Table Of ContentUK Specification for Ground Investigation
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Site Investigation in Construction series
PreparedundertheguidanceoftheSiteInvestigationSteeringGroup,theseries
aimstoprovideguidancetohelpimprovethequalityofsiteinvestigationandobtain
bettervalueformoneyfortheconstructionindustryanditsclients.
Thesecondeditionoftheseries,publishedbyICEPublishing,updatesthedocuments
publishedbyThomasTelfordLimitedin1993andincludes:
EffectiveSiteInvestigation
ISBN978-0-7277-3505-8
UKSpecificationforGroundInvestigation
ISBN978-0-7277-3506-5
GuidanceforSafeInvestigationofPotentiallyContaminatedLand
ISBN978-0-7277-3507-2
Toreadmoreaboutthesebooksaswellastheimportanceofthegroundin
constructionandtheconsequencesofinadequatesiteinvestigationgoto:
www.icevirtuallibrary.com/siteinvestigation
TheSiteInvestigationSteeringGroupisanationalcollaborationbetween
professionalandgovernmentalbodies,tradesectororganisations,andInfracos
formedtoprovideadviceonsiteinvestigationtoclientsandtheirconstruction
professionalsandtosetoutgoodpractice.
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UK Specification for Ground Investigation
Second edition
Site Investigation Steering Group
Prepared by
Soil Mechanics (Environmental Scientifics Group)
and the Association of Geotechnical and
Geoenvironmental Specialists
on behalf of Site Investigation Steering Group
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Contents Acknowledgements vii
Forewordandessentialreading ix
Introduction xi
UKSPECIFICATIONFORGROUNDINVESTIGATION
SpecificationandNotesforGuidance 1
1Information 1
2Definitions 2
3Generalrequirements 7
4Percussionboring 20
5Rotarydrilling 24
6Pittingandtrenching 30
7Samplingandmonitoringduringintrusiveinvestigation 35
8Probingandconepenetrationtesting 43
9Geophysicaltesting 45
10Insitutesting 47
11Instrumentation 51
12Installationmonitoringandsampling 56
13Dailyrecords 59
14Geotechnicallaboratorytesting 61
15Geoenvironmentallaboratorytesting 65
16Reporting 68
17Referencesandbibliography 75
AppendixI.Groundwaterstandpipesandpiezometers 79
AppendixII.Groundgasmonitoringstandpipe 83
Schedules(forcompletion)andNotesforGuidance 85
Schedule1.Informationandsite-specificrequirements 86
Schedule2.Exploratoryholes 128
Schedule3.InvestigationSupervisor’sfacilities 130
Schedule4.Specificationamendments 132
Schedule5.Specificationadditions 133
Notesforguidance
NotesonSpecificationclausesarepresentedalongsideSpecificationclauses
NotesonpreparationoftheSchedulesarepresentedalongsideorimmediatelyprecedingSchedules
ANNEXES
Annex1BillofQuantitiesforGroundInvestigation
(notpartoftheContractunlessspecifiedintheContractdocumentation) 135
Preamble 135
Preambleamendmentsandadditions(forcompletion) 142
BillsofQuantities:Worksitems(forcompletion) 142
A Generalitems,provisionalservicesandadditionalitems 144
B Percussionboring 146
C Rotarydrilling 148
D Pittingandtrenching 152
E Samplingandmonitoringduringintrusiveinvestigation 154
F Probingandconepenetrationtesting 156
G Geophysicaltesting 157
H Insitutesting 158
I Instrumentation 162
J Installationmonitoringandsampling 164
K Geotechnicallaboratorytesting 166
L Geoenvironmentallaboratorytesting 170
SummaryofBillofQuantities 171
AppendixA.Ratesforgroundpractitionersandotherpersonnel 172
AppendixB.Long-termsamplestorage 173
Notesforguidance
NotesontheBillofQuantitiesarepresentedimmediatelypriortorelevantbill
(Notesonthepreamblearepresentedalongsidepreambleitems)
v
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EXAMPLEUSESOFTHESCHEDULESANDBILLSOFQUANTITIES
Generalcomments 175
ExampleA(greenfieldsitetobedevelopedwithalightweightsingle-storeybuilding) 176
ExampleB(contaminatedsitetobedevelopedfortwo-storeyhousing) 209
ExampleC(contaminatedsitetobedevelopedforindustrywithheavymachinery) 259
FEEDBACK
Feedback(userrecommendations) 307
vi
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Acknowledgements ThisdocumentispartoftheSiteInvestigationinConstructionseries.The
documentshavebeenpreparedundertheguidanceoftheSiteInvestigation
SteeringGroup,abodywithawidemembership,sponsoredbytheGroundForum
andtheInstitutionofCivilEngineers,withtheaimofprovidingguidanceforthe
effectiveinvestigationofUKconstructionsites.
