Reference NR/L3/CIV/140/51C

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

SECTION 51 EXCAVATIONS

Contents Page
51.001 Method of excavation 2
51.002 Excavations for cuttings 2
51.003 Restrictions on excavating in chalk 2
51.004 Excavations for foundations 3
51.005 Excavations for underpinning 3
51.006 Excavations for services 3
51.007 Rock occurring in trenches for services 4
51.008 Excavations in combinations of Acceptable and Unacceptable 4
materials
51.009 Excavations to be kept free from water 5
51.010 Excavations in streams, watercourses and ditches 5
51.011 Excavation in the vicinity of trees 5
51.012 Excavations adjacent to or under railway tracks 6
51.013 Excavations in or near track ballast 6
51.014 Headings 6
51.015 Material arising from excavations 7
51.016 Inspections of finished excavations 7
51.017 Backfilling 7
51.018 Backfilling of working space 8

References 9
British Standards 9
Railway Group Standards 9
Network Rail standards 9
Model Clauses 9
Other publications 9
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 Reference NR/L3/CIV/140/51C
Issue 2
th
Publication date 4 September 2010
th
Compliance date 4 December 2010

SECTION 51 EXCAVATIONS

Method of 51.001 Excavations shall be carried out to a method accepted by the

excavation Employer’s Representative. Methods of excavation shall not
reduce the stability of any adjacent earthworks, railway track or
structures nor permit the accumulation of water.

Excavations for 51.002 Excavations for cuttings shall be to the profile shown on the
cuttings Contract Drawings to a tolerance of ±20 mm for the subgrade,
and ±50 mm for the side slopes. Pockets of soft material and
loose rock shall be removed and replaced with Acceptable
material compacted in accordance with Section 52
(Earthworks).
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Excavations shall not be taken down below a level of 300 mm

above the finished subgrade or surface of a cutting slope, until
such time as the finished surface can, in the opinion of the
Employer’s Representative, be exposed without risk of scour or
erosion from any cause, and all permanent formation drainage
has been completed and is in working order.

Where the excavation reveals a combination of Acceptable and

Unacceptable materials, the excavation shall be carried out in
such a manner that the Acceptable materials can be separated
for use in the Works. The Contractor shall make his own
arrangements for stockpiling both Acceptable and
Unacceptable materials and shall check that the stockpiling of
such materials does not adversely affect the stability of
excavations, areas of fill, or existing structures.

Soils containing clay and chalk, and soft chalk together with any
other materials or soils of a like nature, shall not be finally
trimmed and exposed in wet weather. After completion of such
trimming, any blanketing, ballasting, drainage, waterproofing or
soiling, shall be carried out within 12 hours.

The finished surface of cutting excavations shall comply with

the requirements for the finished subgrade specified in Section
52 (Earthworks).

On completion of the excavations for the cuttings, the side

slopes shall be covered with topsoil in accordance with Section
52 (Earthworks).

Restrictions on 51.003 Restrictions that apply to the excavation of chalk are detailed in
excavating in Appendix 51/1.
chalk

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 Reference NR/L3/CIV/140/51C
Issue 2
th
Publication date 4 September 2010
th
Compliance date 4 December 2010

Where temporary instability occurs in chalk due to excess

working by plant or to inclement weather, the Contractor shall
delay further deposition of material until the chalk has
recovered sufficient strength for work to proceed. The
Contractor shall allow for waiting periods that may be necessary
during earthworks on chalk.

The Contractor shall take all necessary measures to limit the

creation of dust during earthworks operations in chalk. This
shall include covering of transported chalk, watering of
earthworks and the use of haul roads constructed from
alternative materials.

Care shall be taken that excavated chalk to be re-used on the

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Site is shall not be contaminated with clay, silt or other cohesive

materials. Where chalk becomes mixed with other materials,
the mixed material shall only be permitted for use as fill to
landscape areas.

