GEMAS – JOHOR BAHRU

ELECTRIFIED DOUBLE TRACK PROJECT

Earthwork – Construction of
Embankment

31 March 2020
Earthwork - Introduction

⚫ Process of excavating the existing land to a suitable level so that the track works may begin.

⚫ The earthworks can take the form of either excavation in the form of cuts or the construction of embankments (fill).

Typical Cross Section for Cut Area Typical Cross Section for Fill area
Earthwork – Typical Cross Section

Formation
Level (FL)

(Subgrade)

Ground Level

Natural Ground
Earthwork – Methodology & Sequencing

Soil Investigation/
Site clearance: Lab testing (eg.
Survey setting out Clearing, Grubbing & Mackintosh Probe
Stripping Top soil Test, Trial pit for soil
sampling & testing)

Ground Treatment,
Excavation to eg: Remove and
formation level, Replaced (If
Filling, Compaction & specified in Approved
Testing Subgrade Construction
Drawing)
 Site clearance: Clearing, Grubbing & Stripping Top soil

Site Clearing works

Grubbing works

Stripping top soil

Soil Investigation/ Lab Testing

⚫ Additional Site Investigation (SI)- Mackintosh Probe (MP) Test maybe requested by Consultant to
determine the type and extend of Ground Treatment area.

MP Apparatus
MP Test in progress
Soil Investigation/ Lab Testing

⚫ Trial Pit shall be conducted to get the soil samples for laboratory test (to determine Suitable
Material) or to confirm the soil condition.

Samples Labelling

Trial Pit Excavation

Measuring depth & Soil description, Soil Sampling

Earthwork Materials & Soil Laboratory Testing

⚫ Embankment shall be formed of Suitable Material

Material Source

Material Type Borrow Pit (Within

ROW)

Borrow Pit (Imported)

Suitable Material

▪ Material from swamps, marshes and bogs

▪ Peat, logs, stumps, perishable and toxic materials
Unsuitable Material ▪ Material susceptible to spontaneous combustion
▪ Clay of liquid limit (LL) exceeding 90% and/ or plasticity index (PI) exceeding
65%.
Soil Laboratory Testing

Laboratory Tests - Acceptance Criteria for Suitable Fill Material

Liquid Limit (LL)

Atterberg Limit
Plastic Limit (PL)

Soaked CBR

Optimum Moisture
Content (OMC)
Modified Proctor Test
Maximum Dry
Density (MDD)

Sieve Analysis (Grading)

 Soil Laboratory Testing

➢ Both, Liquid Limit (LL) & Plastic

Limit (PL) test are conducted to
identify the suitability of borrow pit
soil as suitable material for fill.

➢ The LL is defined as the moisture

content at which soil begins to
behave as a liquid material and
begins to flow.

➢ The LL is based on the Casagrande

Method (BS 1377-2:1990).

Casagrande Apparatus
Soil Laboratory Testing

⚫ The plastic limit (PL) is the empirically

established moisture content at which a soil
becomes too dry to be plastic.

⚫ A plastic material can be moulded into a

shape and the material will retain that shape.

⚫ If the moisture content is below the PL, it is

considered to behave as a solid, or a non-
Apparatus for Plastic Limit Test
plastic material.

⚫ PL is the water content, in percent, at which a

soil can no longer be deformed by rolling into
3.0mm diameter threads without crumbling
(BS 1377-2:1990).

⚫ Plasticity Index (PI) = LL - PL

Rolling Action to Form 3.0mm Diameter Thread

 Soil Laboratory Testing

➢ The Proctor compaction test is a

laboratory method of experimentally
determining the Optimum Moisture
Content (OMC) at which a given soil
type will become most dense and
achieve its Maximum Dry Density
(MDD).

➢ This OMC and MDD obtained from the Modified Proctor Test Equipment
test will used as a baseline for the field
density test results.

Proctor Curve
Soil Laboratory Testing
 Soil Laboratory Testing

➢ California Bearing Ratio (CBR) is a

penetration test for evaluation of the
mechanical strength of natural ground,
subgrades and basecourses beneath
new carriageway construction.

➢ Performed by measuring the pressure

required to penetrate soil with plunger of
standard area (BS1377:4-1990 –4.5kg
hammer).

➢ The measured pressure then divided by

the pressure required to achieve an
equal penetration on a standard crushed CBR Test Equipment
rock material.
 Field Density Testing (FDT) – Nuclear Density Gauge

➢ Nuclear density gauges (NDG) are used to determine

compaction acceptance of earthworks.
➢ Compliance with the specified compaction and density
requirements is a key acceptance criterion for earthworks.
➢ Use radioactive material to get moisture content and soil
density.
➢ Quick method
➢ Reliable if calibrated
➢ Radioactive device therefore special transportation and rules
must be followed
Field Density Testing (FDT) – Sand Replacement Method

➢ Methods of conducting field density test :Sand

replacement method (BS 1377-9:1990)

➢ Field density test is importance as a field control

test for the compaction of soil.