ThefirsteditionoftheSiteInvestigationinConstructionserieswaspublishedin
1993byThomasTelfordLimited.Sincethenthedocumentshavebecomethe
industrystandard,buttherehavebeenmanyadvancesandregulatorychanges
affectinggroundinvestigation,particularlyinrespectofcontaminatedground,
dealingwithwastematerialsanddifferentinvestigatorytechniques.
Thesecondeditionisbasedonthefirsteditionbutrepresentsamajorrevisionand
extensionoftheserieswiththeaimofbringingtogetherthewholesiteinvestigation
industryandisintendedforgeneralapplicationtoallgroundinvestigationwork.
InputhasbeenprovidedbykeyclientorganisationssuchastheHighwaysAgency,
NetworkRail,BritishWaterwaysandNationalHouse-BuildingCouncil.
SITEINVESTIGATIONSTEERINGGROUPMEMBERSHIP
Thefollowingorganisations,associationsandprofessionalbodiesareall
representedontheSiteInvestigationSteeringGroupchairedbyProfessorChris
Clayton.
AssociationofGeotechnicalandGeoenvironmentalSpecialists
BritishDrillingAssociation
BritishGeotechnicalAssociation
BritishGeologicalSurvey
BritishTunnellingSociety
BritishWaterways
CharteredInstitutionofWaterandEnvironmentalManagement
ConstructionIndustryResearchandInformationAssociation(CIRIA)
CountySurveyorsSociety
EngineeringGroupoftheGeologicalSociety
EnvironmentAgency
FederationofPilingSpecialists
GroundForum
HighwaysAgency
InstituteofFieldArchaeologists
InstituteofMaterials,MineralsandMining
InstitutionofCivilEngineers
InternationalGeosyntheticsSociety(UKChapter)
NationalHouse-BuildingCouncil(NHBC)
NetworkRail
PipeJackingAssociation
SpecialistinLandCondition
ThanksareextendedtotheindividualswhocomprisedtheSiteInvestigation
SteeringGroupforgivingtheirtime,experienceandexpertiseinhelpingto
progresstherevisionoftheseries.Particularthanksaregiventoemployerswho
havesupportedindividual’smembershipofthesteeringgroup.
ProfChrisClayton UniversityofSouthampton(Chairman)
MrDerekSmith CoffeyGeotechnicsLtd(Secretary)
MrMartinBall FormerlyBritishWaterways
MrsMadeleineBardsley Enviros
MrTerryClark GeotechnicsLtd
MrJimCook BuroHappold
MrAndrewDukes HighwaysAgency
MrEifionEvans NetworkRail
MrKeithGabriel GabrielGeoConsultingLtd
MrDickGosling EnvironmentalScientificsGroup
MrBobHandley AarsleffPilingLtd
MrJohnHarris ThamesWater
MrPeterHinton InstituteforArchaeologists
vii
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MrPeterHobbs BritishGeologicalSurvey
MrHughMallett BuroHappold
MrKeithMontague CIRIA
MrPaulNowak AtkinsLtd
MrNeilParry GeotechnicalEngineeringLtd
MrDavidShohet NationalHouseBuildingCouncil
MrIanStanley CarillionTrenchlessSolutions
MrBrianStringer BritishDrillingAssociation
MrMikeSummersgill CIWEM
MrSteveWade SkanskaLtd
MrJohnWilson CECA
MrGrahamWoodrow InstituteofMaterials,MineralsandMining
UKSpecificationforGroundInvestigation
Thisdocument,partoftheupdatedSiteInvestigationinConstructionseries,was
writtenbySoilMechanics,atradingdivisionoftheEnvironmentalScientifics
Group(ESG),inassociationwithandundercontracttotheAssociationof
GeotechnicalandGeoenvironmentalSpecialists(AGS).
TheAGS,ESGandtheHighwaysAgencyarethankedfortheirtechnicaland
financialcontributiontothewritingofthisSpecificationwhichwascarriedout
undertheguidanceoftheAGSSteeringGroup,comprising:
AGSSteeringGroup
MrMikeGroves(Chair) HalcrowformerlyofWhiteYoungGreen
MrRaphaelLung HighwaysAgency
MrTerryClark GeotechnicsLimited
MrNickBurt Halcrow
DrMadeleineBardsley SKMEnviros
MissVictoriaFerguson Alcontrol
SoilMechanics(EnvironmentalScientificsGroup)
DrMikeAtkinson ChiefAuthor
MrPeterWhittlestone ProjectManager
MrJulianLovell ProjectManager
Theauthorsacknowledgethetechnicalcontributionsmadebymanyother
membersofESGstaffandothercolleaguesofAGSSteeringGroupmembers
duringthedraftingofthedocument.
