precedence.
This section deals with the testing of treated ground for control
purposes during the progress of the work and to provide information to
show that the required criteria have been met on completion of the
ground treatment.
The standards for acceptance of the work as represented by various
tests shall be deemed to have been attained if the results conform with
the criteria in the Particular Specification and/or as determined follow-
ing completion of preliminary treatment.
(a) working area
(b) test programme
(c) types of test
(d) proof load and settlement acceptance criteria
(e) accuracy of measurement
(f) special instrumentation
(g) frequency of readings
(h) removal of test equipment.
6.3. Definitions A proof load is a load applied to a selected area of working foundation
6.3.1. Proof load to confirm that it is suitable for the load at the settlement specified.
Proof loads shall be quantified in the Particular Specification.
6.3.2. Plate test A plate test is a loading test carried out using a plate on treated ground
essentially used as a control of workmanship.
6.3.3. Zone test A zone test is a loading test carried out with a slab, intended to test
bearing pressure over a wider and deeper zone than in the plate bearing
test. A zone test may be a full-scale test of a structural member.
6.4. Supervision All tests shall be carried out under the direction of an experienced and
competent supervisor conversant with the test equipment and pro-
cedure. All personnel operating the test equipment shall have been
trained in its use.
6.5. Safety precautions Safety precautions shall comply with all statutory safety requirements.
6.5.1. General
6.5.2. Kent/edge Where kentledge is used the Contractor ........................................ .
shall construct the foundations for the kentledge and any cribworks,
beams or other supporting structure in such a manner that there will not
be differential settlement, bending or deflexion of an amount that
constitutes a hazard to safety or impairs the efficiency of the operation.
The kentledge shall be adequately bonded, tied or otherwise held
together to prevent it falling apart, or becoming unstable because of
deflexion of the supports.
The weight of kentledge shall be greater than the maximum test load,
and if the weight is estimated from the density and volume of the
constituent materials, an adequate factor of safety against error shall be
allowed.
6.5.3. Ground anchors Where ground anchors are used the Contractor ......................... ..
...................... shall ensure that the load is correctly transmitted to all
the tie rods or bolts. The extension of rods by welding shall not be
permitted unless it is known that the steel will not be reduced in strength
by welding. The bond stresses of the rods in tension shall not exceed
nominal permissible bond stresses for the type of steel and grade of
concrete used.
6.5.4. Testing equipment In all cases the Contractor .................................................... shall
ensure that when the hydraulic jack and load-measuring device are
mounted the whole system will be stable up to the maximum load to be
applied. Means shall be provided to enable dial gauges to be read from a
position clear of the kentledge stack or test frame in conditions where
failure in any part of the system due to overloading, buckling, loss of
hydraulic pressure and so on might constitute a hazard to personnel.
The hydraulic jack, pump, hoses, pipes, couplings and other appara-
tus to be operated under hydraulic pressure shall be capable of with-
standing a test pressure of 1~ times the maximum working pressure
without leaking.
The maximum test load or test pressure expressed as a reading on the
gauge in use shall be displayed and all operators shall be made aware of
this limit.
6.6. Preliminary tests The Contractor .. . .. . . .. . .. . .. . . .. .. . .. .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . . .. . .. . . shall give the

6.6.1. Notice of treatment Engineer at least 48 hours' notice of the commencement of treatment of
an area for preliminary test loading.
6.6.2. Method of treatment The ground treatment for the area for preliminary test loading shall be
carried out in a manner similar to that proposed for the working area
and using similar equipment and materials.
6. 7. Preparation of ground The Contractor ................................................. shall excavate for ·

surface the test to the level specified.
6. 7.1. Plate bearing tests The excavated surface shall be cleaned of loose material and blinded
with a layer of sand not exceeding 15 mm in average thickness.
6. 7.2. Zone tests The excavated surface shall be cleaned of loose material and blinded
with 50 mm concrete.
6.8. Concrete test cubes The Engineer may call for test cubes to be made from the concrete used
in the slab for any zone test. The cubes shall be made and tested in
accordance with BS 1881.
The zone test shall not be started until the concrete in the slab has
attained the 28 days strength as indicated by cube crushing tests.
6.9. Spread of test load The steel plate or the reinforced concrete slab shall be of sufficient
thickness to spread the concentrated load supplied to its upper surface
evenly over the base.
6.10. Reaction systems Proof loads shall be specified in the Particular Specification.
6.10.1. Plate bearing tests The reaction for plate bearing tests may be provided by use of mobile
plant on site such as the crawler crane. Where suitable plant is not
available, kentledge or anchors shall be used.
6.10.2. Zone test The reaction for zone tests shall be provided using kentledge. or ground
anchors.
6.10.3. Distance of The distance from the edge of the area to be tested to the near part of
kentledge supports the foundation supporting the kentledge shall be such as to avoid
interaction between the two stressed areas.
6.10.4. Adequate reaction The size, length and number of the anchors, or the area of the cribs and
mats, shall be adequate to transmit the maximum test load to the ground
in a safe manner without excessive movement or influence on the test
area.
6.10.5. Care of treated The method employed in the installation of any anchors, or erection of
area any cribs and mats or kentledge, shall be such as to prevent damage to
any treated areas.
14 Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment. ITL, London, 1987
6.10.6. Loading The loading arrangement used shall be designed to transfer safely to the
arrangement test area the maximum load required in testing. Full details shall be
submitted to the Engineer prior to any work relating to the testing
process being carried out on the Site.
6.11. Equipment for The equipment used for applying load shall consist of one or more
applying load hydraulic rams or jacks. The total capacity of the jacks shall be arranged
in conjunction with the reaction system to deliver an axial load to the
area. The complete system shall be capable of transferring the maxi-
mum load required for the test.
6.12. Measurement of load The load shall be measured by a calibrated pressure gauge in the
6.12.1. Plate bearing tests hydraulic system. Jacks shall be short in axial length in order to achieve
the best possible stability. Sufficient attendance shall be arranged by the
Contractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . to ensure that axial
load is maintained.
The pressure gauge shall be calibrated in increments appropriate to
the equipment and a valid certificate of calibration shall be supplied to
the Engineer.
6.12.2. Zone tests The load shall be measured by a load-measuring device and by a
calibrated pressure gauge included in the hydraulic system. Readings of
both the load-measuring device and the pressure gauge shall be
recorded.
The load-measuring device may consist of a proving ring, load-
measuring column, pressure cell or other appropriate system. A spheri-
cal seating shall be used in conjunction with any devices that are
sensitive to eccentric loading; care must be taken to avoid any risk of
buckling. Load-measuring devices and jacks shall be short in axial
length in order to achieve the best possible stability. Sufficient attend-
ance shall be arranged by the Contractor ......................... .
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. to ensure that axial load is maintained.
The load-measuring device shall be calibrated before and after each
series of tests, whenever adjustments are made to the device or at
intervals appropriate to the type of equipment. The pressure gauge and
hydraulic jack shall be calibrated together. Certificates of calibration
shall be supplied to the Engineer.
6.13. Adjustability of The loading equipment shall be capable of adjustment throughout the
loading equipment test to obtain a smooth increase of load or to maintain each load
constant at the required stage of a maintained loading test.
6.14. Measuring The movement of the plate shall be measured by three deflexion gauges
movement during tests positioned symmetrically around the plate. Each gauge shall enable
6.14.1. Plate bearing tests readings to be made to within 0.1 mm and shall be mounted on a
reference frame which will not be affected by movement of the ground
due to the support for the test load, weather conditions, site traffic or
other such causes. ·
The reference frame should be protected from direct impact, and also
from temperature effects where appropriate.
6.14.2. Zone tests The movement of the slab shall be measured by not less than four
deflexion gauges positioned symmetrically around the slab. Each gauge
shall enable readings to be made to within 0.1 mm and shall be mounted
on a reference frame which will not be affected by the movement of the
ground due to weather, kentledge load, application of test loads, move-
ment of site traffic or other such causes.
6.14.3. Optical levelling An optical levelling method by reference to an external datum shall be
used to check movement of the slab and supports for the kentledge.
A precise level and staff shall be used, the level and scale of the staff
being chosen to enable readings to be made within an accuracy of
0.5 mm. A scale attached to the slab may be used instead of a levelling
staff. At least two datum points shall be established on permanent
objects or other well founded structures, or deep datum points shall be
Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment. TTL, London, 1987 15
installed. Each datum point shall be situated so that only one setting up
of the level is needed.
No datum point shall be affected by the test loading or other oper-
ations on the Site.
Where another method of levelling is proposed this shall be approved
in writing.
6.14.4. Other methods The Contractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . may submit for
approval any other method for measuring the movement of the slab.
6.15. Protection of testing Suitable tarpaulins or other protection to shield the reference beams
equipment from direct sunlight or adverse weather shall be provided to minimize
the effect of temperature variations on the readings obtained. A ther-
mometer shall be provided to record air temperature.
6.16. Supervision The Contractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . shall give the

6.16.1. Noticeoftest Engineer at least 24 hours' notice of the commencement of the test.
6.16.2. Records During the progress of a test, the testing equipment and all records of
the test shall be available for inspection by the Engineer.
6.17. Test procedure Method 1. The maximum load which shall be applied in a plate bearing
6.17.1. Plate bearing test test is 3 times the working load. The load shall be applied in at least six
approximately equal increments.
Method 2. The maximum load which shall,be applied to a 600 mm
diameter plate is 11 t. The load shall be applied in five equal increments.
General. Following each application of load the settlement shall be
measured at intervals of one minute until no change is detected and then
at intervals of 5 minutes. The load shall be held for 10 minutes or until
two successive readings at 5 minute intervals are the same, whichever is
the greater.
The maximum load shall be held for 15 minutes or until three success-
ive readings at 5 minute intervals are the same, whichever is the greater.
The settlement shall be measured on release of the load and again after
5 minutes.
6.17.2. Zone test The test load shall be applied in increments not exceeding 25% working
load in three stages
(a) to working load
( b) to 200% working load
(c) to 250% working load.
Incremental loading shall not be applied until the rate of settlement
under the preceding load is less than 0.5 mm!h, as determined by the
average of readings of the deftexion gauges taken at 5 minute intervals.
The test load shall be removed in stages equivalent to the loading
stages and the recovery measured.
6.18. Presentation of Within 24 hours of the completion of the test, unless otherwise directed,
results a summary of the results in writing shall be submitted to the Engineer.
For a plate bearing test, the summary shall give the maximum load
applied, the period for which it is held, the maximum settlement
recorded, and the recovery on unloading.
For a zone test the summary shall give, for each stage of loading, the
period for which the load was held, the load and the maximum settle-
ment recorded.
Within 7 days of the completion of the test, the completed schedule of
recorded data shall be submitted to the Engineer. This shall be as
specified below for a plate bearing test or a zone test as appropriate.
6.19. Schedule of recorded The Contractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . shall provide

