BASEMENT EXCAVATION

Excavation is an activity where man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression are formed
by earth removal.

Operations involved in Excavation Procedures carried before excavation

1. Cleaning of the site
2. Marking art to be excavated
3. Digging of large quantities of earth
4. Moving the to distances
5. Placement
6. Compacting
7. Leveling
1. Evaluate soil conditions.
2. Construct protective systems.
3. Test for low oxygen, hazardous fumes
and toxic gases.
4. Provide safe in and out access.
5. Contact utilities.
6. Determine the safety equipment
needed.

Soil Excavation Tools And Machines

There are different types of soil excavation tools and machines are used. Excavation of
soil is necessary in construction point of view and it should be done by hand tools or
machineries based on the area of the land or depth of excavation.
They are classified into two types.

1. Hand tools - The tools coming under this category are generally used for smaller
depth of excavation in smaller areas.
Example – spade, shovel, Hoe Trowel, rake, Pick axe, Mattock.
2. Machineries Hand tools - These are the tools which are operated by mechanical
force and are used for the larger depths of excavations.
Example- Tracked Excavator, Wheeled Excavator, Back Hoe excavator, Bulldozer,
Dargline Excavator, Trenches , chain trenches, Dumper, Dozers,etc.
 
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Description of hand tools
Spade Spade is a tool which consists metal plate having
sharp edges, the plate is attached to long handle
which is generally made up of wood. Because of
its sharp edges the soil can be dig easily. The
metal plate having less curvature in the spade so,
we cannot lift the soil by spade.

Shovel Shovel is tool which is used for the purpose of

lifting of excavated soil. It is also similar to spade
the difference between spade and shovel is the
difference in leading edge. The curvature of metal
plate of shovel is generally higher when
compared to spade so we can hold the soil easily
and lifted it.

Hoe Hoe is an excavating tool which consists a metal

plate attached to a long handle with acute angle.
The plate having sharp edge is used to excavate
the soil. For small work of excavation it is widely
preferred tool. Sometimes metal plate is replaced
by fork type plate.

Trowel Trowel is hand sized tool which is generally used

to dig the small trenches in soil or to remove the
shallow roots in soil. 

Rake Rake is a tools which is having a horizontal rod

having metal teeth and is used to remove the
small layers of soil.

Pick axe Pick axe consists hard spike attached

perpendicular to handle. They are used for
excavating small trenches in soil. Pick axe can cut
the soil even if the soil is of hard type. The metal
spike is pointed on one side and wide blade is
provided on the other side.

Mattock Mattock looks like pickaxe. But serious digging is

not possible with mattock. Generally it is used as
lifting tool because of its curve shapes metal at its
bottom.

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Description of Machinery tools
Tracked Excavator
Wheeled Excavator
Back Hoe Excavator
Bulldozer Bulldozer
Dragline Excavators
This is also called as track hoe. It consists of cabinet
and long arm. Long arm again consists of 2 parts. The
first part which is closure to cabinet is called as Boom
and the other part is called as Dipper-stick. Digging
bucket is attached to the end of dipper. This entire
system can rotate 360 degrees. In this case Vehicle is
moved by traction, so we can use this equipment in
mines, forestry, pipeline industries etc. the function
of excavator is done by hydraulic fluid so, it is also
called as hydraulic excavators.
This whole arrangement is similar to the tracked
excavator except that the movement of vehicle is
done by wheels. It can move quickly when compared
to tracked excavator but it is not suitable for uneven
grounds or hilly areas because of slippery nature. So
these are generally used for road constructions etc.
In case of back hoe excavator, the hoe arrangement is
on back side and loader bucket is arranged in front of
the vehicle. So two operations digging and loading or
lifting is done by hoe and loader. This is widely used
equipment nowadays because of its small size and
versatility. This is moved with the help of wheels. so,
moving from one workstation to another is quickly
done.
It consists of hard steel plate with sharp edge at its
front. This sharp edge is helps the plate to cut the soil
and for excavation. The metal plate can be raised and
lowered with the help of hydraulic arms. The
bulldozers are available in both tracked and wheeled
form. These are widely used for the works of soil
excavations, weak rock strata removal, lifting of soil
etc. 
Dragline excavators consists large length boom. A
cable is hanged from the top of the boom and digging
bucket is suspended to the cable. Generally dragline
excavators are used for larger depth excavations like
port construction, under water sediment removal etc.
These are heavy equipment with greater economy. 
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Chain trenchers Chain trencher consists of a fixed arm called boom
around which digging chain is arranged. The chain is
very hard and consists sharp tooth. Whenever it is
driven into ground the chain rotates around boom
with rapid force and cuts the ground. By adjusting the
angle of the boom we can manage the depth to be
excavated. It cuts the soil with hard strata which
cannot excavate by bucket type excavator. In case of
smaller chain trenchers wheeled vehicles are
available and for larger chain trenchers are available
in tracked form.

