UNRA Clarification Note For Swamps – Issue 0006 - DRAFT

Typical Issues, Information to be provided at Design Stage and included in

Works Contract

Some issues below as noted with a “?”, are to be discussed at the next design consultants forum and
resolved before this note becomes final.

Information Required Comments from

Consultants
Type, number and length of each swamp with road chainages. There are at least 3
types that need different approaches
1. seasonal
2. permanent (check length in wet season as may vary) with all silt removed
3. permanent with some silt removed
The three types require different solutions.

An overall plan of the road should show location of swamps, bridges and any other
important work areas

For seasonal swamps solution should be simpler if we are certain it dries out.
Consider we state when it is expected to be dry and for how long or hope it matches
dry season??

Show depth material to be removed, what replaced width and width of layer up to
xmm above expect high water level when it rains

For permanent swamps SI to be undertaken every 100m, a longitudinal profile to be

prepared to show
1. depth of water with high and low water marks
2. depth of soft material defining (propose limits, geologist to advise??) what is
considered hard material and acceptable
3. depth to be excavated clearly indicating if all soft material has been removed
4. depth of soft material removed and depth remaining if too deep

Issues
 How accurate can we be in specifying depth to be removed, varies on depth
water etc?
 How accurately can we calculate volume to be removed?
 How do we access level of risk?

Where augers are not long enough to locate hard material, boreholes to be used as
we need to know depth of soft material and should take samples in order to estimate
time for consolidation

For permanent swamps where all the soft material is not to be removed, design
calculations and drawings (cross section and long section) to show:-
 depth water contractor expected to work in, there is a limit!
 depth of material to be removed, how accurate can we be?
 if not all removed depth remaining soft material

UNRA TS Note – Swamps Rev D 1 of 2

UNRA Clarification Note For Swamps – Issue 0006 - DRAFT
Typical Issues, Information to be provided at Design Stage and included in
Works Contract

 depth and type backfill (how high above water, 250mm(??) + expected
settlement? (is slope now 1:4 as per General Specification??)
 estimation of settlement depth and time to consolidate (Any problem doing
this??)
 need for surcharge(height) and duration, removal of surcharge

Tender drawings for each type of swamp are to show staged construction and
provide clear guidance on construction to include
 SI data
 Longitudinal section of SI’s at 100m centres or less showing material to be
removed
 realistic shape of backfill for each swamp for the depth ranges, show
widening on one or both sides, show staged construction, tables to show
surcharge/height and duration
 height of rock fill above water allowing for expected settlement
 materials to be used, if bottom layer is rock backfill do we need a graded
material above (possibly more than one layer required??) The above rock /
material should be designed so as to not pass (filter ) into lower layer,
grading for next layer (is it a filter layer?), embankment fill
 need for geotextiles including cost benefit as expensive??

Review of specification in particular amend to cover particular issues such as:

 grading of all materials
 additional SI on site making it clear that for each swamp, site instructions will
be given
 special specification must cover depth of material to be removed (measured
as an agreed depth of material to be removed, not number of trucks) and
materials to be used for backfill (measured as an agreed depth material to be
placed not number of trucks)
 method of measurement to take into consideration payment for additional
material (is this embankment fill?) to take account of settlement
 specification to state how settlement to be measured including details of
gauges to be used and when remaining works may proceed
 specification is to be clear about use of surcharge. height, duration, removal
and payment

Drainage
 What provision included, extending the culverts and/or new culverts
 How implemented if section widened settles?
 Contractor must not block culverts, so how is temporary drainage
managed?

UNRA TS Note – Swamps Rev D 2 of 2