October 2022

Lecture 3b
Civil Engineering Practice
Specifications – Earth works

[Technical Specification - An Abstract from an Actual Specification of a Project]

An Abstract from an Actual Technical Specification of a Project

Specification Includes:
a. Type of Soil
b. Clearance of Site
c. Ground Levels and Site Level Plan
d. Setting Out - Excavation and Preparation of Foundations for Concreting
e. Backfill
f. Quality of Fill
g. Compaction
h. Surplus of Excavation Material
i. Anti-Termite Treatment – General, Material, Time of Application
j. Walling Cement, Sand and Lime
k. Cement Block

1.0 Scope
The scope of work broadly includes but is not necessarily limited to the following:
 Clearing of the site,
 Excavation of foundation trenches,
 Disposal of surplus earth as required including dewatering,
 Shoring and strutting.
 Contractor shall provide all tools, labour, equipment and incidentals necessary, required for
completion of all aspects of work covered in these specifications.

2.0 Type of Soil

Contractor shall thoroughly acquaint himself with the types of soil in excavation by an inspection of nature of
the ground at site & scrutiny of the investigation details available with the Consultant.

3.0 Clearance of Site

The site on which the structure is to be built shown on the drawing and the area required for setting out and
other operations like road, drains, sheds, etc. should be cleared and all obstructions, loose stones, materials,
and rubbish of all kinds, stump, brush wood and trees removed as directed, roots being entirely grubbed up.

Page 1 of 5
L. Ogutu October 2022 Civil Engineering Practice
 October 2022

All useful materials obtained will be the property of the Project-in-charges and will be handed over to the
Consultant. Rejected materials will be removed by the contractor to his own dump.

4.0 Ground Levels and Site Level Plan

Before starting the excavations, the requisite block levels of the entire plot shall be taken by the contractor in
consultation with the Consultant and a proper record of these levels to be kept, which shall be jointly signed
by the Contractor and the Consultant.

A block level plan showing-all the ground levels of the plot shall be prepared and shall jointly be signed by the
Contractor and the Consultant/Project-in-charge.

5.0 Setting Out

After clearing the site, and preparing the site level plan, the Contractor will set out the center lines of the
building or other involved works and get the same approved from the Consultant.

It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to install substantial reference marks; bench marks etc. and
maintain them as long as required by the Consultant. The Contractor will assume full responsibility for proper
setting out, alignment, elevation and dimension of each and all parts of the work.

6.0 Excavation and Preparation of Foundations for Concreting

General Foundation trenches shall be dug wet or dry to the dimensions as shown on the drawings or as directed
by the Consultant. The excavated materials shall be stacked at a sufficient distance away from the edge of the
excavated pit so as not to endanger the stability of the sides.

The soil heap shall not exceed more than 2 m from the ground.
The contractor shall, at his expense and without any extra charge, make provision for all shoring and strutting,
extra excavation in slope, extra excavation in working space, dredging or bailing out water, and the excavation
shall be kept free from water when the foundation work is in progress.

If excavation is carried out to greater width, length or depth than specified, extra depth shall be made up by
filling in lean concrete and extra length or width by filling in with earth rammed hard or by masonry as shall be
borne in full by the contractor.

If required to protect the sides of pits and trenches, timber shoring and strutting shall be erected. The timbering
shall be closed or open depending on the nature of the soil and work, and arrangement of timbering including
sizes and spacing of members used shall be as approved by the Consultant. NO extra charges shall be admissible
on this account.

The bottoms of all excavation shall be trimmed and leveled in accordance with drawings / directions of the
Consultant / Project-in-charge. The bottoms of all excavation shall be rammed and wetted before deposition
of concrete.

The contractors shall report to the Consultant / Project-in-charge when the excavation is ready to receive
concrete.

No concrete shall be placed in foundations until the contractor has obtained the approval of Consultant /
Project-in-charge.

