Excavation Work Guidelines for Irrigation and

Water Supply Projects

This excavation method statement serves as a guideline for the excavation
works undertaken during the construction project.

The process will include methods to carry out the excavation and surface
preparation, in compliance with the applicable environmental and safety
measures.

Construction manager is responsible in ensuring the implementation of

construction procedure and method statement, supervising the work and
reporting the progress of work to the planning engineer.

QA / QC engineer is responsible in monitoring the execution and performance

of the works in relation to this method of statement, approved drawings
and technical specifications.

Site engineer is responsible for organizing all the works on site in a safe
manner, ensuring it is in accordance with the schedule and the construction
drawing. He must also assure the method statement procedure is followed
and must notify the consultant for inspection.

Safety officer is responsible in ensuring that all activities are carried out safely
at site, establishing the site safety plan, conducting continuous safety
inspection and stopping any unsafe work.

Workers are responsible to properly wear the protective equipment provided

and obey all the safety rules. He must also perform the work as described in
the method statement.

The major equipment and machinery used for the excavation works include,
but not limited to:

 Bulldozer
 Excavator
  Rock Breaker
 Wheel loader
 Tipper Trucks
 Wagon Drill
 Compressor (2 Jack Hammer)
 Bob Cat or JCB
 Water tank: 01
 Vibratory Steel Roller

Definitions & Abbreviations

Barricade: Any object or structure that creates a barrier obstacle to control,

block  passage or force the flow of traffic in the desired direction.

Battering: To form the face, side or wall of an excavation to an angle to

prevent earth slippage.

Benching: The horizontal stepping of the face, side or wall of an excavation.

Competent Person: A person who has acquired through training, qualification

or experience the knowledge and skills to carry out the task.

Face: An exposed sloping or vertical surface resulting from the excavation of

material.

Safe Slope: The steepest slope, at which an excavated face is stable against
slips and slides, having regard to the qualities of the material in the face, the
height of the face, the load above the face and the moisture conditions.

Sheet Piling: Vertical, close spaced or interlocking planks of steel, reinforced

concrete or other structural material driven to form a continuous wall ahead of
the excavation and supported either by tie backs into solid ground structural
members from within the excavation as the work proceeds.

Shoring: The use of timber, steel or other structural material to support an

excavation in order to prevent collapse so that construction can proceed.

Health and Safety Requirements

Safety precautions shall be of paramount importance in order to prevent
danger to the public and ensure a safe working environment during the entire
construction period.

A survey shall be carried out on areas on the site that may require specific
Health and Safety attention to moderate and remove any hazards or risks.

The following safety measures shall be implemented on site during the

execution works, along with the measures undertaken in the ‘Site Clearance’
and ‘Backfilling’ method statements and the approved project HSE plan:

Personnel and Equipment:

Prevent persons to enter a work area where there is a risk of injury.

Control all activities involving moving plant using nominated banks man.

Ensure that defective or suspect equipment, which has been withdrawn from
service, does not get back into service without the inspection and approval of
a competent person.

Existing Utilities:

Use cable detector to identify and locate the underground utilities and ensure
it is protected.

Where overhead lines cannot be diverted or quarantined, ensure that plant is

selected or modified so that it cannot reach the lines.

Protection of Excavated Face:

Considering soil condition and depth of excavation, batter sides of the

excavation to a safe slope or provide shoring using steel sheeting, rails or
props as directed by the Geotechnical Engineer.

Lower the underground water table if encountered to below the invert of the
excavated area and always check the pumps to ensure its workability.
Fall into Excavation:

Establish a barricaded zone, 2m back from the left excavation face, in areas
where there is a risk of falling and where the depth of excavation exceeds 2m.

Ensure that all barriers, cones and flagging warning tapes are in place prior to
leaving the site.

Excavation by Blasting:

Hire licensed hot firer prior to commencing any blasting works.

Ensure that the use of explosives is limited to competent, licensed personnel

who have experience in the work to be undertaken.

Check that all safety measures are being taken else blasting will be prohibited.

Secure all areas affected by blasting by flagmen to avoid any intrusions.

Relocate any vehicles and equipment parked within the blasting zone to safer
locations.

Stop any influenced traffic prior to blasting.

Limit the use of blasting in built up areas.

Control ground vibration by limiting the blast size and the use of delays.

Take special care in order to avoid over breaks other than geological ones.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control Requirements

Quality assurance and quality control covers the records formed from site
inspections, examinations and tests that serve as documentation of the
conformance of site construction and erection to the drawings, specifications
and regulations.

Develop Test and Inspection Plan in line with the work to be constructed
showing ‘Hold and Inspection’ points.

Refer to the Project Quality Plan for all quality assurance issues.