data information about the tested ground in accordance with the following
6.19.1. Plate bearing tests schedule where applicable
(a) general
- contract identification
- date of test
(b) test area details
- identification of area relative to site layout drawing
- brief description of position in structure
- ground level at test position
- excavated test level
(c) treatment details
- date and time of treatment
- unexpected circumstances or difficulties
(d) stone columns
- identification numbers of stone columns
- diameter and depth of stone columns exposed
- spacing of adjacent columns
-depth
- stone consumption
(e) test procedure
- approximate weight of kentledge
- date and times of load application
(f) test results
- load and settlement with time reported in tabular form, and
in graphical form, load and settlement being plotted against
time, and load against settlement.
6.19.2. Zone tests The Contractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . shall provide
information about the tested ground in accordance with the following
schedule where applicable
(a)general
- contract identification
- date of test
(b) test area details
- identification of area relative to site layout drawing
- size and position of area
- ground level at test position
- excavated test level
(c) treatment details
- date and time of treatment
- unexpected circumstances or difficulties
(i) stone columns
- identification number of stone columns
- depth of treatment
- stone consumption
(ii) dynamic compaction/consolidation
- weight of tamper and height of drop
- number of drops
- depth imprints formed
- reduction in surface level achieved
(d) test details
- weight of kentledge
- ground anchor details
- plan of test arrangement showing position and distances to
test area of kentledge supports, rafts or ground anchors and
reference frame
- jack capacity
- method of load-measurement
- dates and times
(e) test results
- load and settlement with time reported in tabular form, and
in graphical form, load and settlement being plotted against
time, and load against settlement.
Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment. ITL, London, 1987 17
6.20. Completion of a test The concrete slab used for a zone test shall be broken up and the
6.20.J. Concrete slabs resulting material disposed of off the Site. If it is in a working area care
shall be taken not to disturb the soil beneath the slab.
6.20.2. Backfilling test Excavations to foundation level shall be carefully backfilled and com-
excavations pacted with suitable materials up to the general level of the Site.
6.20.3. Ground anchors On completion of any test, ground anchors shall be destressed, and all
parts which would later cause an obstruction to the Works removed.
The Institution of Civil Engineers
SPECIFICATION FOR
GROUND TREATMENT
Notes for guidance
..... Thomas Telford, London

\1
CONTENTS
Preface 1
Introduction 3
Appointment of specialist contractors for ground treatment 5

Forms of contract and contractual arrangements, 5
Method of invitation of sub-contract tenders, 5
Procedure prior to drafting of tender documents, 6
Instructions to tenderers, 6
Documents forming part of contract, 7
Special clauses suitable for inclusion in the contract
documents, 7
Information to be included in the tender documents, 7
Information to be supplied by the tenderer, 7
Evaluation of tenders, 8
Early final payment, 8
Use of the Specification for ground treatment 9

General notes, 9
Limits of Specification for ground treatment, 9
Responsibility for design of ground treatment, 9
Use with different forms of contract, 10
Engineer's Representative, 10
Records, 10
Notes on clauses in Specification for ground treatment
NG 1. General requirements for ground treatment work 11
NG 2. Ground treatment by vibrocompaction/vibroflotation 15
NG 3. Ground treatment by vibrated stone columns 17
NG 4. Ground treatment by dynamic compaction/consolidation 18
NG 5. Ground treatment by deep drains 20
NG 6. Testing ground treatment 22
Notes on specimen bills of quantities 26
Specimen bills of quantities 28
Appendix 1. Typical schedule of attendances and facilities which 31

should be provided by a main contractor to a ground treat-
ment sub-contractor
Appendix 2. References 32
British Standards and codes of practice, 32
Introductory text, 32
Other references, 32
PREFACE
These notes provide guidance on the specification of ground treatment,

and on the allocation of responsibilities for providing adequate site
investigation data. Consideration is also given to the contractual
arrangements, design of the treatment, requirements for field testing,
and the methods of measurement of the specialist works.
Detailed considerations underlying the Specification for ground treat-
ment and these notes are as follows.
(a) With model documents available, considerable time can be
saved at the time of tender and misunderstandings can be elimi-
nated. Standard forms of contract are already used in this way.
(b) Many specifications include clauses that are essentially condi-
tions of contract, methods of measurement and instructions to
tenderers, whereas a specification should properly be limited to
technical matters. In some cases specification clauses treat mat-
ters dealt with in main contract and sub-contract conditions,
which may introduce contradictions and/or ambiguities.
(c) It is desirable to reduce and, if possible, eliminate the non-
standard terms which specialist contractors generally include
with their tenders. These usually concern payment, methods of
measurement, attendance and facilities to be provided, and are
not necessarily in conflict with the contract conditions for the
main works. Although engineers publicly deprecate their use,
they are, by and large, accepted. However, the many different
special terms from each tenderer, albeit variations on the same
theme, make direct comparison of tenders difficult. The use of a
model set of documents, acceptable to all sides of the industry,
would assist in this comparison and save time and arguments
during construction.
(d) There is considerable diversity in the way that specialist con-
tracts are awarded, ranging from a simple letter asking contrac-
tors to quote and a simple letter of acceptance, to the most
elaborate and formal contract documents. The first extreme is
almost invariably inadequate for a contract satisfactory to both
parties, and the second might be inappropriate for the intended
purpose. Agreed procedures for awarding contracts would help
avoid the more common pitfalls experienced.
(e) A specification should command the wide support of the
industry because it is in the best interests of Employer and
public that specialist work should be carried out to standards
and in a manner satisfactory to all parties. A common specifica-
tion would also lead to the elimination of those cases where
specialist work is undertaken without a specification.
(f) The responsibility for the design of specialist work has tended to
become blurred and, in many contracts where designs and
guarantees are offered by contractors and accepted by
employers, strong doubts have been expressed as to where the
ultimate responsibility for the design lies. The matter of
responsibility needs to be clarified. There has been a great
increase in the amount of specialist work since the 1940s, much
of which is undertaken by nominated sub-contractors.
(g) Existing codes of practice are relevant, but can only recommend
and cannot be used in place of a specification.
The notes for guidance for ground treatment set out hereafter cover
contract procedure, conditions of contract, specifications and measure-
ment, and are intended to be read in conjunction with the companion
publication: Specification for ground treatment.
These notes are presented in the order that is usually found in tender
Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: notes for guidance. TIL. London. 1987
documents. They have been prepared to be as consistent as is possible
with the main forms of contract conditions current in 1987, namely the
ICE conditions, 1 the various JCT conditions2 and government con-
tracts. 3 In particular, the clauses of the Specification for ground treat-
ment are in such a form that they may be easily adapted for any ground
treatment sub-contract, whether involving a nominated sub-contractor
or not.
Because of the varied contractual procedures under which ground
treatment is carried out and the different methods and scales of oper-
ations, definitive contractual conditions and administrative procedures
cannot be provided; nevertheless, essential matters are dealt with.
Suggested measured items in bills of quantities are included which are
intended to reflect proven methods of measurement generally adopted
by ground treatment specialists. The recommendations are generally
consistent with the Civil engineering standard method of measurement,
(CESMM), 4 and are complementary to the Standard method of
measurement for building works (SMM6) 5 and the current Method of
measurement for road and bridge works. 6
The information, suggestions and/or advice contained in this publica-
tion are intended for use as a general statement and guide only. Neither
the Institution nor any committee of the Institution can accept any
liability for any loss or damage which may be suffered by any person as a
result of the use in any way of the information contained herein and any
person using such information or drafting contracts, specifications or
other documents based thereon must in all cases take appropriate
professional advice on the matters referred to in this publication and are
themselves solely responsible for ensuring that any wording taken from
this document is consistent with and appropriate to the remainder of
their material.
2 Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: notes for guidance. TIL, London. 1987
INTRODUCTION
Ground treatment processes generally involve the use of highly special-