➢ Determine the in situ density of compacted soils.

➢ CRJGR Project, Sand Replacement Method was

used during Trial Compaction only
Earthwork – Construction of Embankment Specifications

➢ Top 150mm below Formation Level (FL): 98% MDD + soaked CBR  5%,

➢ 150 to 900mm below FL: 95% MDD + soaked CBR  5%,

➢ Beyond 900mm below FL: 90%MDD no CBR requirement.

➢ For fill area, if Resulting GL (RGL-Level after top soil removal) fall within 1.5m below FL, it shall be graded and compacted to
200mm depth, complying to the degree of compaction the layer fall within.

➢ For cut area, cutting shall excavated to FL. It shall be graded and compacted to 150mm depth achieving degree of compaction
 98% MDD + soaked CBR  5%, 150 to 300mm below FL achieving degree of compaction  95% MDD + soaked CBR  5%

➢ Field Density Test (FDT) frequency - 1no./500m2.

➢ For the last 900mm below formation level: The contractor shall be allowed to fill to 300mm thick compacted layer however the
last 300mm below FL shall be subjected to  98% MDD + 5% Soaked CBR.

➢ Final Formation Level allowable tolerance : -20mm +0mm

Source: Technical Performance Specifications (TPS), Section 3

 Earthwork – Construction of Embankment Specifications

➢ Fill areas
 Earthwork – Construction of Embankment Specifications

➢ Cut areas
Construction of Embankment – Trial Compaction
➢ To establish the rolling pattern to be adopted for the actual works
➢ To determine compacting thickness, number of passing and the range of moisture
content for a soil type in achieving the specified compaction requirements

Approved MS & Contractor shall identify

Approved Suitable
Construction Drawing location to be selected
Materials available
available for Trial Compaction

Commence trial
Contractor to proposed
compaction & carry out
type of plant, number of
Field Density Test (FDT) Survey Setting Out/
passes and the loose
by Nuclear Density Levelling
depth for each materials,
Gauge (NDG) & Sand
commence filling works
Replacement Method
Construction of Embankment – Trial Compaction

Approved Trial Compaction

 Construction of Embankment – Permanent Embankment

Embankment filling works in progress

Compaction works in progress

Field Density Test by NDG

Construction of Embankment – Permanent Embankment

⚫ Contractor shall ensure that excavation works, filling works, compaction works shall be carry out in accordance with Approved Method
Statement, Approved Construction Drawings and complied to the Earthwork Specifications TPS Section 3

⚫ Contractor shall raise Request for Inspection (RFI) for the works (e.g. Inspection of Cutting/ Filling, Compaction & FDT) with minimum
24hrs before carry out the testing to notify Consultants

⚫ Contractor shall inspect the works and fill up inspection checklist accordingly, testing shall be witness by Consultants, Main Contractor
and Sub-contractor

⚫ Field Density Test failed, Contractor to re-do the works (fill shall be processed as necessary by scarifying, grading, mixing, wetting,
aerating, drying or other approved methods depend on the condition of soil)

⚫ Trimming to Formation Level, final dipping at Formation Level shall be done at every 25m using the survey form.

⚫ The tolerance is control at -20mm +0mm

⚫ Prepared formation shall be approved by Consultants prior to the placing of the geotextile and sand layer.
Construction of Embankment – Permanent Embankment

Eg. RFI for Filling & FDT

Construction of Embankment – Permanent Embankment

Eg. RFI for Filling & FDT

Construction of Embankment – Permanent Embankment

Eg. Formation of Embankment using Earth Fill Inspection Checklist

Construction of Embankment – Permanent Embankment

Eg. Formation of Embankment using Earth Fill Inspection Checklist

Construction of Embankment – Permanent Embankment

Eg. Formation of Embankment using Earth Fill Inspection Checklist

Construction of Embankment – Permanent Embankment

Eg. Formation of Embankment using Earth Fill Inspection Checklist

Construction of Embankment – Permanent Embankment

Eg. Formation of Embankment using Earth Fill Inspection Checklist

Construction of Embankment – Permanent Embankment

Eg. FDT Sampling Records Form

Construction of Embankment – Permanent Embankment

Eg. FDT Field Sheet

Construction of Embankment – Permanent Embankment

Eg. Summary of Soil Lab Test Results

Construction of Embankment – Permanent Embankment

Eg. Summary of Soil Lab Test Results

 GEMAS – JOHOR BAHRU
ELECTRIFIED DOUBLE TRACK PROJECT

End of Presentation

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