Reference NR/L3/CIV/140/50C

Issue 2
th
Publication date 4 September 2010
th
Compliance date 4 December 2010

SECTION 50 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR EARTHWORKS AND

EXCAVATIONS

Contents Page
50.001 Application of standards and codes of practice 2
50.002 Definitions 2
50.003 Surface levels of earthworks 3
50.004 Stripping of turf and topsoil for re-use and stockpiling suitable 4
materials
50.005 Delivery and stockpiling of PFA 4
50.006 Removal of excavated materials and debris from the Site 4
50.007 Earthworks generally 5
50.008 PFA generally 5
50.009 Soil testing equipment 5

References 6
British Standards 6
Railway Group Standards 6
Network Rail standards 6
Model Clauses 6
Other publications 6

Page 1 of 6

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 Reference NR/L3/CIV/140/50C
Issue 2
th
Publication date 4 September 2010
th
Compliance date 4 December 2010

SECTION 50 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR EARTHWORKS AND

EXCAVATIONS

Application of 50.001 The use of excavators, loaders and other earth moving plant
standards and shall follow the guidance given in RIS-1700-PLT.
codes of
practice The location and depth of existing services shall be determined
prior to carrying out any excavation. Such investigations shall
be undertaken in accordance with NR/L2/AMG/1030 and
NR/L2/AMG/1040.

Definitions 50.002 The following definitions shall apply:

(i) ‘Formation’ shall mean the level of the layer of material

provided above the subgrade and, where applicable,
below the ballast to either increase or reduce the stiffness
of the subgrade, or to prevent overstressing.

(ii) ‘Subgrade’ shall mean the prepared surface of the natural

ground or the upper surface of fill material forming an
earthwork (including the side slopes).

(iii) Cohesive subgrade is defined in Appendix 50/1.

(iv) Non-cohesive subgrade is defined in Appendix 50/1.

(v) ‘Topsoil’ shall mean the top layer of soil that can support
vegetation, and shall include all turf which has been cut for
too long a period to be acceptable to the Employer’s
Representative for use as turf.

(vi) ‘Acceptable material’ shall comprise all material excavated

from within the Site or imported to the Site that meet the
requirements of the Specification for acceptability and
which are capable of being compacted in accordance with --`,,`,,`,``,,`,,`,`,,,,`,`,`,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

the Specification to form stable fill.

(vii) ‘Unacceptable material’ shall mean other than Acceptable

material, and shall include soft, or compressible, or
contaminated materials and other materials defined in
Appendix 50/1. With the approval of the Employer’s
Representative, non-contaminated materials may be
processed by mechanical, chemical or other means to
render them acceptable.

(viii) Chalk shall be deemed to be Class 3 material irrespective

of its physical, chemical or mechanical properties.

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 Reference NR/L3/CIV/140/50C
Issue 2
th
Publication date 4 September 2010
th
Compliance date 4 December 2010

(ix) ‘Rock’ shall mean natural hard materials, which

necessitate the use of rock breaking or other special
equipment (other than clay spades) for removal.

(x) ‘Soft material’ in the context of excavation shall mean soft

and very soft cohesive material and loose, and very loose
granular material as defined in BS 5930.

(xi) ‘Artificial hard material’ shall mean brickwork, masonry,

plain and reinforced concrete or other man-made
materials which necessitate the use of pneumatic tools or
other special equipment for removal.

(xii) ‘Blanketing’ shall mean a layer of material placed on the

subgrade.

(xiii) ‘Service’, in addition to the items described in Section 10

(General), shall include drainage pipes.

(xiv) ‘PFA’ shall mean pulverised fuel ash in accordance with

BS 3892-2 with the following grading definitions:

(a) ’Conditioned’ means freshly produced, fine grained

PFA to which water has been added to assist
compaction,

(b) ‘Stockpile conditioned’ means temporarily stored

material consisting of either conditioned ash or
recovered coarser material,

(c) ‘Lagoon’ means PFA recovered from lagoons.

Surface levels of 50.003 Before work commences, the levels of the existing ground to be
earthworks disturbed shall be agreed with the Employer’s Representative.
In default, the levels shown on the Contract Drawings shall
apply.
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In excavating cuttings and forming embankments to the

required level, allowance shall be made for the bulking and
shrinkage of materials, and for ground movements.

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 Reference NR/L3/CIV/140/50C
Issue 2
th
Publication date 4 September 2010
th
Compliance date 4 December 2010

Stripping of turf 50.004 Turf required for relaying in accordance with Section 251
and topsoil for (Ground preparation and grassing) shall be removed from all
re-use and working areas and areas of the Permanent Works and, unless
stockpiling surplus to requirements, shall be stockpiled for re-use in areas
suitable shown on the Contract Drawings or as otherwise agreed with
materials the Employer’s Representative.