The following steps shall be followed by the engineer in charge before

proceeding with the next activities:

 Fill the inspection check list to ensure that all activates are being
performed as per the expected quality.
 The inspection check list shall include the specific requirements, safety
and environmental measures.
 Prepare inspection request, as per QA/QC Plan, and submit to the
Engineer for approval.
 Follow up on the Engineer’s site inspection and comments, until the IR
form is approved.
 Circulate the approved IR form for records keeping, and issue order to
proceed with next activities.

Environmental Requirements during Excavation Works

Excavation and surface preparation works shall be carried out in accordance

with requirements of the Contractor’s Environmental Management and
Monitoring Plan as described in the ‘Site Clearance’ and ‘Backfilling’ method
statement.

In addition, the following precautions are essential and must be considered:

  Undertake the suitable procedures to avoid the slit of soil during
excavation activities in rainy seasons.
 Take appropriate measures to minimize the effect of oil/diesel spill in
case of machine failure.
 Reduce noise from machineries to avoid disturbing the surrounding.
Machines shall be turned off when not in use.
 Set up the lighting needed for night works in such a manner that
neighboring residents are not disturbed. However, the light should be
sufficient for the crew to undertake their works safely.

Excavation Prior Activities

Prepare, check and submit verified construction drawings of excavation areas
including setting out, levels and service drawings for the approval of the
Engineer.

Upon obtaining all the necessary survey data, carry out a survey to obtain
original ground levels and submit for the approval of the Engineer.

Set out the coordinates of excavation using steel rods driven into the ground
and indicate on these rods the required depth to be excavated, where the
maximum distance between rods is 20 meters.

Prepare access to the working area and plan for the dump truck and plant
movement avoiding any close approach to the edge of excavation. Access
shall be approved by the Engineer taking into account the site traffic
management plan and the storage area for materials.

Carry out a survey with the coordination with the relevant authorities to
identify any existing services and use cable detection tools and hand digging
measures to clearly mark these services on the ground.

It has been identified that the ground conditions will allow for the excavated
faces to stand within a slope of 1/2 without the use of supports, however if
this is not the case, obtain more information about ground conditions to
determine the appropriate support system such as benching, battering or
using steel sheets driven into the ground.
If ingress of water occurs during any time the excavation is open, install
adequate dewatering system through suction pumps to dispose water in
accordance with the method statement for dewatering excavations.

Excavation Works Procedure

Strip and store topsoil within the working width as indicated in the site
clearance method statement.

Carry out the excavation works in accordance with the relevant approved
drawings and cross sections, to the widths and slopes shown thereon.

Where the excavation is to be done starting from less than 1.2m from the top,
carry out the excavation at two stages to achieve the required slopes.

Recheck the excavated elevations and locations at the end of stage one to
ensure that the face of excavation is finished to the required slope.

Carry out excavation works using a bulldozer with ripper and / or a 360°
excavator assisted at all times by a competent banks man.

As the excavation progresses, use a combination of 360° excavator fitted with

a hydraulic breaker and a JCB or excavator with a small bucket attachment, to
excavate the side ditch of dimensions in accordance to the drawings and a
distance from the wall, to prevent the flow of water into the excavation or
behind the wall during the construction period.

It is the intention to excavate rocky areas by mechanical methods, however

should the occasion arise, carry out controlled blasting technique.

Execute drilling by hydraulic rock drill with the sides of the excavation to be
smoothly blasted in order to form straight lines.

Saw cut all the edges of excavated areas on concrete or bituminous footways
and roadways to form trimmed edges and minimize damages.
Stockpile the excavated materials that are justified by the Engineer as
suitable backfilling material, at the lower side of the excavation far away from
the area.

Transport the surplus of such materials using dump trucks to approved

stockpile area for future use, or to a recycling area for crushing and screening
into reusable course materials.

Dispose unsuitable excavated materials to spoil areas approved by the

Engineer.

Upon completion of excavation, verify set out locations and check the edge
slope and the bottom founding level of excavation.

Trench Surface Preparation

Trim the finished surface of formation to the required profiles and levels within
the specified design.

If the surface is other than rock, apply water spray and compact using a
vibratory roller, immediately prior to placing the 100 mm blinding concrete.

Where instructed by the Engineer, establish a site investigation to identify the

properties of the ground on which the structure will be founded and provide
details on bearing capacity.

Replace any removed loose soil encountered at formation level, or any excess
depth excavated below the formation level, with soil-cement mix or with 
approved imported fill material compacted in accordance to specification.

Wash the rocky foundation surface using water or air compressor and clean it
from dust, mud, loose or fractured material and other debris, immediately
prior to placing the 100mm blinding concrete.

Where rock surfaces reach high temperatures under the influence of the sun,
carry out washing at night or in the early morning, to avoid fracturing due to
thermal shock.