ized equipment employed by a relatively few contractors expert in the
field. The range of treatments available is extensive and highly diverse
but in this document a limited number of the more common techniques,
concerned only with the artificial improvement of in situ soils, will be
considered. These particular ground treatments are
(a) vibrocompaction/vibroflotation
(b) stone columns
(c) dynamic compaction/consolidation
(d) deep vertical drainage.
In order to avoid possible confusion with the different terms generally
employed for ground treatment using a vibratory poker, definitions of
the terms used in this document are as follows:
(a) Vibrocompactionlvibroflotation. Vibrocompaction/vibroftota-
tion techniques are used for the in situ compaction of granular
soils containing very small amounts of silt and clay fines. The
techniques are used in combination with added stone in
instances where silt and/or clay is present in sufficient quantity to
inhibit compaction by vibration or where both drainage and
compaction may be required.
(b) Vibrated stone columns. Vibroreplacement/displacement tech-
niques are used to construct stone columns in weak natural soils
and fills, thus reinforcing and strengthening them. Water or air
flush is used, dependent on soil conditions.
A number of other methods are available which have been excluded
from the document but which can be recognized as broadly correspond-
ing to one or more of the above techniques. Such methods include the
use of surcharge, deep land drains, vacuum pre-loading, in situ lime and
cement columns and electro-osmosis. With the exception of surcharge,
the application of these methods in the UK is rare and there is a lack of
information with regard to both their specification and contractual
details. T'he technique of employing surcharge to pre-load and consoli-
date the soil is widely used, particularly in highway schemes, but the
many diverse and sometimes unique applications of the method make it
virtually impossible to define adequately for purposes of a common
specification.
The primary aim of the ground treatments referred to in this docu-
ment is, of course, to provide the most economic foundations for the
construction works proposed. This may require a treatment to reduce
differential settlements, disperse the structural loads more effectively
through the subsoil, or accelerate consolidation to enhance the shear
strength.
Frequently, the process may be intended to produce a combination of
all of these effects or some others. It is of paramount importance,
therefore, to ensure that the technical nature of the work is recognized
when determining the contractual arrangements and specifications. An
inappropriate specification or ill-defined contract could well lead to the
selection of an incorrect ground treatment process at the tendering stage
and thus prevent the Engineer from attaining his objective of providing
the most economic form of foundation for a scheme.
In these notes for guidance, the term Specialist is used to refer to the
contractor carrying out the ground treatment works. If this work is
carried out by the main contractor, Specialist and Contractor will be
synonymous. If a nominated or specialist sub-contractor is employed,
the distinction between Specialist and Contractor must be observed.
In the Specification for ground treatment an option is given where
Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: notes for guidance. lTL. London. 1987 3
certain activities may be undertaken either by the (main) Contractor or
by the Specialist (sub-contractor or nominated sub-contractor).
Where it is usual for the (main) Contractor to undertake certain
ancillary activities, the above option is not given.
It is emphasized that certain conditions of contract do not allow for
such an option if used without the Engineer's modification. For
example, in the ICE conditions of contract' the only parties to the
Contract are the Employer and the Contractor (the Contractor being, of
course, the main contractor for the Works). Thus if such a form is used
without alteration and there is no Nominated Sub-contractor under
Clause 58(5) then in the Specification for ground treatment the option
may not be used.
If, however, there is a Nominated Sub-contractor under Clause 58(5),
then this term may be inserted in the space provided and the term
Contractor deleted (e.g. Contraetor ............................................
Nominated Sub-contractor )
in those places where such option is given.
Where an Engineer has added modified clauses to enable the term
Specialist (Sub-contractor) to be included in the documents, it is
suggested that Specialist replace the term Contractor in these options.
In this case the clause may show Contraetor ...........~P.~~i.~!~~~ ......... _
in the appropriate places.
4 Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: notes for guidance. TIL, London, 1987
APPOINTMENT OF SPECIALIST CONTRACTORS FOR GROUND TREATMENT
Forms of contract and Most ground treatment work is carried out by specialist contractors
contractual arrangements acting as sub-contractors to general civil engineering or building con-
tractors. Occasionally specialist contractors work directly for an
Employer as general contractors.
The most common main contract conditions 1- 3 are those of the Insti-
tution of Civil Engineers and the Joint Contracts Tribunal. Special
conditions are frequently lntroduced in respect of sub-contracts where
the main contract works are being executed under some forms of
management contract.
There are four common types of contractual arrangement under
which ground treatment may be undertaken.
(a) It may be undertaken under a contract for civil engineering
works with an Engineer responsible to an Employer for design
and supervision.
(b) The ground treatment may be undertaken under a contract for
building works with an Architect responsible to an Employer for
design and supervision, and advised by an Engineer, who may
also be responsible to the Employer for structural engineering
elements of the works but who has no formal status under the
conditions of contract. Under such a contract, it is desirable that
the Architect authorizes the Engineer to act as his representa-
tive in connection with the ground engineering elements of the
works.
(c) The ground treatment may be undertaken under a contract for
building or civil engineering works with a Contractor respon-
sible to an Employer for design and construction. The Contrac-
tor may appoint an Engineer to undertake the engineering
duties appertaining to the ground treatment or may entrust
those duties to a suitably qualified engineer on his staff. It is
desirable that the Contractor demonstrates to the Employer the
devolution of those responsibilities to an Engineer, who should
be unfettered in exercising his duties even though the Contrac-
tor remains liable for the fulfilment of the contract.
(d) The ground treatment may be undertaken under a contract for
building works with an Architect responsible to an Employer for
design and supervision but having no engineering advisor. The
Architect should consider the responsibilities which devolve
upon him in these circumstances and should recognize that such
an arrangement may not be in the best interest of either his
Client or himself.
Method of invitation of Sub-contract tenders for ground treatment works may be invited in the
sub-contract tenders following ways.
(a) Tenders may be invited from specialist contractors for nomin-
ation as sub-contractor to a general contractor. In such cases, it
is usual for a prime cost item to be included in the main contract
bills of quantities. It is vital that the specification for any ground
treatment is clearly set out; this particularly concerns settlement
criteria, which should indicate unambiguously whether they
refer to the ground which has been treated or to all ground
beneath particular foundations. It is necessary to ensure that the
ground treatment specification and other relevant items from
the ground treatment sub-contract documents are included in
the main contract tender documents so that tenderers for the
main contract can price for their responsibilities vis-a-vis the
ground treatment sub-contractor; the sub-contract tender docu-
ments should also include sufficient details of the main contract
Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: notes for guidance. TIL. London, 1987 5
to ensure that the specialist contractor tendering for the ground
treatment works is aware of his liabilities.
(b) The ground treatment works may be measured and included in
the bills of quantities for the main contract, and the document
may stipulate that the ground treatment works shall be executed
by any one firm from a list of approved specialist contractors.
The main contractor may have the option of proposing further
specialist firms for approval.
(c) The ground treatment works may be measured and included in
the bills of quantities for the main contract but without any list
of approved specialist sub-contractors. In such cases, the main
contractor will seek prices from his own selection of specialist
sub-contractors, for whom it is normal practice to seek approval
before they are employed on the Works.
(d) Following his appointment, the main contractor may be
instructed to carry out additional works, not included in the
contract. Tenders for such additional ground treatment works
will normally be invited from a list of firms agreed by both the
main contractor and the Engineer. It is most desirable that the
tender document should be approved by the Engineer before
enquiries are issued.
With procedures (b), (c) and (d), the selected specialist sub-contractor
is normally appointed as a domestic (direct) sub-contractor of the
general contractor.
Procedure prior to drafting of Following the completion of all reqms1te site investigation and an
tender documents indication that ground treatment may be suitable, the Engineer should
consider the possible advantages of pre-tender consultation with special-
ist contractors.
The Engineer should then decide who is to be responsible for selec-
tion of the type and for detailed design of the ground treatment. If the
Engineer decides to shoulder this responsibility, he should then select
the type of ground treatment to be billed. If he considers more than one
type to be suitable, he may deem it desirable for alternative bills of
quantities to be drafted.
If the Engineer decides to assign responsibility for design of the
ground treatment to the specialist contractor, he must provide a per-
formance specification. (This action must be within the Engineer's form
of engagement.) Any design responsibility so imposed on a specialist
contractor should be consistent with the terms and conditions of the
main contract. Further discussion and guidance will be found in the
Guide to ground improvement. 7
Instructions to tenderers Instructions to tenderers will not form part of any contract which may be
entered into on the basis of a tender received. They should include, as
may be necessary
(a) any restrictions relating to visits to the site, and the name,
address and telephone number of any person from whom
permission to visit the site must be obtained, should this be a
requirement
(b) any requirement that tenderers submit a programme with their
tender
(c) the procedure for submitting a tender and the latest date for its
submission
(d) the expected dates of award of the Contract and the likely
commencement date of the Works
(e) the name and address of the main contractor, if appointed, in
cases where ground treatment works are to be expected as a
sub-contract.
(/) If consideration will be given to alternative proposals which may
be put forward by a tenderer, it is preferable that it should be so
stated.
Reference should also be made to the ICE publication, Guidance on
the preparation, submission and consideration of tenders for civil engin-
eering contracts. 8
Documents forming part of Documents which will form part of a contract (or sub-contract) are
contract
(a) conditions of contract (and of sub-contract where applicable),
and any special conditions required by the Employer
( b) form of tender
(c) general and particular specifications
(d) special clauses appertaining to the ground treatment works
(e) drawings scheduled as contract drawings in the tender document
(f) site and ground investigation data
(g) bill of quantities.
Special clauses suitable for Special clauses outlining various principles which are appropriate to
inclusion in the contract ground treatment works are given in the companion publication. In
documents some cases the precise wording may need to be varied to suit different
forms of contract and the particular needs of the contract works. To
provide guidance on these clauses, the notes carry the clause reference
numbers preceded by NG.
Additional clauses may be required in the Contract when ground
treatment work is to be executed under a sub-contract. These clauses
would define the respective duties and responsibilities of the main
contractor and the specialist sub-contractor. The precise wording may
need to be varied to suit the particular needs of the contract works and
the form of main contract. A typical schedule of attendances which
should commonly be provided by a main contractor is given in Appen-
dix 1.
Information to be included in The following information should be incorporated within the tender
the tender documents documents
(a) the period for which the tender is to be valid for acceptance
(b) the location of the site
(c) the available working and storage areas
(d) any special conditions limiting noise and vibration
(e) any limitations of working hours
(f) any technical considerations affecting the ground treatment
(g) any phasing of the works necessitating more than one visit by the
specialist contractor
(h) site and ground investigation data
(i) results of any preliminary in situ tests
(j) drawing showing details of underground services and structures
(k) details of the allowable and working load for which the system
has been designed or alternatively the performance specifica-
tion, including the loads to be supported; if the specialist con-
tractor is required to take responsibility for the design and
specification of the ground treatment, this must be expressly
stated
(/) where known, the commencement date and programme.
Additionally, in the case of sub-contract documents
(m) full details of the relevant conditions of the main contract with
particular reference to such matters as insurances and retention.
Information to be supplied by Tender documents should be drawn up to give the tenderers the oppor-
the tenderer tunity to provide information required for the evaluation of the tenders.
It is preferable that a tender should not be qualified by the tenderer,
and particularly that such qualifications should not repeat points which
are satisfactorily dealt with in the tender documents.
However, the tenderer might include comments on the following
points if they are not adequately covered by the enquiry documentation
(a) validity of tender - the period for which the tender remains
open for acceptance, and the period for execution of the ground
treatment
(b) insurance - the upper limit of insurance which he can offer if it
is less than the figure stipulated in the enquiry
(c) access and site preparation - any requirements which are at
variance with the provisions of the enquiry
(d) water and electricity - his requirements for a supply of water
and electric power
(e) working hours - the basis of his tender in respect of the days
and hours during which he expects to work, under normal
conditions
(f) method statement - a description should be given of the type of
equipment proposed to be used for the execution of the ground
treatment works and, where appropriate, any assumptions made
regarding the programme and/or sequence of ground treatment
operations, and number of visits allowed
(g) contract period - an estimate of the contract period should be
given for working without disruption on the quantities specified
at tender stage.
Attention is also drawn to Appendix 1, which lists the facilities which
should be supplied by the Contractor when the specialist works are
carried out under a form of sub-contract.
Evaluation of tenders Tenders for the bulk of civil engineering and building works can be
compared equitably by giving primary consideration to the tender sum
evaluated from a priced bill of quantities.
When examining tenders for ground treatment works, the Engineer
should therefore take account of the likely variations in the final
measurement between one tender and another, and should also take
account of the effects of variations in the estimated quantities of the
ground treatment.
Early final payment Ground treatment works are generally carried out in the early stages of
main contracts, and specialist contractors have suffered the inequity of
long term retention pending practical completion of the main contract
works.
Under the JCT Standard form of building contract, 1963 edition,
provision was made for the early final payment of nominated sub-
contractors at the discretion of the Architect. The current 1980 edition2
has implemented the recommendations of Action on the Banwell report9
and makes definite provision for early final payment to nominated sub-
contractors subject to certain safeguards.
Not all main contract conditions incorporate such provisions, but this
practice should be encouraged for all types of sub-contract arrange-
ment.
8 Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: notes for guidance. TIL. London. 1987
USE OF THE SPECIFICATION FOR GROUND TREATMENT
General notes The Specification for ground treatment applies only to those methods
referred to in the introduction to this document. The Engineer may use
the Specification for ground treatment in three ways
(a) by including in the contract documents the whole or complete
sections of it, together with a statement of amendments and the
Particular Specification
(b) by referring in the contract documents to the whole or complete
sections of it, and including a statement of amendments and the
Particular Specification
(c) by using it as a basis for his own specification.
Method (c) should not be used unless the ground treatment contract is
one of exceptional magnitude or complexity.
Every effort has been made to avoid conflict between the Specifi-
cation for ground treatment and the ICE conditions 1 and JCT condi-
tions. 2 However, certain clauses in the ICE conditions do not have
parallel clauses in the JCT conditions. Therefore clauses in the Specifi-
cation for ground treatment which the Engineer considers covered by the
ICE conditions or the JCT conditions and/or the specification for the
main contract (if appropriate) must be amended or deleted by the
Engineer.
Where a given type of treatment is to be specified, only the appro-
priate sections need to be used. However, in many instances it may be
felt advantageous to have the benefit of the Specification for ground
treatment as a whole, so that the contract will cover any unexpected
developments that may lead to a change in type of ground treatment.
With this arrangement there are bound to be clauses repeated through-
out the specification, but it does allow each section to be complete in
itself without excessive cross-referencing. Where a clause contains more
than one standard for material or workmanship then a clause will be
required in the Particular Specification to define which standard is to
apply.
A number of general clauses which are desirable for any contract are
listed in section 1 of the Specification for ground treatment. This is not
intended to be a comprehensive list because many of those clauses and
similar matters might be covered by other parts of the Employer's or
Engineer's specification. Attention is drawn to the schedule of attend-
ances and facilities set out in Appendix 1. The matter of working areas
may require amplification for contracts under the ICE conditions 1 as
follows: 'the allocation of working areas to the Contractor does not
afford his exclusive rights of occupation; the Employer and other con-
tractors shall have the right to complete freedom of access to all parts of
the Works and to carry out any work that may be required in any place
on the Site.' Before including any such amplification for works carried
out under the JCT conditions2 and other conditions it is desirable to
check whether or not it conflicts with the main contract (see, for
example, Clause 21(1) of the JCT conditions 1963 and Clause 23.l of the
JCT conditions 1980). Legal advice may be needed.
Additional clauses may be required, for instance, in the case of
ground treatment for maritime work because the Contractor would
require the right to use a berth for his craft and would have to know
whether port and wharf dues were payable by him.
Limits of Specification for The Specification for ground treatment is a specification of materials and
ground treatment workmanship, and does not attempt to specify design criteria.
Responsibility for design of Irrespective of which form of contractual conditions are applicable,
ground treatment responsibility for design must be stated.
Where contractor-designed ground treatment is to be used, special
attention must be given to the definition of design criteria and responsi-
bilities; these are not covered by the Specification for ground treatment.
