Fill Material

"Fill-material" shall mean material deposited in accordance with these specifications from any of the
classes specified in order to build up an earthworks construction to formation level as shown on the
Drawings or as ordered by the Project Manager. The Contractor shall obtain the fill material from a
source approved by the Project Manager.

Fill materials will generally be obtained from cuttings. If the material obtained from this source is
insufficient or unsuitable extra material shall be obtained from borrow areas. All fill material (other than
rock fill in lower layers) shall pass 75mm BS sieve size.

The following materials are generally unsuitable for construction of fills.

 All materials containing more than 5% by weight of organic matter (such as top soil, materials from
swamps, plants and vegetable matter)
 All expansive soils such as black cotton soils with swells of more than 3% as measured in the CBR test.
 All clay soils with plasticity index exceeding 50.
 All materials having a moisture content of 105% of the optimum moisture content (standard
compaction)

Rock fill can be used provided that boulders greater than 0.2 M3 in volume or 600 mm in size are not used
and that this material is not placed within the top 600 mm to formation level. The best materials from
cuttings or borrow areas should be reserved for the upper layers of the fill.