EARTHWORKS Definition Laboratory Requirements Reference Site Requirements Reference

shall be performed after clearing and stripped of Excavation Plan, including a Pre-Excavation checklist,
General Excavations organic material, trash, or other unsuitable shall be submitted prior to beginning excavation.
material. •Describe the materials and shoring
system to be used.
•Indicate whether or not any
shall include excavations for footings, grade
Excavations
components will remain after filling
beams, pits, basements, retaining walls, man or backfilling.
holes, catch basins, pipeline thrust anchors, etc. •Provide plans, sketches and/or
detail along with calculations.
as per the Saudi Aramco Construction
•Indicate the sequence and method Safety Manual and Safety Management
Over excavation of footings shall be backfilled and of shoring installation and removal.
Guide 06-002-2008
Structural Excavations when soft or compressible soil is encountered at Safety and Protection
footing grades, such soil shall be removed and •Protection against sidewall cave-in.
replaced with: Shoring shall be installed or the
•Compacted Select Fill sides shall be sloped or benched
when any excavation or trench
•Controlled-Low Strenght Material
reaches a depth of 1.2 m or when
•Lean Concrete (1,000 psi 28-day compressive
soil banks are greater than 1.5 m.
strength

Reinstatement of roads and pavements after

Trenching for pipelines and underground utilities trenching shall comply with shall comply with ASTM D1556
In-Place Density Test
Trenching shall conform to SAES-L-450, SAES-L-460, or SAES-Q-006 and GI-1021.000, Street and ASTM D2922
• one (1) test every 15 LM of each lift
SAES-S-070 as appropriate Road Closure: Excavation, Reinstatement and ASTM D6398
Traffic Controls.

The density of the top 150 mm in these areas shall not

•Areas shall be free of organic
be less than:
Site preparation of material, trash or other unsuitable ASTM D1557
areas to receive fill, material. ASTM D4253
•90% max. Modified Protor Density
pavement or loads. •Top 6 inches (150 mm) scarified and ASTM D4254
•70% Relative Density
recompacted.
ASTM D1557
Subgrades for Asphalt •95% max. Modified Protor Density
ASTM D4253
and Concrete Pavement •85% Relative Density
ASTM D4254

•1 Sieve Analysis ASTM C136

ASTM D422 or ASTM D1140 •Max. size shall be one-half (1/2)
the lift thickness ASTM D2487
•shall consist of gravel, sand and/or
ASTM D4318 •Max. size 75mm (3 inches)
marl. •1 Plasticity Index Determination
•shall be free of frozen lumps, organic
matter, trash, chunks of highly plastic •1 Modified Proctor Test ASTM D1557
•shall be placed in lifts of 300 mm max.
clay loose depth
SAES-A-114
•100 mm max. loose depth for hand
General Fill Materials operated compaction
•90% max. Modified Protor Density ASTM D1557
For areas not designated as open or •Min. for every 10,000m³ •70% Relative Density ASTM D4253
landscaped
•3% (+/-) Optimum Moisture Content ASTM D4254
•Stockpile from multiple sources min. •85% max. Modified Protor Density ASTM D1557
Backfill

For areas designated as open or landscaped for every 5,000m³ ASTM D4253
•65% Relative Density
• 3% (+/-) Optimum Moisture Content ASTM D4254
ASTM D1556
In-Place Density Test
ASTM D2922
• one (1) test every 500 m² of each lift
ASTM D6398
Fill and Backfill
•shall be composed only of in-organic
matter •No.40 sieve - max. LL=35 & PI=12
•Fill is required to achieved final •less than 15% passing - No.200 ASTM D4318 •shall be placed in lifts of 200 mm max.
grade at 0.60m bottom of sieve (not required for LL & PL test) loose depth
foundations, slab on grade and SAES-A-114
pavements •100 mm max. loose depth for hand
•For Backfill in contact with concrete or steel •100% passing - 50mm (2 inches) operated compaction
structures sieve
•0-20% passing - No.200 sieve
•90% max. Modified Protor Density ASTM D1557
Any fill beneath and/or adjacent to •70% Relative Density ASTM D4253
foundations, grade beams, mats, buildings, lined •1 Sieve Analysis •3% (+/-) Optimum Moisture Content ASTM D4254
ASTM C136
slopes or
ASTM D422 or ASTM D1140
Select Fill Materials drainage channels, and process areas: ASTM D1556
In-Place Density Test
•1 Relative Density ASTM D2922
ASTM D4253 • one (1) test every 100 m² of each lift
ASTM D6398
ASTM D4254
•95% max. Modified Protor Density ASTM D1557
•85% Relative Density ASTM D4253
Any fill adjacent to foundations with static loads •3% (+/-) Optimum Moisture Content ASTM D4254
over 320 kPa and foundations for vibrating or
heavy machinery: ASTM D1556
In-Place Density Test
ASTM D2922
• one (1) test every 200 m² of each lift
ASTM D6398

•If clean sand or dune sand is used •generally passing the No.16 sieve
(1.18 mm) •the compacted sand shall be kept wet
for fill, the compacted sand shall be ASTM D4253
until the next layer is placed.
kept wet until the next layer is •less than 10% soil particles passing ASTM D4254
the No.200 sieve (0.074 mm) •no applicable optimum moisture content
placed.

•“flowable fill” may be substituted for •28-day compressive strength between

either Select Fill Material or general (0.7 to 1.4 Mpa) or (100 to 200 psi)
Controlled-Low Fill Material
ACI 229R
Strength Materials •recommended where traditional •allowed to harden a minimum of 6 hours
compaction is difficult (i.e., narrow or
congested excavation backfill).

•shall be free of salts, oil, acid, alkalis,

•Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) of 1,000
Compaction Water organic matter, or other deleterious
(ppm) parts per million is not allowed
substances.