Where the Contractor or Specialist does not design the ground treat-
ment, the design should be undertaken by an engineer experienced in
the techniques employed.
Use with different forms of The Specification for ground treatment may be used with all the main
contract forms of contract and with nominated or domestic sub-contracts but it
will be necessary in some cases to amend the words Engineer and
Contractor in prefatory notes. For example, in nominated sub-contract
works carried out under the JCT conditions, 2 a note should be included:
'For "Contractor" read "Sub-contractor".' In other contexts, for 'Engi-
neer' read 'Architect' or 'Supervising Officer'.
Engineer's Representative In the Specification for ground treatment, reference is made only to the
Engineer. In the event of an Engineer's Representative being
appointed, the Engineer should inform the Contractor in writing of any
powers which he may delegate to the Engineer's Representative.
Records The signed records form a record of the work (see Clause 2.6.1, for
example). In most contracts the Engineer has to prepare 'as-made'
drawings of the work on which he would normally summarize the
information from the daily ground treatment records. These drawings
also have to include the positions of obstructions, ground treatment
points abandoned and rejected and the results of ground treatment
tests. The importance of these records and as-made drawings cannot be
over-emphasized.
NG 1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GROUND TREATMENT WORK:
NOTES ON CLAUSES IN SPECIFICATION FOR GROUND TREATMENT
NG 1.1. Standards and A list of relevant British Standards and codes of practice is given in
definitions Appendix 2.
NG 1.1.1; 1.1.2. British In addition to the use of British Standards and codes of practice,
Standard specifications; codes Agrement Board certificates may also be specified as appropriate.
of practice
NG 1.1.3. Definitions Reference is made throughout the Specification for ground treatment
and these notes to the Engineer. Where the term Engineer is used, this
should be taken to mean Architect, Supervising Officer, Client's Repre-
sentative or other person authorized to act in such a capacity on the
Client's behalf in accordance with the contract conditions.
NG 1.2. General contract For purposes of a tender document, the Specification for ground treat-
requirements ment need not be reproduced but may be incorporated by reference
only. Amendments should be incorporated by additional, substitute or
cancelled clauses. It is essential to avoid items which conflict with, or
duplicate, the general conditions of contract.
If the method of treatment is not specified in the tender documents
then it should be established following receipt of tenders and be agreed
prior to a contract being entered into.
A clear indication of any amendment to particular clauses or sub-
clauses should be signified by preceding its number with either an S or
an A to indicate a substitute or additional clause respectively (e.g.
S 3.1.1orA1.6.3). The number of a cancelled clause should be retained
and preceded by the letter C. In addition the words 'not used' should
replace the original text.
NG 1.2.1. Precedence of The Particular Specification means the added specification for any
specification particular contract or method. The Engineer is expected to enter the
details.
NG 1.2.2. Contractor to work This sub-clause is intended to draw attention to the situation where, for
to other contractors' drawings example, temporary works are required by the Specialist to enable him
to carry out the works in accordance with the design and the Contrac-
tor's programme.
NG 1.3. Performance Ground treatment is a relatively new art, the theory of which is not yet
NG 1.3.1. Responsibility for widely understood. As a result, it is normally carried out by specialist
the execution and performance contractors who are responsible for its execution and performance. (It
should be noted, however, that vertical drainage systems often form an
integral part of the Engineer's design.) It is clearly of paramount
importance as regards the standard of workmanship that only com-
petent and experienced specialists should be employed for carrying out
the treatment.
It is always advisable for the work to be carried out under the control
of an Engineer who is conversant with the methods to be used. The
Engineer should have an adequate organization for inspection of the
work as it proceeds.
The advantages of pre-tender consultation with suitable specialist
contractors should be considered. The advantages are as follows.
(a) The main advantage of pre-tender consultation is to enable the
specialists and the design team to combine their particular
expertise with a view to producing the most appropriate and
economical project suitable for the site conditions and the
Employer's requirements. It may' sometimes be the case, for
example, that some particular areas of a site are more amenable
to ground treatment and it may be worthwhile re-locating the
structure within the site boundary to take advantage of this
feature of the site.
(b) Another advantage is integration of the time required for
specialist work into the overall design and construction pro-
gramme required by the Employer. For example, dynamic com-
paction generally does not permit construction of foundations
and superstructure to follow as closely behind the treatment as is
usually possible with vibrocompaction or stone columns, and
this could be an important constraint in deciding the type of
treatment to be used.
(c) Pre-tender consultation enables the design team to ascertain
that for the type of treatment proposed, the plant and equip-
ment can reach the site and effectively operate without con-
straints. For example, dynamic compaction usually requires
large and heavy cranes, and clearances of width and height
should be checked on adjacent highways. Similarly, an existing
service may cross the site with limiting clearances. Consider-
ation should be given to its diversion.
(d) An advantage of dynamic compaction over vibrocompaction
and stone columns on estate sites is that the former can be used
to economically treat roads, parking areas and footways, in
addition to the subgrade for foundations.
(e) Another factor which may influence the choice of treatment
process is the type of structural foundations adjacent to the
treated area (see also NG 1.10).
Vertical drainage systems have a considerable influence on the
duration of construction work. For this reason, and because the appro-
priate calculation procedures are now well established, the design of
such systems is frequently carried out by the Engineer.
Where the Specialist is required to design the spacing and depth of the
deep drainage system, the Engineer will state the period allowed after
loading to achieve a specific degree of consolidation, usually in the
region of 80-90%.
In carrying out a design, consideration should be given to
(a) the nature and extent of the deformations in the underlying
ground
( b) the use of surcharge
(c) the possibility of using lightweight fill - possibly in conjunction
with normal density fill for surcharge
(d) the overall stability of the embankment, surcharge and
foundation.
Although the use of a performance specification imposes a design
responsibility on the specialist ground treatment contractor, in confor-
mity with the terms and conditions of the main contract, the Engineer
must bear in mind that this does not relieve him of his own ultimate
responsibility for such work and the duty to satisfy himself that the type
and design of the ground treatment offered by the specialist contractor
are suitable for construction in the ground conditions and are compat-
ible with the site environment.
NG 1.3.2. Predicted settlement There may be occasions when the anticipated settlement behaviour is
fundamental to the general engineering design and construction pro-
gramme and the responsibility in these circumstances may not rest
therefore with the Specialist. This is particularly the case with ground
treatment by deep vertical drainage.
Where total and differential settlements are critical to the design, the
maximum limits should be stated by the Engineer in the Particular
Specification and made known to the specialist contractors at the time of
tender.
NG 1.3.3. Layout of treatment This sub-clause will be required unless detailed and dimensioned draw-
ings showing treatment points have been provided by the Engineer as
part of the design.
NG 1.4. Materials Proprietary materials should only be specified when they are known to
12 Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: notes for guidance. lTL, London, 1987
perform the required functions and in such circumstances the brand
name or type should be qualified by 'or similar approved'.
NG 1.5. Site conditions The availability of adequate and high quality geotechnical information is
NG 1.5.1. Site investigation generally a prerequisite to all ground treatment works. Reference
reports should be made to the specification and notes for guidance on site
investigation, w. 11 and to the Site investigation manual, 12 as well as to BS
8004 and the ICE conditions of contract for ground investigation. 13
The Engineer should advise the Employer on the scope and nature of
the site investigation. In so doing he should take cognizance of the need
to obtain soil parameters to be used in the design of the ground
treatment processes and alternative foundation designs if the geological
records of the area indicate that other foundations may also be suitable
for the support of the proposed works.
During the desk study phase of a design, consideration should be
given as to whether ground treatment may be a possible requirement
and how this will influence the site investigation. It should be borne in
mind that any made ground must be adequately described as this will be
included in the ground treatment process.
Site investigation should be thorough and carried out sufficiently in
advance of the design and tender stage to enable a proper appraisal to
be made of the subsoil conditions.
Contractors and specialist sub-contractors tendering for ground treat-
ment works should not be expected to visit other offices to inspect site
investigation data. They should make their own interpretation of the
factual geotechnical information.
The Engineer must provide all factual information on site investiga-
tions in his possession to tenderers. This shall include information on
geology, geography, site history and all other relevant information as
required by BS 5930. The specialist contractor should be provided with
information in adequate time to permit the situation to be evaluated.
Although specialist contractors undertaking the design prefer to have
the comprehensive site investigation report prior to tender, some auth-
orities are reluctant to provide this. Release of more than the factual
information needs the Engineer's approval. It is clearly essential, how-
ever, that the specialist contractor is provided with all the relevant
information on the site investigation to enable him to carry out the work
effectively and economically.
Arrangements should be made by the Engineer, through the
Employer, for tenderers to carry out an additional ground investigation
should the tenderers so require and the Engineer agree.
NG 1.5.2. Unforeseen ground Excluding deep vertical drainage, decisions affecting the design of the
conditions ground treatment processes as a result of unforeseen conditions encoun-
tered on site will be the responsibility of the Specialist, although the
Engineer would authorize any acceptable changes.
While the methods of treatment described in the Specification for
ground treatment can deal with poor ground conditions, there is always a
risk of unexpected pockets of material which cannot economically be
brought to the required standard by ground treatment.
NG 1.6. Workmanship The ground treatment operations and workmanship are necessarily the
NG 1.6.1. Suitability of responsibility of the Specialist, although in deciding on his equipment
equipment and proposed method when tendering he must rely on the information
made available and accessible to him. However, he must be able to
provide information concerning his methods and equipment so that the
adequacy of his proposals can be assessed by the Engineer.
Checks should be made by the Specialist at regular intervals on the
adequacy and effectiveness of the equipment being employed and to
ensure that its use is in accordance with recommendations of the manu-
facturer.
NG 1. 7. Setting out It is essential that grid lines or reference points are well clear of the
NG 1. 7.1. Responsibility working areas and in locations where they can be readily assessed during
Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: notes for guidance. TIL, London, 1987 13
the period of the works. Ideally the Specialist will wish to set out his
treatment points from the grid provided by the Contractor using rela-
tively simple methods. A good approach, where applicable, is to pro-
vide the Specialist with the locations of the centre-lines of all
foundations and to ensure that such locations are maintained through-
out the works. It is clear that any inaccuracies in the provision of
reference points will be reflected by inaccuracies in the area of ground
treated.
NG 1.7.2. Bench marks It is important to ensure that the bench marks are not susceptible to
movements arising from ground treatment or other works.
NG 1.8. Tolerances It should be appreciated that unduly close tolerances will usually
adversely affect costs, and tolerances should be defined with this in
mind. For certain types of ground treatment by dynamic compaction,
precise tolerances are not required.
NG 1.10. Damage Adjacent structures and services should be inspected prior to treatment
for evidence of existing defects. In circumstances where damage to
adjacent structures appears possible, it may prove worthwhile to moni-
tor vibrations. A knowledge of the type of foundations adjacent to the
treated area is important for sensible assessment of possible damage
(see also NG 1.3.1.).
14 Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: notes for guidance. ITL, London, 1987
NG 2. GROUND TREATMENT BY VIBROCOMPACTION/VIBROFLOTATION:
NG 2.1. Description This section deals with in situ compaction of granular soils using a depth
vibrator. Water is commonly used as a flushing medium. The vibrator is
inserted generally at spacings of 1.5-3.5 m, dependent on soil condi-
tions and degree of improvement required. The proportion of silt and
clay particles in the granular soils can have a significant effect on the
improvement and may require the addition of imported coarse granular
backfill.
NG 2.2. Particular The items listed under this clause must be stated in the tender
Specification document.
Although the design of the vibrator will depend on the specific
application, it is usually desirable to employ an apparatus with a hori-
zontal component of vibration, since this will compact the ground more
effectively.
The testing to assess the degree of improvement will be carried out in
accordance with section 6.
NG 2.3. Materials This particular clause may not be sufficiently rigorous for certain author-
NG 2.3.1. Suitability of added ities. For example, the DTp specification, 14 in relation to granular fill to
granular material structures (clause 610), gives particular requirements concerning suit-
able material, grading and chemical composition.
NG 2.3.2. Fill material Where the fill material is in contact with existing or future foundations,
consideration must be given to its quality. The DTp specification (clause
803) gives some guidance to the choice of material.
NG 2.4. Ground treatment Deep compaction of granular soils using the vibrocompaction/vibroflo-
NG 2.4.1. Method of treatment tation techniques involves the use of a depth vibrator transmitting
lateral vibrations to the adjacent soil. The insertion of the vibrator to
the design depth is assisted by water-jetting, and the presence of water
under pressure in the annulus surrounding the vibrator avoids collapse
of the hole.
The vibrator enters the ground under the effect of its own weight,
aided by water-jetting, until the design depth is reached.
On reaching the design depth, the vibrator is then raised in stages to
the surface, compacting the ground as it is withdrawn, each lift being
typically up to 600 mm, with the vibrator being held at each level for
about one minute.
It is essential to maintain contact between vibrator and soil through-
out the lifting procedure. In the compaction of sand, site material is
used and the increased density achieved results in a lowering of the site
surface.
Although rarely used, the procedure for the dry process is also
included for completeness. In this process, the vibrator penetrates the
ground by shear and displacement, and is then withdrawn to enable
granular material to be poured into the hole. Compressed air may be
needed to prevent collapse of the hole during withdrawal, but should
not be at pressures which will allow air to escape through and enlarge
fissures in the ground. Care should be taken to ensure that the hole is
completely filled, without any arching of granular material. The dry
process is most suitable for sites where the disposal of waste water and
slurry will present problems. It should not be used where there is a risk
of groundwater flowing into the hole, or of collapse of the hole before it
is filled.
NG 2.5. Buried obstructions The removal of artificial and natural obstructions such as boulders and
discontinuous rock inclusions should be allowed for by provisional items
in the bill of quantities, the specialist contractor being reimbursed for
overcoming obstructions on a time basis.
Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: no/es for guidance. TIL, London, 1987 15
NG 2.6. Site control Vibrocompaction/vibroftotation does not significantly improve the
NG 2.6.2. Surface compaction ground at levels near the working surface. Where necessary, such as in
the case of floor slabs, surface rafts and road construction, treatment
should be supplemented by compaction at the surface by the Contrac-
tor. Such treatment should be specified by the Specialist, to ensure that
the ground formation surface is adequately compacted to support the
applied loads, and confirmed by testing.
Guidance on specifications for surface compaction is given in the DTp
specification, 14 clauses 608 and 612.
NG 3. GROUND TREATMENT BY VIBRATED STONE COLUMNS:
NG 3.1. Description This section describes the process of ground treatment where a depth
vibrator is used to construct dense stone columns interlocked with the
surrounding ground. Where the vibrator passes through granular soils,
compaction will occur around the stone column; in cohesive soils, the
stone column serves to reinforce and stiffen the soils. In some circum-
stances, the stone columns may also serve as drainage channels.
NG 3.2. Particular The items listed under this clause must be stated in the tender docu-
Specification ment. Following consultation, the Engineer should decide whether the
allowable pressures and deformations must be specified or whether he
will permit the Specialist to state the criteria which he can achieve.
NG 3.3. Materials Where the fill material is in contact with existing or future foundations,
NG 3.3.2. Fill material consideration must be given to its quality. The DTp specification 14
(clause 803) gives some guidance on the choice of material.
NG 3.4. Ground treatment The vibrator enters the ground under the combined effect of weight,
NG 3 .4.1. Method of treatment vibration, and air-jetting or water-jetting. On reaching the design
depth, a charge of imported stone is placed in the ground. The vibrator
is used to compact the charge of stone (and surrounding ground if
granular). By repetition, a dense stone column, tightly interlocked with
the surrounding ground, is constructed to the surface.
The use of air-jetting or water-jetting is dependent on soil conditions,
and in particular on the need to maintain the hole open during place-
ment of stone, and to avoid contamination of the stone column with
surrounding soil. Water-jetting is commonly used on sites with high
water tables and generates waste water and slurry. The inherent prob-
lems of hole stability can be overcome using specially designed vibrators
to enable stone to be fed directly to the nose of the vibrator, thus
obviating the need for withdrawal and enabling work to be done dry.
NG 3.5. Buried obstructions The removal of artificial and natural obstructions such as boulders and
discontinuous rock inclusions occurring within the treatment zone
should be allowed for by provisional items in the bill of quantities, the
specialist contractor being reimbursed for overcoming obstructions on a
time basis.
NG 3.6. Site control Overtreatment is generally recognized either by excessive heave of the
NG 3.6.3. Overtreatment ground and the stone columns or by a much greater consumption of
stone than originally estimated.
An item for excavation to the required formation level, and disposal,
should be included in the appropriate bill of quantities to allow for
possible additional excavation required due to the upward displacement
of ground brought about by the ground treatment.
NG 4. GROUND TREATMENT BY DYNAMIC COMPACTION/CONSOLIDATION:
This section deals with ground improvement by dynamic compaction or

