Method Statement for Site Clearing, Grubbing, and Topsoil Removal
This article aims to define the Method Statement for Site Clearing, Grubbing, and Topsoil. The comprehensive guide will provide clear instructions on how to safely, methodically, and effectively conduct the site clearance tasks in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Table of Contents
Prior to beginning the earthworks and structural work within the perimeter of the construction of the vehicle and pedestrian bridges, maintenance roads, siphons, and earth embankment reservoirs, the procedure will involve the removal and disposal of all plants, equipment, components, materials, waste, existing structures, and topsoil stripping and grading.
The works above may also be applied alternatively to locations (Borrow pits and Disposal areas) outside the indicated work site.
Responsibilities
The Construction Manager, whose scope of work includes the site clearance works, shall be responsible for ensuring that the site clearance activities are carried out in accordance with this procedure.
The Site Manager is responsible for orienting, informing, and counseling all personnel and site visitors.
Method of Site Clearance Work
Getting Rid and Scrubbing
The clearing and grubbing process entails the removal of all trees, bushes, vegetation, trash, and any other obstructions inside the work line.
Set up the survey markers to show where the site clearance crew will work.
Create a record of the conditions that includes a photographic survey that has been agreed upon by the Engineer, Landowners, and any applicable authorities before the commencement of the project.
Make a topographic survey of the land that can be affected by Right Of Way (ROW) operations so that it can serve as the foundation for the ultimate reinstatement.
Determine where trees need to be cut down by inspecting, measuring, and agreeing with the engineer and the regulatory authority.
Before the commencement of the operation, identify and mark all the trees that will be cut down.
Remove all of the identified trees, bushes, vegetation, stumps, and roots to the depth indicated, ensuring that the following precautions are implemented:
- Reducing the amount of topsoil lost and trees cut down.
- Agree with the engineer on any specific trees that must be kept inside the ROW.
- Prevent needless machine or other disturbance damage to the trees, crops, trunks, and canopy.
- To reduce the chance of soil erosion on the slope, avoid completely removing the vegetation over it.
To provide greater access for vehicles and equipment, build temporary roads where necessary.
Remove harmful and useless materials in accordance with the following:
- Before taking action, test any detected hazardous waste or material and report it to the engineer.
- Remove or dispose of off-site any materials the engineer does not deem valuable.
- Remove loose boards or materials outside the ROW that might endanger the construction.
- Sort and load all materials in the areas, indicated on the drawings or as approved by the Engineer.
- Obtain the owner’s or governmental authority’s written agreement for the disposal locations outside the ROW.
Backfilling and compacting the surrounding ground’s crevices.
Keep the surface neat, orderly, and stable so water can fall from it and ponding won’t occur.
Removal of Existing Structures
The procedure entails safely removing all existing structures, including walls, fences, drainage pipes, and cables while ensuring that alternate solutions are found to resume their original roles.
For large structures, underground structures, manholes, wells, and similar items must be removed, inspected, measured, and reported to the engineer. The Engineer must first provide his disposal instructions before any action may be conducted.
After removal, backfill and compact lifted spaces with suitable material to achieve a comparable density to the surrounding ground. In the case of compaction, filling with gravel or sand is unfeasible unless a different treatment is stated on the drawings or instructed by the Engineer. The Backfilling Method Statement describes how the backfilling procedure is carried out.
Avoid damage to the property on or near the ROW, including the fences, walls, hedges, and fences. To maintain the tension in the fence wire, supports must be placed where a part of an old fence is removed.
To provide access for construction at the crossed region and avoid interrupting water flow, flume existing drainage ditches and small watercourses across the running track. The interim drainage management plan shall be provided separately using the following precautions:
- Reduce the disruptions to the original drain’s operation by finishing the diversion before it is shut off.
- Ensure that the flume pipes maintain a free flow of water throughout the project and that the Engineer appropriately and agreed upon the discharging point.
- Ensure that the fill material used to create the flume pipe’s grade level does not leak into the watercourse and obstruct the channel.
When cables and subsurface services are discovered, make sure the following procedures are followed:
- Use a cable detector and/or manual excavation (Trial Holes) if a cable’s presence is thought to be present.
- Immediately alert the Engineer to the presence of any telephone or electrical cables that need to be moved, and make arrangements with the appropriate authority to complete the work as needed.
- Any subsurface services should be marked properly with the service information and depth.
- Wait until the cables and poles have been removed before beginning site clearance operations at electric poles or below overhead cables.
Method for Removing Topsoil
Set up survey markers to identify the work area where topsoil removal is required.
Remove the topsoil until it reaches the subsurface, as the engineer may have instructed.
Use bulldozers and other tracked equipment.
For later use in covering the required areas, dispose of and store the topsoil separately from subsoil or other excavated material. Make sure there is enough material preserved to serve this purpose.
