8 Lessons I've Learned From Excavation & Every CIVIL Engineer Should Also Know

Excavation associated with the base groundwork step or action of the construction project. It initiates from the pits for the building’s bases and foundations and continues up to the given level over of the construction project. Learn SEO,

Materials & Tools Utilization

The following are some of the materials which are utilized in the earthwork for the foundation.

• Line and pins - Used For Survey Marking
• Iron Pan - For carrying material
• Basket - For carrying material
• Sledge Hammer -To insert Pins into the Ground at 
• Boning Rod - Used in early construction technique to establish LEVELS
• Kassi - Digging Spade
• Rammer - Also known as Tamper used to compact the soil
• Crow Bar - 1 tool with Multiple names Find Out More Names Here! Used to lift heavy objects with little effort
• Pick Axe - Ancient hand tool still in use in modern days - Used to break up rocky or hard surface like concrete or hardened died earth.

Drawings requirements

1. Layout Plan
2. Centerline Drawing

Size of Foundation

1. For main walls – 4’0” depth
2. For Partition walls – 2’0” depth

Scope of Work

1. Constructing protection bunds and drains
2. Marking Boundaries of building
3. Making up to cut off level
4. Research for ground levels
5. Survey for top levels
6. Setting out of corner benchmarks
7. Excavation up-to permitted depth
8. Construction of interrelated trenches and dewatering wells
9. Construction of protection bunds and drains

Procedure of Working

The scope of soil and rock strata is assessed by the creation of trial pits in the site of construction. The depth and excavation are resolute in accordance with following instructions in the site:

1. In case of isolated footing, the length has to be one and half times of the width of the foundation base
2. In case of adjacent footings with clear spacing smaller than two times the width that is one and half times its length
3. For black cotton soils 1.5m in general and 3.5 m

Ground tracing or the setting out refers to the procedure of spreading down the center lines and excavation lines on the ground surface before the commencement of excavation. The focal line of the longest outer wall of the building is marked on the ground surface by extending a cord between mild or either steel pegs. All of the pegs may be projected approximately 25 to 50 mm from the ground surface and 2m from the rim of the excavation. The mark is put in the border with help of lime powder. The center lines of other walls are marked vertical to the longer walls. A right angle can be created by creating 3, 4 and 5 triangles. Likewise, outer lines of the foundation base channel of each cross walls and are also set out.

Removal of Excess soil

Make tentative estimations about the excavated materials to be recycled and reutilized in different activities such as filling, gardening, and construction of roads. As much as possible, try to conduct excavation and filling at the same time to keep away from double handling. Choose and stack the necessary materials in a neat and distant place so that it will not hinder other building activities. The surplus or unnecessary materials have to be straight away be taken away and safely disposed of by applying any of the following techniques.

• Use of departmental labor.
• Use of tractor.
• Use of trucks.

Quality checks for excavation

• Keeping the records of the ground level and assess the size of the base
• Immediate disposal of inappropriate materials for filling.
• Neatly stacking necessary material for backfilling to steer clear of double handling.
• Strata classification permission by experienced authority.
• Dressing bottom and sides of pits in accordance to sketches with reverence to the centerline.
• Essential safety procedures observed.

Quality checks for filling

• Keeping the record of the initial ground level
• The specimen is accepted for backfilling.
• Essential marking/ reference points are recognized for the final level of backfilling.
• Backfilling is being undertaken in layers (15cm to 20cm).
• Necessary watering, compaction is done.
• Necessary density is achieved.

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