Wheeled trenchers In case of wheeled trencher, toothed metal wheel is

used as trenching tool. This equipment is available in
both tracked and wheeled form of vehicles. When
compared to chain trencher the wheeled trencher
can cut harder soil strata. It is also used to cut
pavement surface while road repair works.
Economically also wheeled trencher is better than the
chain trencher. 

Dumpers Dump trucks Dumpers Dump trucks or dumpers generally vary in

size from 1 to about 80 ton capacity. Large capacity
machines are also available but are generally used in
mines, quaries or open cast sites. In recent years
articulated dump trucks with capacities upto 35 ton
have become popular as they are versatile and are
especially suitable for hauling on softer sub grades.
The speed of tipping in increased over a road lorry by
the absence of a tailgate. Small dumper units are
available for work on small sites and mounted dump
trucks are also available with load capacities upto
about 20 ton.

Scraper Scraper can excavate load and deposit material in one

cycle and may be towed or self propelled. It consists
of a centrally mounted bowl, the bottom, leading
edge of which can be controlled. Both towed and self
propelled scrapers are effectively articulated between
the front motorized or towing unit and the bowl and
larger self propelled scraper may second engine
mounted on the rear.

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Dozers Bulldozer Dozers Bulldozer is a tractor equipped with affront
pusher blade, which can be raised and lowered by
hydraulic rams. An angle dozer has a blade that is
capable of being set an angle to push material
sideways whilst the tractor moves forward. The
tractor unit is usually mounted on crawler tracks thus
allowing it to travel over and push off a wide variety
of ground conditions although wheel mounted units
is available. Blades are manufactured in a variety of
styles but are all of heavy duty construction with a
hardened steel basal leading edge driven into the
ground to cut and push the material to be excavated..

Graders Graders are used to spread fill and finely trim the
subgrade. They consists of a blade which can rotate in
a circular arc about a sub horizontal axis and which is
supported beneath a longitudinal frame joining the
front steering wheels and the rear drive wheels. The
front wheels are generally articulated whilst the rear
wheels are set in tandem beneath the motor and
control units. The blade is used to trim and
redistribute soil and therefore graders usually operate
in the forward direction.
Roller Rollers are used also at landfills or in agriculture A
roller (sometimes called a roller- compactor, or just
roller) is a compactor type engineering vehicle used
to compact soil, gravel, concrete, or asphalt in the.
Clamshell buckets are commonly used in dredging,
excavation or material handling, however, each
application has its unique requirements and has to be
designed optimally for maximum efficiency.

Clamshell Clamshell buckets are commonly used in dredging,

excavation or material handling, however, each
application has its unique requirements and has to be
designed optimally for maximum efficiency. We
design, develop and manufacture both hydraulic and
mechanical clamshell used on excavators and cranes.

Loader A loader is a heavy equipment machine used in

construction to move aside or load materials such as
asphalt, demolition debris, dirt, snow, feed, gravel,
logs, raw minerals, recycled material, rock, sand,
woodchips, etc. into or onto another type of
machinery (such as a dump truck, conveyor belt etc.

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Methods of Excavation for Basement

They are classified in to two categories

1. Shallow Basement
I. Full open cut method
Full open cut method can be further classified into:
• Slope open cut method- Excavation site is excavated with sloped sides and does not
use retaining walls or struts to obstruct excavation . In case of excavation not too
deep the cost remains cheap as there is no struts, but when excavation is deep
and soil is loose and firm ,a tremendous amount of excavated soil will be needed
to backfill that turns whole the process costly.

• Cantilever method Slope full open cut method-

This method requires the construction of retaining walls , does not necessitate digging
the slope and backfilling ,thus cost is low compared to full open cut method.