Pile up the topsoil at locations indicated on the drawings or as approved by the Engineer.
Under overhead electricity cables, areas where constructions are to be built and where materials are stored are all prohibited from storing topsoil.
Within flood plains, openings in potential water-pounding areas are left in the stockpile to let water pass through within 5 meters of a watercourse or ditch.
After compacting the required areas, evenly distribute the topsoil over them.
After clearing works and topsoil striping are finished, the ROW must be graded enough in those areas that are required to help with subsequent construction operations.
Project Risk Assessment
Work must be carried out per the provided Health and Safety, Control, Monitoring, and Inspection Plan.
Before beginning each activity, an expert must create a risk assessment document for each activity.
Requirements for Health and Safety
Accidents on the job site should be kept to a minimum. A health, safety, and environmental plan will be made available on-site to ensure that work proceeds without incident and in accordance with safety regulations.
Verify that all safety precautions and suggestions listed in the Risk Assessments have been taken.
Prior to entering the site, ensure that: All personnel, including Third Parties, have received safety inductions.
Employees are qualified and trained to perform their jobs.
All tools and equipment are safe and in good condition, and operators are trained in machine maintenance, qualified, and have a license for machine operation.
In case of minor injury treatment, provide a first aid facility on the work site.
Provide the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for all personnel, including a safety helmet, safety boots (knee-high boots are required when clearing shrubs and trees to avoid snake bites), ear/eye protectors, dust masks, gloves, and reflective vest.
Place cautionary notices, barriers, illumination, or fences in strategic places like:
- Critical excavations
- Pedestrian overpasses
- Traffic flow is disturbed by work on major roads. To arrange traffic, use signalmen in highly visible clothing.
Create a structural engineer assessment for the demolition areas to ensure a safe demolition process.
In order to secure the usage and operation of the utilities, make arrangements with the owners of third-party services like telephone lines, cables, pipelines, and other utilities. When cables cannot be terminated, treat them all as “Live” unless otherwise stated and use a safe way of work.
If you fear a hazard or suspect the presence of explosives or unexploded munitions, contact the authorities immediately.
To prevent people from falling into abandoned wells or drainage systems, investigate fall prevention methods to identify their presence.
Maintain the permanent and temporary access roads in excellent working order during construction activities and ensure that access to the right of way is safe.
Stop materials from rolling down the slope.
Before moving any materials or debris outside the site, check, cover, and secure it.
requirements for the environment
Site clearing, topsoil stripping, and grading must be carried out in accordance with the requirements listed in the Contractor’s Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan, considering the following precautions.
Site Disturbance
Ensure the site is kept clean and any garbage the works produces is cleared away.
Combustible material left over from site clearance should not be burned without the Engineer’s permission; otherwise, it should be disposed of as spoil.
To minimize combustion emissions, turn off all vehicles’ engines while not in use.
Useful containers should be used to collect and dispose of old engine oil and chemicals, with no land or surface water discharge permitted.
In a safe area and according to their nature, store any removable goods that must be preserved on site.
Prevent harm or damage to any trees, plants, walls, buildings, or other objects that must be preserved.
To the greatest extent possible, nesting birds should not be disturbed.
Install all required drainage systems to avoid erosion and washout from surface water during bad weather.
Beyond the Right of Way Disturbance
Reduce the interruption that clearing causes along the path through populated areas.
Prevent any personnel or equipment from trespassing outside of the ROW.
The land damage brought on by the operation of vehicles should be avoided or minimized.
Avoid causing any damage to any ecological areas or archaeological sites.
Inform the community relations manager of any public complaints.
Disturbance on Public Roads
After notifying and receiving the approval of the community relations department, conduct the necessary survey prior to beginning any construction on the roads that will be utilized to access the ROW.
The construction of unapproved access points to normally inaccessible areas is prohibited.
Repair any damage to roads resulting from construction traffic.
Before leaving the site, provide shallow areas near the entry and departure on public roads to clean vehicles’ wheels.
Reduce the project’s footprint along any access roads and the ROW.
Water contamination
Find any watercourses, field drains, or surface water that might be affected by the work.
Any watercourse, stream, or drainage should not have soil removed up to the edges of the tile.
Silt-contaminated water must not be discharged or permitted to enter a watercourse or drain.
Once the vegetation has been cleared, think about the surface water path.
Dust and noise
Verify that occupants of occupied buildings or residences are aware of the risk.
Reduce noise as much as possible, and use ear protection when required.
Use targeted water sprays or other appropriate controls to minimize dust produced during loading and demolition activities that pose a risk to the neighborhood and work.
Wear eye protection and a dust mask to avoid eye injuries and dust inhalation.
Specifications for Quality Control
Inspections, tests, and examinations that reference the Quality Control, Monitoring, and Inspection Plan should be used to document the conformity of site construction.
tag: Method Statement for Site Clearing, Grubbing, and Topsoil Removal