EXCAVATION

SAFETY
EXCAVATION
INTRODUCTION
• Excavation is always
important part of the
construction works and
mining;
• Excavation of building and
bridge foundations,
• Trenching for buried
pipelines and electrical
poles,
• Tunneling, Etc.
• Strategic plan should be
tabled & implemented while
engage for this work.
• Accident due to cave-in occurs for
excavations that are not shared or
otherwise supported;
• Even rock that looks solid from a
cursory inspection can collapse without
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.
• Other types of excavation accident are
caused by contact with;
• above and underground pipes and
cables,
• by falls of equipment and person,
• by persons being struck by excavating
equipment, and
• by hazardous atmosphere.
 TERMINOLOGIES
• 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 because 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 the excavation
onto the workers or from collapse of adjacent
structures, protective systems include
supports, sloping and benching, shields and
other means to protect workers.
 TERMINOLOGIES
• SHORING – hydraulic, timber or mechanical
systems that support the sides of an excavation
designed to prevent cave-ins.
• 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 – method of excavating in which the
sides of an excavation are laid to a safe angle to
prevent cave-ins.
 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
PRIOR TO EXCAVATION
• Carry out joint site safety inspection with
client/ owner, consultant & company
representatives.
• Identify & locate underground facilities /
utilities, i.e. water / oil / gas pipelines, electric
power lines, telephone lines, sanitary sewer
lines.
• Municipal Permit Requirements;
• Excavation Plan
• Verify existing utilities
• Refer to as built plans
• Emergency Plan
• Public safety
• Proximity of adjacent structures
• GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
PRIOR TO EXCAVATION
• Weather & moisture conditions
• Sources of the vibrations
• Adjacent road footpaths
• Methods of excavation
• Other possible considerations
SOIL TESTING
• 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
 • Type A
• cohesive soil with an unconfined
compressive
SOIL TYPE • strength of 1.5 tons per square foot
(TSF)… Clay / Clay Loam /
• Cemented soil
• Type B
• cohesive soil with an
unconfined compressive
strength greater than 0.5 TSF
but less than 1.5 TSF.
• Granular Cohesion less Soils
including angular gravel (like crush
rock) Silt, Silt Loam, Sandy Loam.
• Type C-
• cohesive soil with unconfined
compression strength of 0.5 TSF or
less… Granular Soils including Gravel,
Sand & Loamy sand.
 MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE SLOPES
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 than 20 Ft (6m). deep.
METHODS OF EXCAVATION
PROTECTION
• Sloping – please see table for
maximum allowable slopes
• Benching
• Trench Excavation
• Shoring / Timbering
• Sheet Piles
• Concrete Piles
• Micro piles
• Diaphragm
• De-watering System
SLOPING: method of excavating in which the
sides of an excavation are laid to a safe angle to
prevent cave-ins.
Simple slope of
• 1-1/2H to 1V;
Suitable for all soil
types in excavation
less than 20 feet in
depth
SLOPING: method of excavating in which the sides of an
excavation are laid to a safe angle to prevent cave-ins.

Simple slope
excavation in Type A
soil with a 3/4H:1V
SLOPING: method of excavating in which the sides of an
excavation are laid to a safe angle to prevent cave-ins.
Simple slope
excavation in Type
B soil with a 1H:1V
slope
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.
Benched excavation
in Type A soil with a
maximum slope of
3/4H:1V.
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.

Multiple benched
excavation in Type
B soil with a slope
of 1H:1V. This
bench allowed in
cohesive soil only.
 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.)
A Horizontal Waler System in
a Trench dug in Type C soil.
Horizontal 2 inches Cylinders
are spaced at 6.5 feet O.C.
horizontally.
Wales are spaced 4 feet
O.C. vertically and 3x12 Timber
Sheeting is used.
Example of a Trench Excavation (dug in type C soil) with an
installed Horizontal Waler System.
TIMBER SHORING

• This illustrates timber

shoring in a trench
approximately 13 feet deep
and 5 feet wide in Type B
soil.
Using OSHA specifications
described in Table 4, the 6 x
6 cross braces have been
placed at 6 feet horizontally
and 5 feet vertically; the 8 x
8 wales are positioned at
five feet vertically; and the 2
x 6 uprights are placed every
two feet
HYDRAULIC SHORING:
Vertical aluminum hydraulic
shoring in a trench dug in
soil Type B.The vertical
shores and 2 inches
diameter cylinders are
placed 5.5
O.C. horizontally and 4 feet
O.C. vertically

Plywood is used behind the shores to

prevent local raveling between shores.
SHEET PILES: Sheet
piles are sections of
sheet materials with
interlocking edges
that are driven into
the ground to provide
earth retention and
excavation support.
Sheet piles are most
made of steel but can
also be formed of
timber or reinforced
concrete.
SHEET PILES
CONCRETE PILES
MICRO PILES
DIAPHRAGM
DIAPHRAGM
DIAPHRAGM WALL
 DE-WATERING SYSTEM
• WELLPOINT METHOD OF DEWATERING EXCAVATIONS
 DE-WATERING SYSTEM
• WELLPOINT METHOD OF DEWATERING EXCAVATIONS
 Eductor
Wells
Method of
Dewatering
Excavations
OPEN SUMP PUMPING METHOD OF DEWATERING EXCAVATIONS
DEEP WELL METHOD OF DEWATERING
EXCAVATIONS
DEEP WELL METHOD OF
DEWATERING EXCAVATIONS
 • Water (i.e., rain, natural
ground water, near the water
sources)
CONTRIBUTARY • Improper sloping technique.
FACTORS IN • Improper impoundment of
excavated soil.
EXCAVATION • Wrong parking of heavy
COLLAPSE equipment, machines & vehicles.
• Improper barricade, light, sign,
etc.
• No regular monitoring or
inspection.
• No adequate training.
Backhoe Rock Breaker
EQUIPMENT

Grader

Wheel Loader Bulldozer

 HANDTOOLS

Shovel Pickaxe Pneumatic

hammer
END of excavation