Excavations for 51.004 Pits or trenches for foundations shall be taken out in lengths
foundations and widths agreed by the Employer’s Representative. Any
voids remaining between the sides of concrete bases and solid
ground shall either be carefully filled in with adequately
compacted acceptable granular fill or, if the filling is to transmit
passive resistance or other lateral forces, with concrete.

The sides of all excavations for foundations etc. shall be upheld

and all Temporary Works necessary to maintain the stability of
the sides of the excavations shall be provided.

Bases of excavations shall be carefully levelled and, if

necessary, stepped and benched horizontally. Bases of
excavations shall not be finally trimmed in wet weather.
Pockets of soft material shall be carefully removed and the
cavities, including any fissures, filled with concrete or grout, as
appropriate and agreed by the Employer’s Representative.

Excavations for 51.005 Underpinning of existing structures shall be carried out in short
underpinning intermittent sections, each of which shall be capable of bearing
the designed loading before any adjacent work is commenced.
Details of the methods proposed to be adopted for the
underpinning shall be submitted for the consent of the
Employer’s Representative and no underpinning works shall be
commenced until such consent has been obtained.

Excavations for 51.006 The route of all trenches for services, where not specified on
services the Contract Drawings, shall be agreed by the Employer’s
Representative prior to any excavation commencing.

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 Reference NR/L3/CIV/140/51C
Issue 2
th
Publication date 4 September 2010
th
Compliance date 4 December 2010

Trenches for services shall be taken out in a sufficient width to

enable the services to be properly laid, jointed and inspected.
Special care shall be taken to provide a solid, even and properly
graded slope to the bed of the trench. Where a concrete bed or
a bed of granular fill is not specified, the base of the trench shall
be shaped to receive any sockets and shall be compacted,
where necessary, to obtain a firm and continuous bed.

Trenches shall be excavated to provide a minimum cover of 750

mm above a cable duct.

Trenches for services through station platforms shall be

excavated to a minimum depth of 500 mm below the platform
surface, and shall be located at the maximum practicable
distance, but not less than 3 metres, from the platform edge.

Soft spots existing below the bottom of the excavation or

occurring due to the Contractor allowing the bottom of the
excavation to become soft, shall be removed as required by the
Employer’s Representative and the resulting void filled with
Acceptable material (in accordance with Clause 52.002)
appropriate to the location and type of service.

Where the method of working requires the excavated trench to

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be left open at the end of a shift, the excavation shall be

covered or adequately fenced, so that there is no danger to the
public, Network Rail’s staff or other persons.

All Temporary Works to cover service excavations shall be

designed to carry the surface load specified in Appendix 51/2
and shall be subject to Technical Approval in accordance with
RT/CE/S/003.

Rock occurring 51.007 Rock occurring in the bases of trenches for services shall be
in trenches for removed to permit a 150mm thick (minimum) granular bed to be
services placed under the services and to permit the making and
inspection of joints.

Excavations in 51.008 For excavation through a combination of Acceptable and

combinations of Unacceptable materials where part of the Acceptable material is
Acceptable and required for filling, the excavation of the Acceptable materials
Unacceptable shall be carried out separately and these materials shall be kept
materials free from contamination from Unacceptable materials.

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 Reference NR/L3/CIV/140/51C
Issue 2
th
Publication date 4 September 2010
th
Compliance date 4 December 2010

Excavations to 51.009 Excavations shall be kept free from surface and spring water.
be kept free from
water Where water removal by mechanical means is necessary,
pumping equipment shall be provided, fixed, maintained and
removed as required and suitable sumps and shallow grips
shall be provided and maintained. Pipes shall be installed as
necessary to convey the water clear of the Works. Filters shall
be provided to pumping equipment to inhibit the removal of
fines (during pumping) from the surrounding soils.

Any damage arising out of the pumping and conveying of the

water (including the filling in and restoration at the sumps, grips
etc.) shall be made good.

Measures necessary to lower the level of an established water

table shall be agreed by the Employer’s Representative, and
shall be acceptable to the local Water Supply Company, and
where appropriate the Environment Agency or Scottish
Environment Protection Agency.