Page 2 of 5
L. Ogutu October 2022 Civil Engineering Practice
 October 2022

7.0 Backfilling
Earth obtained from excavation (or approved earth brought from outside for which no extra payment shall be
made) shall be filled in layers as described around the foundations and under floors. In case extra earth used
for filling is required under floors, plinth protection including sit outs, courtyards, the contractor will do at their
own cost.

The lump sum offer shall be deemed to include the earth filing required under floors and plinth protection with
plinth height shown in Drawing above the bottom of foundation concrete and finished courtyard level shown
in Drawing below DPC /coping level of the main building.

7.1 Quality of Fill

Fill shall be of well compacted, well graded earth or sand and shall be free from tree stumps, organic matter,
seed and peat etc. Where earth or sand from source other than excavation at site is used, the quality of such
earth or sand shall be the same as that obtained from excavation at site, or superior to it.

Fine sand for filling is River Sand. Black cotton soil shall not be used for back filling or plinth filling.

7.2 Compaction
The fill shall be spread in layers not exceeding 20 cm thick and each layer shall be watered and thoroughly
consolidated by suitable mechanical rollers, rammers, vibrators or other approved plant or system of
compaction. The fill material shall be pulverized before depositing in place. An optimum moisture content shall
be maintained for the filled materials.

Compaction shall be done so as to achieve a dry density of not less than 90% of the maximum density obtained
at optimum moisture content, except for the upper 20 cm layer which shall be compacted to a density of not
less than 95% of the maximum density.

In order that the fill shall be reasonably uniform throughout, the material shall be dumped in place in
approximately horizontal layers “Edge dumping”, a process by which the materials is pushed off edge of the fill
and allowed to roll down the slope shall not be carried out. If there is traffic over the fill during construction,
either by construction equipment or otherwise, it should be routed to make the compaction as uniform load
shall be maintained and also care shall be taken to prevent any wedging action.

8.0 Surplus Excavated Material

All excavated material certified as surplus and not useful, shall be removed by the Contractor from the site in
an approved manner at his own cost and risk so as indemnify owner from any claims any time of whatsoever
nature.

9.0 Specifications for Anti-Termite Treatment

a General
Prevention of termite from reaching the super structure can be achieved by creating a chemical barrier
between the ground and the building by treating the soil beneath the building and around the
foundations. The work shall be carried out as per BS ..... or the latest edition.

This shall be provided to sides and bottom of trenches and footings including treating the backfill of
foundations up to ground level and the vertical surface of wall, and filling of each under floors and
treating the surface at ground level 900 mm around the building.

Page 3 of 5
L. Ogutu October 2022 Civil Engineering Practice
 October 2022

b Material
Anti-termite treatment, shall be carried out strictly in accordance with CPWD specifications using
Chloropyrifos (CPP) an Emulsified concentrate @ 1% concentration or any other approved chemical.

c Time of Application
Soil treatment shall start when foundation trenches and pits are ready to take lean concrete in
foundations. Laying of lean concrete shall start when chemical emulsion has been absorbed by the soil
and the surface is quite dry. Treatment should not be carried out when it is raining or soil is wet with
rain or sub soil water.

The foregoing applies also in the case of treatment to the filled earth surface within the plinth before
laying the sub grade for the floor.

10.0 Walling
All cement used for making mortar shall be Portland Cement complying with B.S. 12. All sand used for making
mortar shall be clean well graded silicone sand of good sharp quality equal to samples which shall be approved
by the Architect. It shall be free from lumps of stone, earth, loam, dust, salt, organic matter and any other
deleterious substance, sieved through a fine sieve and washed if so directed by the Architect.

a. Cement
All cement used for making mortar shall be Portland Cement complying with B.S. 12.

b. Sand
All sand used for making mortar shall be clean well graded silicone sand of good sharp, hard quality
equal to samples which shall be approved by the Engineer. It shall be free from lumps of stone, earth,
loam, dust, salt, organic matter and any other deleterious substance, sieved through a fine sieve and
washed if so directed by the Engineer.

c. Lime
Lime for mortar shall be non-hydraulic or semi-hydraulic quick lime or hydrated lime in accordance
with B.S. 890, Class B.