consolidation. The treatment consists of dropping a large tamper
repeatedly on to a prepared formation - typically 10-15 t dropped
from heights of up to 20 m. The dynamic stresses compact the ground to
the required depth, and may also build up excess pore air or pore water
pressures which force groundwater through drainage channels to the
surface. This treatment is often used for non-cohesive soils and made
ground. With made ground, and domestic refuse tips in particular, the
site investigation will not always give a complete picture of conditions.
The treatment process provides an opportunity to assess the variability
of the ground conditions in much greater detail than is practicable by a
normal ground investigation. It is essential that the pattern of passes and
energy requirements be reviewed repeatedly on site.
The effect of dynamic stresses on any adjacent services or structures
should be considered beforehand (see clause 1.10.1).
In some cases, drainage measures may need to be specified to assist
dissipation of excess pore pressures, and the programme of compaction
modified accordingly.
Because the natural drainage channels of the ground are affected, the
treatment may alter the groundwater regime outside the site.
Specification ment.
NG 4.2. Materials A granular layer is required both to serve as a working platform and to
NG 4.2.1. Granular layer ensure effective treatment, particularly in the case of very soft ground.
Further requirements for such a layer are that it may be needed to
preserve the working platform above the water table and also to allow
re-levelling of the site during treatment.
The term suitable is intended to refer to both type and thickness as far
as the requirements of the Specialist are concerned, while at the same
time having the approval of the Engineer.
Where drainage or subsequent work will be affected, it is important
for the Engineer to specify the final required levels of the treated area.
Where the granular layer is in contact with existing or future founda-
tions, consideration must be given to its quality: it must be hard, inert
and not injurious to such foundations.
NG 4.3. Workmanship The granular layer (NG 4.2.1) is laid to the required thickness on the
NG 4.3.J. Method of treatment ground to be treated. Where it is essential to avoid intermixing of this
layer with the ground beneath, consideration may be given to the use of
a geotextile layer at the interface.
Treatment is performed by repeatedly dropping a large pounder or
weight on a regular grid pattern over the site. Several passes over the
site, at differing grid patterns and to varying energy inputs may be
required to achieve the specified engineering performance of the
ground. The repeated dropping of the weight forms depressions, or
prints, and a careful record of their size, and of variations in site level,
should be kept throughout the work.
Generally the depressions are filled with on-site material provided
that it is essentially granular. Alternatively the depressions may be
individually infilled with granular material specially imported to the site
for this purpose. Records of the quantities used should be kept to enable
calculation of the induced settlement.
Testing and instrumentation are employed to monitor the progress of
the treatment, and operations may need to be delayed if excessive pore
water pressures build up. Procedures for testing and instrumentation
should be specified.
NG S. GROUND TREATMENT BY DEEP DRAINS:
NG 5.1. Description This section deals with the installation of deep vertical drainage to
improve the natural drainage of the ground. This is intended to acceler-
ate the consolidation process such that settlement and shear strength
improvements take place more rapidly, and normally within the con-
struction period. The treatment is normally employed for alluvial and
marine deposits.
An essential preliminary to the design of any drainage system is to
obtain reliable values for the in situ permeability of the ground, together
with realistic samples of compressibility from laboratory oedometer
tests, thus enabling a reliable assessment of the vertical and horizontal
coefficients of consolidation to be obtained.
Another important consideration concerns the time constraints
acceptable in subsequent construction operations. For example, the rate
of placing fill in an embankment may be limited by the rate of dissipa-
tion of excess pore pressure and its effect on the stability of the subsoil.
As the effectiveness of the drains depends upon utilizing the natural
drainage paths in the ground, the method of placing the drains should
not unduly disturb the soil. Rate of flow through drains is relatively
small and should not normally introduce any problems of excess water
on site.
Specification ment. Consideration should be given to the following points in the
Particular Specification:
(a) In describing the type of drain it is essential to provide full
details of construction, dimensions, filtration and discharge
capacities; particularly where the design of the drainage system
is to be carried out by the Engineer.
(b) Where the design of the drainage system is to be carried out by
the Specialist, he must be provided with all relevant soil proper-
ties and, in particular, reliable information on the consolidation
parameters.
(c) It is usual to divide the site up into areas within which the depth,
diameter and spacing of drains is the same. However, the use of
band drains supplied in long lengths on reels has made this
requirement less important in regard to depth.
NG 5.3 Materials The drainage layer is a vital part of this method of treatment, and also
NG 5.3.6. Drainage layer frequently serves as a working platform. Any damage to the drainage
layer must be made good at the end of construction operations. Where
geotextiles are used as a separating layer, for example between the
drainage layer and subsoil, no problems are normally encountered in
penetrating the geotextiles during drainage installation. This is
especially the case with modern drilling and placement apparatus.
NG 5.4. General drain The material from which the drains are formed should not deteriorate
characteristics over the period for which they are required to function. The drains do
not usually need to be permanent (i.e. to have a life greater than the
period of anticipated primary consolidation).
An in situ sand-filled drain is less flexible than a sand wick or band
drain, and may act as a column which will settle less than the surround-
ing soil. This type of drain may therefore be less suitable where large
settlements or ground movements are anticipated.
The most common arrangement for drain spacing and layout is either
a triangular grid pattern or a square grid pattern.
NG 5.5. Transportation and It is not always appreciated that geotextiles may be damaged by ultra-
care of prefabricated drains violet radiation, and precautions should be taken on site to avoid
20 Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: notes for guidance. TTL. London. 1987
unnecessary exposure and to provide suitable storage facilities which
will assist in this objective.
Jointing of geotextile drains must provide adequate tensile strength to
prevent separation during installation or subsequent consolidation.
NG 5.6. Working platform The working platform is only intended to support placement equipment
which need not be heavy. The drainage layer (clause 5.3.6) frequently
serves for this purpose, although mats or existing vegetation may be
adequate.
NG 5.7. Installation The in situ permeability of the natural soils can be greatly reduced by
smearing action resulting from the use of inappropriate equipment
during installation of the drains.
NG 5.8. Tolerances Most placement equipment is designed to operate on a level surface. It