Excavations in 51.010 Excavations carried out for the diversion, enlargement or

streams, deepening of streams, watercourses, or ditches, shall be
watercourses performed without causing pollution. Such excavations shall
and ditches allow for the necessary trimming of slopes, contouring of beds,
disposal of excavated materials, backfilling, pumping, timbering,
steel sheet trenching or any other works necessary for dealing
with the flow of the water.
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Where watercourses have to be diverted from the future sites of

embankments or other similar works, the original channels shall
be cleared of all vegetation and soft unconsolidated deposits.

An open jointed drain of the diameter specified in Appendix 51/3

shall be laid along the line of the original watercourse to the
specified line and level, in accordance with BS EN 752. Any
land or other drains disturbed, severed, or removed, shall be
made good.

Excavation in 51.011 When excavating in the vicinity of trees that are to remain in
the vicinity of place, provision shall be made for protecting their roots during
trees the Works. Particular requirements for trees with a
preservation order or other restrictions are given in Appendix
51/4.

Where trees are to be removed, the tree shall be felled in

accordance with Section 257 (Tree felling and scrub clearance),
and stumps grubbed up in their entirety.

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 Reference NR/L3/CIV/140/51C
Issue 2
th
Publication date 4 September 2010
th
Compliance date 4 December 2010

Excavations 51.012 When excavating in a position adjacent to and/or under existing

adjacent to or railway tracks, all necessary timbering, sheet piling and other
under railway supports shall be provided and maintained to uphold the sides
tracks of excavations. Excavations shall be carried out in such a
manner and at such times as to avoid damage to existing works
or interruption to rail traffic.

Liaison shall be carried out by the Contractor with the

Employer’s Representative, and a method of working agreed for
excavations adjacent to or under railway tracks that will
maintain the position of the installed track within the tolerances
appropriate to the applicable line speed.

Details of the track tolerances for the excavation shall be

agreed with the Employer’s Representative.

A system of monitoring the position of the tracks shall be

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instigated at frequencies and locations agreed with the
Employer’s Representative.

The maximum depth of a supported excavation by cut for an

undertrack crossing shall be 1800 mm. Particular requirements
for pipe thrusting, micro-tunnelling or backfilling with concrete to
avoid the potential for excessive deflection of track due to
settlement of the backfill material are given in Appendix 51/5.

Excavations in 51.013 Where excavations are carried out in or adjacent to track

or near track ballast, the adjacent track ballast shall be kept free of
ballast excavated spoil.

All excavated track ballast shall be stockpiled for re-use in the

final reinstatement of the excavation.

Any track ballast, walkways, or other surface (including the

cesses of the same) which become fouled by materials arising
from the excavations, or by other materials, or due to the
method of working shall be removed and renewed.

Open jointed track drains or other drains which become fouled

shall be cleaned.

Headings 51.014 Headings driven by hand shall be executed by competent

Contractor’s personnel having experience of the work.
Competent experienced tunnellers shall be employed upon
headings driven by small shields.

Headings shall be kept free of noxious air, gases and water.

Exposed faces shall be close boarded or sealed and the floor
protected when tunnelling work is interrupted.

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 Reference NR/L3/CIV/140/51C
Issue 2
th
Publication date 4 September 2010
th
Compliance date 4 December 2010

Where trenchless methods of excavation (such as directional

drilling, pipe jacking, auger boring, impact moling, pipe
ramming, micro tunnelling) are adopted, specialised
Contractors with experienced and competent staff shall be
employed. The Contractor shall provide full details of the
technique to be adopted, together with supporting calculations
in the methodology to be submitted as part of the Tender for the
Works. Calculations shall be subject to Technical Approval in
accordance with RT/CE/S/003.

The risk of damage to existing buried services and adjacent

structures shall be assessed and appropriate measures taken
to minimise or avoid such damage. A formal risk assessment
shall be provided as part of the Contractor’s methodology.