Soil shall be removed to a depth of 300 mm from all working

areas and areas of the Permanent Works, and, where required
for re-use in the Works, shall be stockpiled on the Site in the
areas shown on the Contract Drawings or as otherwise agreed
with the Employer’s Representative.

The written agreement of the Employer’s Representative shall

be obtained for the re-use of topsoil and turf in the Works.

Topsoil heaps shall not be compacted, or exceed 2 metres in

height.

Exclusions on the use of chalk in the Works are defined in

Appendix 50/2.

Delivery and 50.005 PFA shall be delivered to the Site in covered vehicles to prevent
stockpiling of dusting and to maintain the material within 4 per cent of the
PFA optimum moisture content value.

The requirements for stockpiling PFA are detailed in Appendix

50/3.

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Removal of 50.006 The limitations regarding the removal of material from the Site
excavated are detailed in Appendix 50/4.
materials and
debris from the Contaminated soil, defined in Appendix 50/5, shall be disposed
Site of at a suitable licensed tip.

Topsoil containing weeds or foreign matter as defined in

accordance with section 4.2 of BS 3882 shall be removed from
the Site. Topsoil failing to comply with Table 1 of BS 3882 shall
be removed from the Site.

Excavated acceptable material, including topsoil other than that

which is surplus to the requirements of the Contract, shall not
be removed from the Site except with the written permission of
the Employer’s Representative.

Material which is unacceptable only by reason of being frozen

shall be retained on the Site.

Should the removal of acceptable material (or unacceptable

material required to be processed) from the Site be permitted,
any consequential deficit of filling arising from such removal
shall be made good at no cost to Network Rail.

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 Reference NR/L3/CIV/140/50C
Issue 2
th
Publication date 4 September 2010
th
Compliance date 4 December 2010

Earthworks 50.007 The finished profile of all earthworks shall be graded and free
generally from all irregularities, mud, slurry and debris. Any irregularity,
deterioration, or damage, to the finished profiles of formations,
granular filters and to the slopes of any embankments, cuttings
or other earthworks shall be made good.

During construction, areas of cut-and-fill shall be formed with a

sufficient crossfall and surface smoothness to shed surface
water. Temporary or permanent trenches shall be formed to
drain water from the earthworks. The Contractor shall put in
place means to prevent silt from discharging into permanent
drainage systems.

Where new embankments abut existing earthworks, following

the stripping of topsoil the existing earthworks shall be benched
in 600 mm high steps at the junction with the new embankment,
and the top surface of each step compacted as for the abutting
layers. Benches shall be laid to a fall as shown on the Contract
Drawings.

Track ballast shall not be placed until all drainage, blanketing

and/or waterproofing has been laid and is in working order.

PFA generally 50.008 Work on the Site shall be carried out in compliance with the
occupational exposure limit for PFA defined in Health and
Safety Executive (HSE) Guidance Note EH 65/2.

Working arrangements shall be such that no PFA will enter any

drain or sewer, or be carried on to any highway. Remedial
measures shall be carried out as necessary to prevent
environmental pollution or nuisance arising from the use of
PFA. Network Rail shall be indemnified from claims which
might arise from these grounds.

Soil testing 50.009 The Contractor’s soil testing equipment shall be made available
equipment for the use of the Employer’s Representative. The Employer’s
Representative shall have free access to witness any test
carried out by on behalf of the Contractor.
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 Reference NR/L3/CIV/140/50C
Issue 2
th
Publication date 4 September 2010
th
Compliance date 4 December 2010

REFERENCES
This is a list of publications referred to within this Section of the Model Clauses.

British Standards Title Issue date

1377-2 Methods of test for soils for civil engineering 1990
purposes. Classification tests.
1377-3 Methods of test for soils for civil engineering 1990
purposes. Chemical and electro-chemical tests.
3882 Specification for topsoil and requirements for 2007
use.
3892-2 Pulverised-fuel ash. Specification for 1996
pulverised-fuel ash to be used as a Type 1
addition.
5930 Code of practice for site investigations. 1999

Railway Group Standards Title Issue date

RIS-1700-PLT Rail industry standard for safe use of plant for 10/09
infrastructure work.

Network Rail standards Title Issue date

NR/L2/AMG/1030 Working safely in the vicinity of buried services 12/08
NR/L2/AMG/1040 Buried services data feedback 12/08

Model Clauses Title Issue date

10 General 06/08
51 Excavations 09/10
251 Ground preparation and grassing 03/96

Other publications Title Issue date

HMSO
HSE
Interdepartmental
Committee on the
Redevelopment of
Contaminated Land
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Highways Agency Design Manual for Roads 1991
and Bridges. HA 44/91: Design and preparation
of contract documents.
Guidance Note EH 65/2. Pulverised-fuel ash: 1992
criteria document for an occupational exposure
limit.
Specification for ground treatment ICRCL 1987
59/83. Guidance on the assessment and
redevelopment of contaminated land. 2nd
Edition.

Thomas Telford Recycling derelict land. ICE. Editor: G Fleming. 1991

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