may not be economically practicable to install drains truly vertical if the
ground surface is other than level. However, in most cases the deviation
from verticality is not of any significance. Any deviation should, how-
ever, be consistent for all drains to avoid errors in drain spacing.
NG 5.11. Unforeseen This clause is intended to deal with small obstructions such as boulders.
obstructions Where the obstruction is of large extent in relation to the drain spacing,
it may be necessary to resort to pre-drilling.
NG 5.13. Instrumentation Instrumentation, usually piezometers, will be required to monitor the

effectiveness of the drainage. Procedures for installing, protecting and
maintaining instruments, and reporting the results, should be specified
by the Engineer.
NG 6. TESTING GROUND TREATMENT:
NG 6.1. General Control testing is an essential requirement for monitoring the effective-
ness of the treatment. It benefits the Specialist in enhancing efficiency
and provides the Engineer with assurance that the required degree of
improvement is being achieved. The testing programme will depend on
the method of treatment, and the needs of a particular contract. It may
have the following objectives.
(a) Preliminary treatment. A trial may be carried out to confirm the
suitability of the proposed method of treatment. Testing and
instrumentation will be specified after discussion between the
Engineer and the Specialist.
(b) Treatment. The Specialist should select a method of control
testing to ensure that his programme of ground treatment is
proceeding satisfactorily.
(c) Acceptance. After completion of ground treatment, the satisfac-
tory performance of the treated ground may need to be tested to
satisfy the Engineer that the work has been properly carried out.
The Engineer must specify the programme of testing and instru-
mentation, and the criteria for acceptance of the work.
(d) Performance. After completion of the treatment, the Engineer
will usually need to monitor the performance of the treated
ground during subsequent construction operations. Instrumen-
tation may be carried out by the main contractor or as part of the
ground treatment. Interpretation of the results will depend upon
the use made of them.
(i) If the Specialist has guaranteed the performance of the