Appropriate safety measures shall be taken to protect workers

and the general public at all times.
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Noise and ground vibrations shall be controlled as specified in

the Contract.

Material arising 51.015 All material arising from excavations shall be classified as
from Unacceptable material unless the written agreement of the
excavations Employer’s Representative is obtained as to the classification of
a material as Acceptable for use as a fill material.

Material shall not be stockpiled closer than 2 metres to the crest

of any slope or temporary cutting.

Inspections of 51.016 All finished excavations shall be inspected by the Employer’s

finished Representative before being covered. The period of notice
excavations required in writing by the Employer’s Representative prior to the
completion of an excavation is detailed in Appendix 51/6. No
excavation shall be covered (save only by protective sheeting
etc. to prevent weathering or covers for protecting of the public
in accordance with Clause 51.006) without the written authority
of the Employer’s Representative.

Backfilling 51.017 Trenches, pits, shafts, temporary and other headings etc. shall
be backfilled with Acceptable materials. Trenches for services
through station platforms or concourses shall be backfilled at
the earliest opportunity.

Trenches for piped or ducted services not surrounded in

concrete or granular fill shall have the bedding and surround to
the service carefully placed and packed under and around the
services. The material forming the bedding and surround to the
service shall be in accordance with Section 180 to 182 (Building
and structure drainage) or Section 190 (Ducts), as applicable.
The backfilling material shall exclude all material retained on a
40 mm sieve, timber, and Unacceptable materials.

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 Reference NR/L3/CIV/140/51C
Issue 2
th
Publication date 4 September 2010
th
Compliance date 4 December 2010

Backfilling to track drainage pipes shall comply with, and shall

be deposited and compacted in accordance with Section 185
(Track drainage).

Backfilling to cable trenches shall be deposited in layers not

exceeding 100 mm when compacted.

Backfill to service trenches shall be deposited in even layers,

and shall not be heaped in the trench prior to spreading.
Backfill shall be spread and compacted without damaging the
service pipes or affecting their alignment.

Where shown on the Contract Drawings, backfill to cable

trenches in station platforms shall be of concrete of minimum
grade ST4 to BS 8500-2 in accordance with Section 85
(Concrete for ancillary purposes) to the underside of platform
surfacing.

The routes of buried services shall be marked and protected in

accordance with GI/RT7008.

Acceptable backfill shall be deposited and compacted in layers

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of a thickness compatible with the compaction plant adopted.
Each layer shall be completed over the whole area to be filled
before the succeeding layer is deposited.

Each layer of fill shall be placed 300 mm outside the final profile
and shall receive full compaction to within 100 mm of its edge of
before trimming to the final profile.

Timbering, framing, or other supports, shall be withdrawn ahead

of the layer to be compacted whilst maintaining the sides of the
excavation. All voids left by the removal of timbering shall be
filled.

Backfilling of 51.018 Additional excavation necessary to provide working space or

working space other Temporary Works shall be backfilled and compacted with
Acceptable material in accordance with Section 52
(Earthworks).

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 Reference NR/L3/CIV/140/51C
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

8500-2 Concrete, Complementary British Standard to 2006
BS EN 206-1. Specification for constituent
materials and concrete.
EN 752 Drain and sewer systems outside buildings. 2008

Railway Group Standards Title Issue date

GI/RT7008 Pipelines, buried services and undertrack 06/02
crossings.

Network Rail standards Title Issue date

RT/CE/S/003 Technical Approval of design, construction and 04/04
maintenance of Civil Engineering infrastructure.

Model Clauses Title Issue date

52 Earthworks 09/10
85 Concrete for ancillary purposes 03/96
180 General requirements for drainage 03/96
181 Materials 03/96
182 Installation 03/96
185 Track drainage 01/97
190 Ducts 03/96
257 Tree felling and scrub clearance 03/96

Other publications Title Issue date

HMSO Highways Agency Design Manual for Roads 1991
and Bridges. HA 44/91: Design and preparation
of contract documents.

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