Quick lime shall be run to putty immediately after delivery to site in a pit dug on the site or in approved
containers.

The water to be first run into the pit or container and the lime to be added until it is completely
submerged and stirred until all lumps are disintegrated and the resulting mild-lime shall then be run
through a 3 mm square mesh sieve and run into a pit or other container and kept clean and moist for
not less than 4 weeks before use

Hydrated lime shall be added to water in a clean receptacle thoroughly mixed to the consistency of
thick cream and allowed to stand and be kept clean and moist for not less than 16 hours before use.

d. Cement Motor
The cement mortar (1:3) shall be composed of 42.5 kgs. of Portland Cement to 0.085 cubic metres of
sand.

The cement mortar (1:6) shall be composed of 42.5 kgs of Portland Cement to 0.17 cubic metres of
sand measured in specially prepared gauge boxes and thoroughly mixed in an approved mechanical
mixer or mixed dry on clean and approved mixing platforms with water added afterwards until all parts
are completely incorporated and brought to a proper consistency.

Page 4 of 5
L. Ogutu October 2022 Civil Engineering Practice
 October 2022

The use or retempering of wholly or partly set mortar will not be allowed.

Foundation walling up to ground floor slab 1-part cement to 6 parts

10.1 Gauged Lime Mortar

Gauged lime mortar shall be composed of 2 parts by volume of lime putty to 12 parts by volume of sand
measured in specially prepared gauge boxes and mixed dry on clean and approved mixing platforms with water
added afterwards until all parts are thoroughly incorporated and brought to a proper consistency.

The mortar shall be mixed 7 to 10 days before it is required for use and shall be stacked in a neat heap well
smoothed off, covered with wet sacks and allowed to mature.

Immediately before use 1 part by volume of Portland Cement shall be added to 9 parts by volume of lime
mortar, the whole being remixed with the addition of extra water until all parts are completely incorporated
and brought to a proper consistency.

The gauged mortar must be used within 45 minutes of being mixed and the use or retempering of wholly or
partially set mortar will not be allowed.

10.2 Concrete Blocks

Concrete blocks shall be hollow or solid as required and shall be hard, true to size and shape with sharp arises
in accordance with B.S. 2028 type 'A'. They are to be obtained from an approved manufacturer and shall be
equal in every respect to a sample to be deposited with and approved by the Architect.

Blocks must be cured at least 4 weeks before delivery to site and the Contractor is to order his entire stocks as
soon as the Contract is signed.

Before bulk delivery commences and thereafter, if the Architect so directs, the Contractor shall dispatch twelve
sample blocks to the M.O.W. Materials Testing Laboratory.

Should tests indicate that the blocks do not comply with the Specification, the batch from which they were
taken shall forthwith be removed and re-executed or otherwise rectified at the Contractor's expense.

Blocks shall be generally 390mm long, 190mm high and of the thicknesses required for the walling to be built.
Blocks of other sizes will, however, be required to form proper bondings at corners, around openings, etc. and
the like positions and the Contractor must make or cut blocks to all the varying sizes required for these
purposes.

10.3 Load Bearing Concrete Blocks

Blocks described as load bearing shall have the minimum compressive strengths specified for each block,
determined and tested in accordance with the appropriate B.S. and to the entire satisfaction of the Architect.
Blocks of the various strengths shall be differentiated by means of an approved colour code marking.

10.4 Coloured Blocks

Concrete blocks described as coloured shall contain colouring pigment mixed integrally with the materials to
produce the required tint or shade. The mix of materials contained in the blocks is to be adjusted as and if
necessary to maintain the materials to produce the required tint or shade.

Page 5 of 5
L. Ogutu October 2022 Civil Engineering Practice