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II. Perimeter Trench Excavation
Method
In this method a trench wide enough for
the basement walls to be
constructed is excavated and
supported with timbering as
required. It may be necessary for
runners or steel sheet piling to be
driven ahead of the excavation
work. This method can be used
where weak sub soils are
encountered so that the basement
walls act as permanent timbering
whilst the mound or dumpling is
excavated and the base slab cast.
Perimeter trench excavations can
also be employed in firm sub soils
when the mechanical plant required
for excavating the dumpling is not
available at the right time.

III. Ranking Struts Method

This method can be used in firm sub soils
where the centre of the proposed
basement can be excavated first to
enable the basement slab to be cast
thus giving protection to the subsoil
at formation level. The sides of
excavation to the perimeter of the
basement can be supported from
the formation level using raking
struts or by using raking struts
pitched from the edge of the
basement slab.

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2. Deep Basement

I. Sheet pilling
Sheet piles are installed in sequence to
design depth along the planned excavation
perimeter or seawall alignment. The
interlocked sheet piles form a wall for
permanent or temporary lateral earth
support with reduced groundwater inflow.
Anchors can be included to provide
additional lateral support, if required. Sheet
pile walls have been used to support
excavations for below-grade parking
structures, basements, pump houses, and
foundations, to construct cofferdams, and
to construct seawalls and bulkheads.
Permanent steel sheet piles are designed to
provide a long service life. The only
disadvantage is the process could disturb
the surrounding.

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II. Cofferdams
Generally, this method is practice for waterlogged areas or site. These are commonly
used for construction of bridges piers and other structures built within water.

III. Diaphragm Wall

Diaphragm wall construction is a proven form of construction technology accepted
throughout the world for creating both quay walls and retaining walls. Providing
an efficient and economic design, these walls also use construction plant, which
is readily available worldwide. This solution provides a structure that is
significantly quicker and more economical to build than an unreinforced block
work type wall, a type of construction that is heavy, difficult to place quickly, and
requires working at and below seawater level. Diaphragm walls are especially
effective in reclaimed areas. Precast concrete fascia panels are manufactured in
high-quality factory conditions and applied to the diaphragm walls to create the
required architectural appearance.

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III. Continuous and secant pilling
Secant pile walls are formed by constructing intersecting reinforced concrete piles.
The secant piles are reinforced with either steel rebar or with steel beams and are
constructed by either drilling under mud or auguring. Primary piles are installed first
with secondary (male) piles constructed in between primary (female) piles once the
latter gain sufficient strength. Pile overlap is typically in the order of 3 inches (8 cm). In
a tangent pile wall, there is no pile overlap as the piles are constructed flush to each
other.

Ground Water Control And Dewatering

Dewatering is the term for control of groundwater by pumping.

Techniques
1. Sump Pumping
A sump is merely a hole in the ground from
which water is being pumped for the
purpose of removing water from the
adjoining area. They are used with ditches
leading to them in large excavations. Up to
maximum of 8m below pump installation
level; for greater depths a submersible pump
is required. Shallow slopes may be required
for unsupported excavations in silts and fine
sands. 
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2. Well Point System
The most common practice of dewatering used in Ahmadabad is the implementation
of a well system. Wells are systematically drilled around the construction area and
submersible pumps placed into these wells. This practice appears to work effectively
for many projects, especially those building projects that require excavations for deep
basements. A well-point is 5.0-7.5 cm diameter metal or plastic pipe 60 cm – 120 cm
long which is perforated and covered with a screen. The lower end of the pipe has a
driving head with water holes for jetting.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Using Mechanical Plants For Excavation

 
Advantages Disadvantages
Increase the rate of output through work If the machine breaks down, it can cause
progress with the best effective and delay of construction work.
efficient methods.

Reduce the overall construction costs
especially for large contracts.
Carry out activities which cannot be
done manually or to do them more
economically and much faster.
Electric tools can cause short circuit,
which may result in fire.
Only skilled labors can operate the
equipments.

Eliminate the heavy manual work by Special assistance is required to operate

human thus reducing fatigue and them as it may harm people on the site.
eliminates various other hazards and
health issues.
 Thank You

By Gauri Vinayak Shelar Sr No. 58