EXCAVATIONS

WSCMC-BOSH

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AGENDA
WSCMC-BOSH

■ Introduction
■ Terminologies
■ General Requirements Prior to
Excavation
■ Soil Testing
■ Soil Type
■ Maximum Allowable Slopes
■ Methods of Excavation Protection
■ Standard Practices
■ Contributary Factors in Excavation
Collapse
■ Equipment & Handtools
■ Heavy Equipment Operator & Spotter
■ Strategies in Implementation of 2
Excavation Activities
INTRODUCTION
WSCMC-BOSH

■ Excavation is always important part of the

construction works & mining, i.e, excavation of
building & bridge foundations, trenching for buried
pipelines & electrical poles, tunneling, etc. Strategic
plan should be tabled & implemented while engage
for this work.

■ Accidents due to cave-in occur for excavations which

are not shored or otherwise supported. Even rock that
looks solid from a cursory inspection can collapse w/o
warning. The sides of an excavation may need to be
suitably shored, benched or sloped back to a safe
angle of repose, depth and soil classification.

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INTRODUCTION (CONT)
WSCMC-BOSH

■ Other types of excavation accidents are

caused by contact w/ above & under
ground pipes and cables, by falls of
equipment and person, by persons being
struck by excavating equipment, and by
hazardous atmosphere.

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INTRODUCTION (CONT)
WSCMC-BOSH

■ TYPICAL EXCAVATION SITE

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TERMINOLOGIES
WSCMC-BOSH

■ Excavation - any man-made cavity or

depression in the earth’s surface, including its
sides, walls, or faces, formed by earth removal
and producing unsupported earth conditions by
reason of the excavation.
■ Trench Excavation - a narrow excavation made
below the surface of the ground. In general , the
depth is greater than the width, but the width of
a trench is not greater than 4.5 m (15 ft)
■ Protective System - Methods used to protect
employees from cave-ins, from materials that
could fall or roll into the excavation onto the
workers or from collapse of adjacent structures.
protective syystems include supports, sloping
and benching, shields & other means to protect
workers.
■ Shoring - hydraulic , timber or mechanical
systems that supports the sides of an excavation,
designed to prevent cave-ins.
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TERMINOLOGIES (CONT)
WSCMC-BOSH

■ Hydraulic Shoring - a pre-engineered

support system of aluminum hydraulic
cylinders (cross-braced) used with
vertical rods (uprights) or horizontal
rods designed specifically to support
side walls of an excavation to prevent
cave-in.
■ Benching - a method of protecting
employees from cave-ins by excavating
the sides of an excavation to form one or
more series of horizontal steps, with rise
between steps.
■ Sloping - a method of excavating in
which the sides of an excavation are laid
to a safe angle to prevent cave-ins.
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GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
PRIOR TO EXCAVATION
WSCMC-BOSH

■ Carry out joint site safety inspection with client /

owner, consultant & company representatives.
■ Identify & locate underground facilities /
utilities, i.e., water / oil / gas pipelines, electric
powerlines, telephone lines, sanitary sewer
lines.
■ Municipal Permit Requirements
– Excavation Plan
– Verify existing utilities
– Refer to as built plans
– Emergency / Contingency Plan
– Public safety
■ Proximity of adjacent structures
■ Weather & moisture conditions
■ Sources of the vibrations
■ Adjacent road footpaths
■ Method of excavation 8
■ Other possible considerations
SOIL TESTING
WSCMC-BOSH

■ Soil testing shall be done by

accredited Soil Testing Firm
for the following reasons:
– soil type
– pre-planning
– type of sloping / shoring
required
■ Compilation of Test
Certificate

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SOIL TYPE
WSCMC-BOSH

■ Type A- cohesive soil with an

unconfined compressive strength of 1.5
tons per square foot (TSF)…Clay / Silty
Clay / Sandy Clay / Clay Loam /
Cemented soil
■ Type B- cohesive soil with an unconfined
compressive strength greater than 0.5
TSF but less than 1.5 TSP… Granular
Cohesionless Soils including angular
gravel (similar to crush rock) Silt, Silt
Loam, Sandy Loam
■ Type C- cohesive soil with an
unconfined compression strength of 0.5
TSF or less…Granular Soils including
Gravel, Sand & Loamy sand
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MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE
SLOPES
WSCMC-BOSH

Soil / Rock Ratio Slope

Type (Deg)

Stable Rock Vertical 90

Type A ¾:1 53
Type B 1:1 45
Type C 1 ½:1 34

Note: This table

is good for
excavation less
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than 20 ft deep
METHODS OF EXCAVATION
PROTECTION
WSCMC-BOSH

■ Sloping - please see table for

maximum allowable slopes
■ Benching
■ Shoring / Timbering
■ Sheet Piles
■ Concrete Piles
■ Micro piles
■ Diaphragm
■ Dewatering System

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STANDARD PRACTICES
WSCMC-BOSH

■ The walls of every excavation over 1 m (3 ft) deep shall be supported by adequate
shoring and timbering to prevent collapse, provided that this shall not apply to
an excavation:
– in which worker is not required to enter for any purpose
– cut in solid rock
– the walls are sloped to 45 degrees angle from the vertical or cut to the
angle of repose
– in which a worker is engaged in timbering or other work for the purpose of
compliance with this Rule if precautions are taken to ensure his safety
■ Shoring or timbering in excavation over 6.6 m (20 ft) deep & those installed to
prevent the movement , collapse of an adjacent structure shall be designed by a
Structural Engineer & approved by the proper authority
■ If excavation remains open for a certain (long) period , barricade & warning
signs are necessary to inform & to warn passers-by. Also, provision of working
lights & flashlights at night are required.
■ The top of the walls of an excavation more than 2 m (6 ft) deep shall be
barricaded to a height at least 1 m (3 ft) to prevent the fall of workers
■ Excavated materials shall be impounded at least 1 m away from the edge of the
trench
■ Excavation or trench more than 4 ft in depth shall be provided with ladders to
facilitate safe entrance & exit. The ladder shall extend from the bottom of the
trench to at least 3 ft above the ground surface for every 50 ft in length
■ Keep excavated area free of water
■ Whenever excavation is near to any structure. it is mandatory to provide shoring
■ Tools and materials shall be kept a minimum of 1 m (3 ft) away from the edge of
the excavation to prevent their being knocked down into the excavation
■ No vehicle or other machinery shall be driven, operated or located near the edge
of an excavation at least a distance 1/3 of its depth.

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CONTRIBUTARY FACTORS
IN EXCAVATION COLLAPSE
WSCMC-BOSH

■ Water (i.e., rain, natural ground

water, near the water sources)!
■ Improper sloping technique!
■ improper impoundment of
excavated soil!
■ Wrong parking of heavy
equipment, machines & vehicles!
■ Improper barricade, light, sign,
etc.
■ No regular monitoring or
inspection!
■ No adequate training!
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EQUIPMENT &
HANDTOOLS
WSCMC-BOSH

■ EQUIPMENT
– Backhoe
– bulldozer
– wheel Loader
– Grader
– Rock Breaker

■ HANDTOOLS
– Shovel
– Pickax
– Pneumatic hammer
– etc. 15
HEAVY EQUIPMENT
WSCMC-BOSH

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BACKHOE
WSCMC-BOSH

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PNEUMATIC HAMMER
WSCMC-BOSH

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