treated ground (e.g. subsequent settlement), criteria for
acceptable performance must be specified and agreed.
(ii) If the Specialist's obligations finish with completion of the
ground treatment work (e.g. a specified programme of
drain installation), interpretation of results is at the
Engineer's discretion.
The principal object of control testing of treated ground is to gain an
indication of the consistency of the resulting ground improvement. To
this end the frequency of testing should be chosen to reflect probable
variations in the ground conditions as revealed by the initial ground
investigation and subsequently during the course of the ground treat-
ment work.
Simple tests can be used to cover a large area and related to a smaller
number of more sophisticated and possibly more expensive tests. Zone
loading tests, for example, would be more directly comparable to the
structural loading conditions anticipated.
Because so many factors can affect the number of tests required for
each project, general guidance on the frequency of testing must of
necessity be only of a very broad nature. However, to assist with an
initial assessment the following has been compiled from various sources
and based on currently adopted practice
(a) penetration tests: one test for 20-50 stone columns or one test for
not more than 500 m2 , with a minimum of one test for each
structural unit
(b) plate load test: one test for 100-200 stone columns with a mini-
mum of two on any project, or one test per 500 m2
(c) zone load test: one test per 1000-3000 m2 •
A wide range of tests is available for in situ testing which includes
penetration tests, pressure-meter tests, and vane shear tests. The appro-
priate method will be decided in relation to the type of ground treat-
22 Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatmen1.· notes for guidance. TIL, London, 1987
ment and to ground conditions. The Specialist should propose a
programme of control testing to be carried out concurrently with the
ground treatment. This section deals with setting up, method of loading,
and recording load tests as these are more generally used in connection
with ground treatment works. Other standard in situ soil tests will also
be undertaken as appropriate to the ground conditions and these are
covered in BS 5930.
The number of load tests, either zone or plate, is sometimes restricted
on a project by economic considerations. A low cost penetration test
which may be used is the light dynamic cone penetration test employing
a 25 mm diameter cone specified in German standard DIN 4094. 15
Provided that the test is correlated with load tests at the commencement
of the ground treatment it can be used as a control test for the works.
There is often no field testing associated with a contract for the
placement of deep drains. However, instrumentation is a vital part of
this type of ground treatment.
The most common monitoring instruments used are
(a) surface level points and subsurface settlement gauges
(b) piezometers suitable for the foundation soils and the loading
(c) inclinometers.
These instruments, together with density or other measurements to
calculate load at each stage of filling should usually be sufficient for
control to be achieved.
Some further considerations concerning the assessment of ground
improvement and other aspects of instrumentation are given below.
(a) The difficulties of obtaining a reliable assessment of the consoli-
dation characteristics of cohesive soils has sometimes led to the
construction of a trial embankment to obtain data on which the
drainage system is designed. A method of assessing the perform-
ance of a drainage system is by the use of piezometers installed
at various depths as well as beneath the centre of a structure and
elsewhere to obtain information on the rate of pore pressure
dissipation. These measurements, together with measurements
of settlement, can be extrapolated to provide a reasonable
estimate of when most of the primary consolidation is likely to
be completed.
(b) As there are no generally accepted methods for in situ testing to
cover the various applications of deep vertical drainage, details
of any testing required must be given in the Particular Specifica-
tion. As indicated, special instrumentation will be required and
should be installed by ground instrumentation specialists.
(c) It is usually best to place the instrumentation for deep drains
after their installation, although the sequence for a trial
embankment may need to be different. This post-treatment
installation avoids instrument damage and, apart from datum
measurement, limits the start of monitoring until the earth
placement or loading is under way, when the drain installation
unit may have left the site. Because of this as well as its specialist
nature, the instrumentation is usually the subject of a separate
sub-contract.
(d) A variety of types of piezometer and standpipe are available.
The choice will be governed by the range of pore pressures
expected, the accuracy and frequency of readings required,
accessibility, and the risk of damage by plant, weather or van-
dalism. Any housing for measuring equipment should be secure.
As a few instruments usually fail to function, a measure of
redundancy may be desirable in the installation. It is essential
that adequate arrangements are made for the equipment to be
maintained, readings taken, and the results reported promptly
to the Engineer. See also the guidance note on instrumentation
(NG 5.13) within the section on ground treatment by deep
drains.
Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: notes for guidance. TIL, London. 1987 23
(e) Useful references and papers are given in the ICE publication
Vertical drains. 16
NG 6.2. Particular Separate items should be provided in the bill of quantities for each form
Specification of sampling and testing operation.
Various in situ tests are referred to in NG 6.1.
The Engineer should state in the contract documents the required
maximum capacity of the reaction system where applicable, and thus the
maximum load to be applied during a test, which the Specialist will be
required to provide. When deciding on this value, account should be
taken of the possible variations in the soil strata, which may not have
been revealed in the site investigation and which may result in different
bearing capacities than those anticipated.
The Engineer may wish to retain some test equipment on site after
completion of the ground treatment. This should be specified.
NG 6.3. Definitions Allowable bearing pressure is generally significantly less than the ulti-
mate bearing pressure, to avoid excessive settlements as well as to
provide an adequate factor of safety against collapse. It should also be
noted that with stratified soils, the allowable bearing pressure will
usually be determined by the shear strength of any soft layers of
cohesive soils, if present, such that excessive plastic deformations do not
occur.
NG 6.5. Safety precautions Kentledge is defined as the dead weight used in a loading test. Ideally
NG 6.5.2. Kent/edge kentledge should only be used with a properly designed frame which has
its foundations well clear of the test area. Apart from the safety aspects
of such a frame, it also ensures that the direction of the applied load is
properly controlled.
NG 6.5.3. Ground anchors Possible modes of failure of ground anchors include pull-out or adher-
ence and tensile rupture. The latter could produce a rapid progressive
failure leading to catastrophic collapse. Comprehensive information on
all aspects of ground anchor behaviour is provided in BSI DD 81.
NG 6.6. Preliminary tests The object of large-scale field tests is to enable a performance assess-
ment to be made on the same scale and with the same conditions as will
generally occur on site. Where the ground conditions on site are very
variable, the location selected for the test section should have below-
average conditions. To ensure that the treatment method is generally
suitable, it may be considered essential to select a location where the
worst site conditions occur.
Preliminary trials of ground treatment should be carried out before
the commencement of the main ground treatment works on an area
selected by the Engineer. The preliminary treatment should confirm the
suitability of the chosen method, the depths and spacing of such treat-
ment and the load-settlement characteristics of the treated ground.
It is recommended that in the preliminary tests both plate load and
zone tests are carried out on the same areas of treated ground. This will
enable the performance of the plate load tests in areas of treated ground
which will later form part of the foundations to be compared with the
preliminary tests.
NG 6.10. Reaction systems The reaction system is the arrangement of kentledge or anchors that
produces a resistance against which the treated ground is tested.
NG 6.12. Measurement of load Several techniques are available for measuring load. The most common
method is to use some type of pressure gauge which has been calibrated
to produce a chart of equivalent applied load. In recent years load cells
have become more commonplace and generally are preferable as they
provide load as a direct output. Moreover, with such devices the inform-
ation can be recorded remotely and this can be an advantage where a
safety hazard exists. Occasionally various types of strain gauge have
been employed, particularly where the load is transmitted through a
24 Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: notes for guidance. TIL. London. 1987
frame or other structure on which gauges can be conveniently mounted.
The required accuracy of load-measuring devices is usually quoted as
± 2% of the maximum applied load during a test.
NG 6.14. Measuring A number of techniques are available for assessing ground movements.
movement during tests Surface movements in terms of the displacement of points can be
determined by surveying techniques or even by photogrammetry. For
the assessment of very localized movements associated with plates or
frames, deformation gauges are suitable.
Subsurface movements can be assessed by means of settlement gauges
founded at depth, either the rod type or reed-switch and magnet type,
or by the use of other devices based on electro-sensing principles.
Inclinometers, inverted pendulums and several other types of instru-
ment have been employed for measuring horizontal displacement.
NG 6.14.1. Plate bearing tests The traditional method of measuring the movement of the plate has
involved manual readings on dial gauges which requires that the oper-
ator has to work directly beneath the reaction load induced by the
kentledge. In some cases this may be a safety hazard and can prove
wasteful of staff resources when monitoring deformation under static
load for long periods. An alternative to dial gauges is some form of
transducer, such as a linear variable differential transformer (L VDT).
The transducers can record remotely and at any required interval of
time when connected to suitable recording equipment.
NG 6.14.2. Zone tests The remarks made pertaining to plate tests (NG 6.14.1) apply here also.
The term 'slab' in the context of the zone test means the reinforced or
unreinforced concrete element or steel plate which is used to distribute
the applied load over the required area.
NG 6.14.3. Optical levelling The limits of accuracy of observations of vertical settlement are of the
order of ± 0.1 mm provided that sight distances are kept short.
Although such accuracy is not generally a requirement of ground treat-
ment processes, it may be desirable to strive for high precision when
assessing possible damage to structures adjacent to the treated area.
Where site distances are necessarily long, consideration should be
given to the use of electro-optical instruments.
NG 6.17. Test procedure In addition to the application of this test for measuring the bearing
NG 6.17.1. Plate bearing test capacity of the treated ground at the surface, it may also be employed
for carrying out tests in pits or trenches and at depth in boreholes. The
assessment is usually considered to apply to the region of soil extending
to a depth of about 1.5 times the plate diameter. It is important to
ensure that the surface on which the plate is placed is level and free from
local hard spots, otherwise tilting and eccentric loading may develop
during the test.
The test has therefore come to be accepted as a measure of workman-
ship in forming stone columns and not a direct indication of the antici-
pated settlement of the completed structure. To be able to compare
results from one site to another with similar ground conditions it is usual
to employ a convenient maximum test load in the range 11-14 t; the
maximum safe load that can be applied will depend on the size of
crawler crane being used as kentledge.
Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: notes for guidance. TIL. London. 1987 25
~···n~s ON SPECIMEN BILLS OF QUANTITIES
In the second edition of the Civil engineering standard method of

measurement (CESMM), 4 the class devoted to geotechnical and other
specialist processes (class C) includes only specialist drains. The other
ground improvement processes dealt with in this publication are con-
sidered to be too specialist for inclusion in the CESMM at present. The
bills of quantities which follow are based on experienced practice, and
unlike those in CESMM class C, they have an establishment item
included to make them more suitable for general use.
With the exception of the establishment item, the bills given here do
follow CESMM practice in that contractual and specified requirements
(class A, general items) are not included. In a large civil engineering
document such items will be covered in a separate general class or
section. In other documents where the Engineer requires such items,
these must be added to the items set out.
Similarly the bills of quantities given are intended to illustrate the
recommended specialist items of measurement in accordance with the
recommendations of these notes for guidance. They are not intended to
be comprehensive and do not include non-specialist items such as supply
and disposal of flush water, site regrading or filling, removal of soft
areas and certain provisional items which should be carried out by the
Contractor. For deep sand or wick drains it is usual for the Contractor to
provide a drainage layer and level working surface. Items are not
therefore included for such.
A provisional item is normally included in the main contract to deal
with excavation and replacement of any unforeseen pockets of material
which are not suitable for treatment and such an item is not generally
required herein.
The design of ground treatment may vary according to different
loading or ground conditions. The items covering the quantity of ground
treatment should therefore be billed separately for each area where
there is a significant difference in the loading requirement or ground
conditions, and it is possible that there might be a different intensity or
geometry of treatment.
Where ground conditions dictate the use of the wet process for
vibrocompaction/vibroflotation work, additional facilities and equip-
ment may be required for which bill items should be provided. Whether
these items are provided by the Contractor or the Specialist will depend
on the particular contract arrangement for each project.
If different methods of testing are required, additional items can be
included to cover each type of test.
In methods 1 and 2 for treatment by vibrocompaction/vibroflotation/
vibrated stone columns, provision for any extra plant needed for the wet
process should be by extra over items.
The lump sum basis (method 3) can be used for projects where the
Specialist undertakes both the design and the ground treatment under
the JCT contract form. The quantities in the bill are not remeasured
except for ordered variations. Item 1 on this bill is sometimes split into
two parts: establish and remove; and carry out treatment.
Where the Specialist carries out his work prior to appointment of the
Contractor, it is particularly important to include an item to allow for all
general obligations, liabilities and risks involved in the execution of the
works.
On projects where there is the possibility of obstructions to penetra-
tion of the equipment (e.g. old foundations), and clearance will not be
undertaken by the Contractor, then items should be included for either
excavating the obstruction and backfilling with suitable material, or
other operations as appropriate. Where vertical sand or wick drains are
to be formed through an upper layer of fill, firm or dense material uot
Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: notes for guidance. TIL. London, 1987
suited to the apparatus designed for entering or making the drain in soft
clays or the like, then extra plant will be needed to pre-drill such. Items
are given in the bill of quantities for this.
Where the symbol .................. appears the Engineer is required to
enter the relevant quantity.
The Engineer will need to add to the bill used a line for summation of
the extensions of quantity and rate together with wording showing that
the total sum is to be carried to the appropriate tender form.
SPECIMEN BILLS OF QUANTITIES
Ground treatment by vibrocompaction/vibroflotation/vibrated stone columns (sections 2 and 3)
Remeasured basis (method 1)
Number Item description Unit Quantity Rate Amount

£ p
1 Establish specialist labour, plant and equipment on

site, set up, dismantle and remove on completion sum
2 Set up plant over each compaction position nr
3 Compact cohesionless material or form stone
column at each compaction location; rate includes
the provision of granular material m
4 Carry out plate load tests as specified nr
5 Standing time of specialist labour and plant, per rig
unit h Rate only
Remeasured basis (method 2)

£ p

site, and set up; fixed charge for each visit sum
2 Dismantle and remove the specialist plant and
equipment and return labour; fixed charge for each
visit sum
3 Time-related charge for keeping on site the
resources in item 1 for the period of ..............
required to undertake the billed quantities
hereunder sum
4 Fixed charge for ................ moves of the
specialist plant and equipment from one defined
area to another sum
5 Number of compaction locations nr
6 Compact cohesionless material or form stone
columnt m
7 Carry out plate load tests as specified nr
8 Standing time of specialist labour and plant per rig
unit h Rate only
t Where stone columns are required, the provision of granular material should be included.
Lump sum basis (method 3a with compactions measured as number)

£ p

site and remove on completion; carry out the
specified ground treatment of ............ number of
compactions, including any granular fill required sum
2 Undertake additional compactions nr Rate only
3 Credit for compactions not required nr Rate only
4 Carry out plate loading tests as specified nr
unit h Rate only
28 Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: notes for guidance. TIL. London, 1987
Lump sum basis (method 3b with compactions measured in metres)

£ p

site, and remove on completion; carry out the
specified ground treatment for ............ metres of
compactions and remove on completion, including
2
any granular fill required
Undertake additional metreage of compactions
. sum
m Rate only
3 Credit for metreage of compactions not required m Rate only
4 Carry out plate loading tests as specified nr
unit h Rate only
Ground treatment by dynamic compaction/consolidation (section 4)
Remeasured basis

£ p

site and remove on completion sum
2 Carry out the ground treatment as specified for
each area mi
3 Supply and place granular material as infill to
depressions m3 Rate only
4 Establish plant and equipment for load tests as
specified and remove on completion sum
5 Carry out load-testing as specified nr
6 Standing time for specialist labour and plant per rig
unit h Rate only
Lump sum basis