InputhasbeenobtainedfromkeyclientorganisationsandtheUKSpecification
forGroundInvestigationhasbeenendorsedbyboththeHighwaysAgencyand
NetworkRail.
viii
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Foreword and SiteInvestigationSteeringGroup:ThisSpecification,theUKSpecificationfor
GroundInvestigation,isoneofthesuiteofthreedocumentsthatcomprisetheSite
essential reading
InvestigationinConstructiondocumentation.ThisSpecificationshouldbereadin
conjunctionwithEffectiveSiteInvestigationandGuidanceforSafeInvestigationof
PotentiallyContaminatedLand.
Specification:ThisSpecificationretainstheessentialsoftheoriginalformat,
includingassociatedSchedulesandNotesforGuidance.TheSpecificationhasbeen
writtentobecontractandmeasurementneutralsoitmaybeusedwithanyformof
ConditionsofContractandMethodofMeasurement.TheNEC3Engineeringand
ConstructionContract(2005)providesonesuchsuitableformofconditions.The
Specificationclausesmeetcurrentpracticeandstandardsatthetimeofpublication.
Schedules:AlltherelevantSchedulesmustbecompletedforeachinvestigationin
ordertofullydetailboththeinformationprovidedtothecontractorandwork
whichistobeundertaken.Ifnecessary,theSchedules(andtheBillofQuantities)
canbeextendedtoprovideforincreasedlevelsoftechnicalcomplexitytomeetthe
needsofanindividualproject,e.g.whereasitecontainsormaycontain
archaeologicalremains,scheduledmonument(s)orisofanenvironmentally
sensitivenature(SSSI,AONB,etc.).WhereaScheduleisnotrelevantthenthe
words‘Notrequired’shouldbeinsertedalongsidetheScheduletitle;wherenoneof
thesub-itemsarerequiredtheycanthenbeomittedforbrevity.ThoseSchedules
whicharenotrequiredfortheparticularinvestigationshouldalsobelistedin
ScheduleS1.5.
BillofQuantities:ABillofQuantities,togetherwithaPreamblewhichdefines
paymentdetails,isprovidedinanAnnex.TheBillofQuantitiesisdraftedtobe
compatiblewiththeSpecificationandConditionsofContract,suchasNEC3
EngineeringandConstructionContract(2005)(OptionBorOptionD).Itis
providedsothatthemajorityofgroundinvestigationscanmakeuseofitasthe
standardformintheContract:theBillitemscorrespondtothoseofthe
Specification.However,someprocurersmayopttousetheSpecificationonitsown
withalternativeformsofContractandtouseaformalmethodofmeasurement
anditemcoverage(withanappropriateBillofQuantities).Thecontract
documentationmustmakeitclearwhethertheBillofQuantitiesintheAnnexisto
beadoptedfortheparticularinvestigation.
NotesforGuidance:NotesforGuidance,whichdonotformpartofthecontract,
areprovidedfortheSpecification,SchedulesandBillofQuantities.
GroundPractitioners:Theinvolvementofoneormoregroundpractitionersof
suitableexperience,relevanttotheworkrequired,isessentialintheplanning,
procurementandsupervisionofgroundinvestigationwork.
DeskStudy:Aproperlydesignedandexecuteddeskstudyisessentialforall
groundinvestigations.Theresultsofthestudyneedtobeprovidedtothe
contractorundertakingtheinvestigation.
CDM(ConstructionDesign&ManagementRegulations2007):CDMdefines
constructionworkasthecarryingoutofanybuilding,civilengineeringor
engineeringconstructionworkandincludes,amongstothers,‘thepreparationfor
anintendedstructure,including...exploration,investigation...andexcavation’.
Thisclearlyincludesboththeintrusiveandnon-intrusivepartsoftheground
investigation.
Pre-constructionInformation:UnderCDM,Pre-constructionInformationthat
includesdetailsofanysafetyhazardsmustbeprovidedattenderstage.Such
detailswouldincludeundergroundservices,sitecategorisation(seeGuidancefor
SafeInvestigationofPotentiallyContaminatedLand,etc.).
Feedback:FeedbackisimportantanditisrecognisedthattheSpecificationand
accompanyingdocumentationwillbenefitfromupdatinginthefuture.Usersare
invitedtosubmitrecommendationsforrevisionbyemail(seepage307).
ix
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