Quality Supervision of Soil Nail Construction

Contents:
1. Duties of Site Supervisory Staff and
Audit Team Staff
2. Introduction to the Requirements for
Soil Nails and Equipment for Drilling
and Grouting of Soil Nails
3. Supervision of Drilling, Fabrication of
Reinforcement and Process of
Insertion of Reinforcement Bars
4. Supervision of Grouting
5. Supervision of Test Nail and Nail
Head Construction
6. Common non-compliance found of
soil nailing works

Quality Supervision of Soil Nail Construction

1. Duties of Site Supervisory Staff and Audit Team Staff

1.1 Duties of Site Supervisor Staff

(1) To record and take record photographs of the existing condition of the site and
the surrounding, including the adjacent structures, roads, public and private
facilities and trees etc. for reference at a later date.

(2) To record and mark-up all the trees that are required to be preserved on site.

(3) To arrange for initial survey of the site for reference and for calculation of the
earthwork quantities.

(4) To check whether ground movement monitoring points, if specified, are

established on site and initial readings are taken.

(5) To supervise ground movement monitoring surveys carried out by the

Contractor.

(6) To check whether the site boundaries are properly fenced off by
hoarding/safety fence as shown on the Drawings or as instructed by the
Engineer.

(7) To check whether scaffoldings, working platforms and accesses erected on site
are constructed in accordance with the approved design and that the scaffolding
and working platforms are inspected and certified by a competent person prior
to use.

(8) To supervise the Works, including checking the quality of materials and
workmanship, position, level, alignment, dimension and configuration of the
Works against the Drawings and specification, identifying faulty materials and
workmanship.

(9) To check invoice/delivery notes and quality of the materials delivered to site
against the specification, drawings and approval given by the Engineer.

(10) To carry out sampling of materials delivery to Site for compliance testing in
accordance with the specification and standards.

(11) To record and label the selected samples and escort the delivery of samples to
the Public Works Central Laboratory or Public Works Regional Laboratories or
the laboratory approved by the Engineer for compliance testing.

(12) To carry out/supervise in-situ tests on quality of materials on Site, e.g. Flow
Cone Test and Bleeding Test.

(13) To keep and update the site diary on a daily basis, details including:

(i) weather condition on that day;

(ii) number and trades of workers employed on Site;

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 (iii) number and types of plants used on Site;
(iv) descriptions of activities carried out on site and resources (no. and types
of plant and labour) used for each activity;
(v) record in the site diary (remarks section) details of all visitors to the site,
including Occupational Safety Officer of Labour Department, any
stoppage of works and their causes, any materials delivered to site, any
plant delivered to Site / removed off Site, any defective material or
workmanship found on site and any special event that may occur on
Site such as site accident etc.

(14) To keep site records including weather chart, progress chart, labour chart,
progress photograph & record photographs, test cubes register, soil nails record,
daywork record and in-situ testing records, etc.

(15) To record in the record drawings all changes to the Works immediately.

(16) To record in the draft as-constructed drawings all changes made.

(17) To take site measurement, including keeping and updating site measurement
records.

(18) To check whether the Contractor has complied with the statutory and contract
requirements such as:

(i) Construction Site Safety Regulations

(ii) Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance
(iii) Safety Plan
(iv) Environmental Management Plan
(v) Environmental mitigation measures
(vi) Sub-contractor Management Plan
(vii) Enhanced site cleanliness
(viii) Welfare facilities for the workers

(19) To carry out monitoring of ground water levels on site, where required.

(20) To carry out monitoring of noise level arising from the construction activities
where the Site is located in close proximity to sensitive receivers such as
schools, hospitals and residential buildings etc.

(21) To assist in witnessing the site specific training and tool box training conducted
by the Contractor.

(22) To assist in checking the no. of Qualified Tradesmen and Intermediate

Tradesmen employed by the Contractor on Site (to be checked and reported to
the Engineer on the 15th day of each month, the % of Qualified Tradesmen and
Intermediate Tradesmen varies from trade to trade).

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1.2 Duties of Audit Team Staff

The general duties of audit team staff are to check whether:

(1) The type of materials, plant and labourers used for constructing each item of
the Works comply with the specified requirements.

(2) Samples of the materials are taken for testing and are checked for compliance
with the specification before use.

(3) The materials are properly stored.

(4) Compliance testing certificates are available for plant required to be tested
under the relevant regulations/ordinance.

(5) Working platform, scaffoldings and accesses are safely constructed and comply
with the relevant safety regulations/ordinance.

(6) The sequence and method of carrying out the Works are properly followed by
the workers.

(7) Adequate safety measures and facilities are provided by the Contractor during
the Works to safeguard workers and the public.

(8) Adequate dust and noise suppression measures are implemented on site during
the Works by the Contractor.

(9) The Works are constructed in accordance with the drawings and instructions
given by the Engineer including their position, orientation, inclination,
dimensions and levels and are checked by surveyor, where necessary.

(10) Appropriate quantities of materials are used in each item of the Works.

(11) Proper training is given to the labourers on the proper use of materials and
plants involved in the Works.

(12) Materials and plant are used in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions.

(13) The completed or partly completed works are constructed to the specified
standard.

(14) Adequate supervision is provided by the Contractor and their supervisory staff.

(15) Appropriate records are kept by the Contractor and their supervisory staff.

(16) Safety Plan is developed and properly implemented on site by the Contractor.

(17) Audits for soil nailing works may include the following items:

(i) materials for soil nails;

(ii) drilling machines, grouting machines and accessories;

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 (iii) conditions of completed drillholes;
(iv) fabricated reinforcement bars;
(v) grouting of soil nails;
(vi) construction of soil nail heads;
(vii) records for soil nails.

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