£ p

site; carry out the sgecified ground treatment for an
area of ............ m sum
2 Treatment rate for an increase or decrease in the
area given in item 1 mi
3 Establish plant and equipment for load-testing as
specified and remove on completion sum
4 Carry out load-testing as specified nr
5 Standing time for specialist labour and plant per rig
unit h Rate only
Ground treatment by deep drainage (section 5)

£ p
1 Establish specialist labour and plant on site for the

construction of vertical sand/band drains and
remove on completion sum
2 Establish labour and plant on site for pre-drilling
and remove on completion sum
3 Dismantle plant for the construction of vertical
sand/band drains and move plant for a distance not
exceeding ............ m and re-erect plant ready for I
installation sum
4 Dismantle plant for pre-drilling and move plant for
a distance not exceeding ............ m and re-erect
plant ready for installation sum
5 Move plant for the construction of vertical sand/
band drains, between drains for a distance not
exceeding ............ m nr
6 Move plant for pre-drilling, between drains for a i
distance not exceeding ............ m nr !
7 Supply and install vertical sand/band drains from

the top of the drainage blanket/working surface to a
depth not exceeding 10 m m
depth stated exceeding 25 m m
12 Standing time for vertical drain plant and crew per
rig unit h Rate only
13 Pre-drill to a depth not exceeding 1.5 m from the
top of the drainage blanket/working surface m
14 Pre-drill to a depth not exceeding 3 m below top of
drainage blanket/working surface m
15 Standing time for pre-drilling rig and gear, per rig
unit h Rate only
30 Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for ground treatment: no/es for guidance. TIL, London, 1987
APPENDIX 1. TYPICAL SCHEDULE OF ATTENDANCES AND FACILITIES WHICH SHOULD BE
PROVIDED BY A MAIN CONTRACTOR TO A GROUND TREATMENT SUB-CONTRACTOR
The following attendance and facilities are best provided by the main contractor in a manner so as not to disrupt or
restrict the regular progress of the sub-contract works.
1. Notices Giving of all notices and obtaining of all necessary licences and sanctions
including any wayleaves, easements, possessions, rights of way and access for
the carrying out of the sub-contract works
2. Health Provision of welfare and safety facilities to comply with statutory regulations,
and rules, orders and regulations of any competent authority having powers
related to the sub-contract works
3. Accommodation and storage Provision of a firm dry area suitable for a site office, stores and storage area for
equipment and materials
4. Temporary lighting Provision of site lighting of the area of the sub-contract work to ensure safe
working conditions
5. Water supply Supply of clean water at mains pressure adjacent to ............ ; rate of supply
............ 1/h
6. Disposal of water Disposal of surface water and provision of drainage facilities within 50 m of the
treatment area, including provision of settling ponds where necessary
7. Electricity The supply of electricity at a point adjacent to ............ ; power available will be
8. Fencing, hoardings, security Provision of all necessary hoardings, fences, watching, warning signs and pedes-
trian and traffic control and any other measures required for the protection of
the works or for the safety and convenience of the public or others, including
security to safeguard the plant and equipment on site
9. Temporary access roads, Provision, maintenance and removal as necessary of access roads, ramps and
hardstandings and working reasonably level areas for the ground treatment works and associated oper-
areas ations; the access and areas are to be adequate in extent for safe working and
prepared in a manner to ensure the stability of the specialist contractor's plant,
equipment and lorries throughout the sub-contract period. The gradient of a
ramp shall not exceed 1 in 10 and shall be clear of the storage and working areas
10. Wheel and road cleaning Provision of manned wheel-cleaning facilities and/or road-cleaning, as necessary
11. Existing services Setting out on site the exact location of existing underground works and services
and provision of a drawing on which their positions in line and level are
accurately plotted relative to the ground treatment works; protection, diversion
or removal of such works or service
12. Shoring/underpinning Shoring and underpinning as necessary, including the removal, replacement or
adjustment of timbering or shoring which may impede the ground treatment
13. Obstructions Removal of overhead, surface and underground obstructions, and backfilling of
excavations and voids with a suitable non-cohesive material
14. Setting out Setting out treatment positions
or
Setting out and maintaining of centre-lines of all main foundations, brickwork or
grid lines accurately with permanent backmarks as far as the buildings or
earthworks lines
15. Excavation of unsuitable Excavation of soft spots and areas of unsuitable material encountered and
material subsequent backfilling with suitable granular material (does not usually apply to
deep drains operations)
16. Upfilling Provision of clean inert granular material (free from silt and clay) to raise site
levels where required, to be loose end tipped, not rolled, prior to ground
treatment
APPENDIX 2. ·REFERENCES
British Standards and codes BS 1377 Methods of test for soil for civil engineering purposes
of practice BS 5930 Code of practice for site investigations
British Standards Institution, BS 8004 Code of practice for foundations
London BS 6031 Code of practice for earthworks
BS 882 Coarse and fine aggregates from natural sources
BS 812 Methods of sampling and testing of mineral aggregates, sands and
filters
DD81 Recommendations for ground anchorages
Introductory text Greenwood D.A. and Thomson G.H. Ground stabilization: deep compaction
and grouting. Thomas Telford, London, 1984, ICE works construction guide.
Other references 1. Institution of Civil Engineers et al. Conditions of contract and forms of
tender, agreement and bond for use in connection with works of civil
engineering construction. ICE, London, 1986, 5th edn.
2. Joint Contracts Tribunal. Standard form of building contract. JCT/RIBA
Publications Ltd, London, 1963; 1980. (Variants in use are local authori-
ties editions (with quantities; without quantities; and with approximate
quantities); and private editions (with quantities; without quantities; and
with approximate quantities).)
3. General conditions of government contracts for building and civil engineer-
ing works. HMSO, London, 1977, form GC/Works/1, edn 2.
4. Institution of Civil Engineers. Civil engineering standard method of
measurement. Thomas Telford, London, 1985, 2nd edn.
5. Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and The National Federation of
Building Trades Employers. Standard method of measurement of building
works. RICS and NFBTE, London, 1978, 6th edn (SMM6).
6. Department of Transport. Method of measurement for road and bridge
works. HMSO, London, 1977, 2nd edn.
7. Construction Industry Research and Information Association. Guide to
ground improvement. CIRIA, London, in preparation.
8. Institution of Civil Engineers. Guidance on the preparation, submission
and consideration of tenders for civil engineering contracts. Federation of
Civil Engineering Contractors, London, 1983.
9. National Economic Development Office. Action on the Banwell report: a
survey of the implementation of the recommendations of the Committee
under the chairmanship of Sir Harold Banwell on The Placing and Manage-
ment of Contracts. HMSO, London, 1967.
10. Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for site investigation. Thomas
Telford, London, in preparation.
11. Institution of Civil Engineers. Specification for site investigation: notes for
guidance. Thomas Telford, London, in preparation.
12. Weitman A.J. and Head J.M. Site investigation manual. Construction
Industry Research and Information Association, London, 1985, special
publication 25.
13. Institution of Civil Engineers et al. ICE conditions of contract for ground
investigation. Thomas Telford, London, 1984.
14. Department of Transport. Specification for highway works. HMSO, Lon-
don, 1986, 6th edn.
15. Deutsche Institut fiir Normung. Subsoil; dynamic and static penetr-
ometers. Part 1: Dimensions of apparatus and method of operation. Part 2:
Application and evaluation. DIN 4094. Beuth Verlag, 1974-80.
16. Institution of Civil Engineers. Vertical drains. Thomas Telford, London,
1982.

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The Institution of Civil Engineers

First published 1987

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

©The Institution of Civil Engineers, 1987

Set by Katerprint Typesetting Services, Oxford

1. General requirements for ground treatment work 1

2. Ground treatment by vibrocompaction/vibroflotation 3

3. Ground treatment by vibrated stone columns 5

4. Ground treatment by dynamic compaction/consolidation 7

5. Ground treatment by deep drains 9

6. Testing ground treatment 13

1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GROUND TREATMENT WORK

1.3.3. Layout of treatment The Contractor ............................................. shall supply detailed

1.6. Workmanship The Contractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . shall satisfy the

The following clauses shall be read in conjunction with the general

2.5.2. Unforeseen Where an unforeseen obstruction is encountered below ground level,

The following clauses shall be read in conjunction with the general

3.5.2. Unforeseen Where an unforeseen obstruction is encountered below ground level,

The following clauses shall be read in conjunction with the general

4.3. Workmanship Treatment shall be carried out by repeated tamping on a predetermined

The following clauses shall be read in conjunction with the general

5.9. Cut-off level of Unless otherwise specified the Contractor ................................... .

5.12. Pre-drilling Where pre-drilling is specified, or is required, to enable the Contractor's

5.14. Disposal of arisings The Contractor ................................................. shall ensure that

6.6. Preliminary tests The Contractor .. . .. . . .. . .. . .. . . .. .. . .. .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . . .. . .. . . shall give the

6. 7. Preparation of ground The Contractor ................................................. shall excavate for ·

6.16. Supervision The Contractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . shall give the

6.19. Schedule of recorded The Contractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . shall provide

..... Thomas Telford, London

Appointment of specialist contractors for ground treatment 5

Use of the Specification for ground treatment 9

Notes on clauses in Specification for ground treatment

NG 1. General requirements for ground treatment work 11

NG 2. Ground treatment by vibrocompaction/vibroflotation 15

NG 3. Ground treatment by vibrated stone columns 17

NG 4. Ground treatment by dynamic compaction/consolidation 18

NG 5. Ground treatment by deep drains 20

NG 6. Testing ground treatment 22

Notes on specimen bills of quantities 26

Specimen bills of quantities 28

Appendix 1. Typical schedule of attendances and facilities which 31

These notes provide guidance on the specification of ground treatment,

Ground treatment processes generally involve the use of highly special-

This section deals with ground improvement by dynamic compaction or

NG 5.8. Tolerances Most placement equipment is designed to operate on a level surface. It

NG 5.13. Instrumentation Instrumentation, usually piezometers, will be required to monitor the

(i) If the Specialist has guaranteed the performance of the

In the second edition of the Civil engineering standard method of

Ground treatment by vibrocompaction/vibroflotation/vibrated stone columns (sections 2 and 3)

Remeasured basis (method 1)

Number Item description Unit Quantity Rate Amount

1 Establish specialist labour, plant and equipment on

Remeasured basis (method 2)

Number Item description Unit Quantity Rate Amount

1 Establish specialist labour, plant and equipment on

Lump sum basis (method 3a with compactions measured as number)

Number Item description Unit Quantity Rate Amount

1 Establish specialist labour, plant and equipment on

Number Item description Unit Quantity Rate Amount

1 Establish specialist labour, plant and equipment on

Ground treatment by dynamic compaction/consolidation (section 4)

Number Item description Unit Quantity Rate Amount

1 Establish specialist labour, plant and equipment on