EARTHWORKS:

SUBGRADE
PREPARATIONS
By: Erwin Jay Deyto
B.S. C.E./4th yr.

SUBGRADE
THIS

IS THE NATIVE SOIL (OR

IMPROVED SOIL), USUALLY
COMPACTED.

SUBGRADE PREPARATION
THIS

ITEM CONSIST OF THE

PREPARATION OF THE SUBGRADE
FOR THE SUPPORT OF OVERLAYING
STRUCTURAL LAYERS. IT SHALL
EXTEND TO FULL WIDTH OF THE
ROAD WAY.

MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS

ALL MATERIALS(ROCKS) BELOW SUBGRADE LEVEL TO

A DEPTH 150MM OR SUCH GREATER DEPTH AS MAY BE
SPECIFIED SHALL MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF
SECTION 104.2, SELECTED BORROW FOR TOPPING.

SECTION 104.2(SELECTED BORROW FOR TOPPING)

SOIL OF SUCH GRADIATION THAT ALL PARTICLES ONLY
PASS A SIEVE WITH 75 MM AND NOT MORE 15 MASS
PERCENT WILL PASS THE NO. 200 SIEVE.

CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
Prior

Works all culverts, cross drains,

ducts(including their fully compacted
backfill), ditches, drainage and
drainage outlets shall be completed
before performing preparations for the
subgrade.

SUBGRADE LEVEL TOLERANCES

PERMITTED VARIATION FROM DESIGN +20mm
LEVEL OF SURFACE
-30mm
PERMITTED SURFACE
IRREGULARITY MEASURED BY 3-M
STRAIGHT EDGE

30mm

PERMITTED VARIATION FROM DESIGN +0.5%

CROSSFALL OR CAMBER
-0.5%
PERMITTED VARIATION FROM DESIGN +0.1%
LONGITUDIAL GRADE OVER 25mm
-0.1%
LENGTH

SUBGRADE IN COMMON EXCAVATION

UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED, ALL MATERIALS BELOW

SUBGRADE LEVEL IN EARTH CUTS TO A DEPTH 150MM.

THE MATERIAL, IF SUITABLE, SHALL BE SET ASIDE FOR

FUTURE USE OR , IF UNSUITABLE, SHALL BE DISPOSED OFF.

WHERE MATERIAL HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM BELOW

SUBGRADE LEVEL, THE RESULTING SURFACE SHALL BE
COMPACTED TO A DEPTH OF 150MM.

ALL MATERIALS IMMEDIATELY BELOW SUBGRADE LEVEL

IN EARTH CUTS TO A DEPTH OF 150MMM, SHALL BE
COMPACTED.

SUBGRADE IN ROCK
EXCAVATION
SURFACE

IRREGULARITIES
UNDER THE SUBGRADE LEVEL
REMAINING AFTER TRIMMING
OF THE ROCK EXCAVATION
SHALL BE LEVELED BY PLACING
SPECIFIED MATERIAL AND
COMPACTED.

SUBGRADE ON EMBANKMENT
AFTER

EMBANKMENT, THE FULL WIDTH SHALL

BE CONDITIONED BY REMOVING ANY SOFT OR
OTHER UNSTABLE MATERIAL THAT CANT BE
COMPACTED PROPERLY.

SUBGRADE ON EXISTING
PAVEMENT

WHERE THE NEW PAVEMENT IS TO BE CONSTRUCTED OVER AN EXISTING

PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETE PAVEMENT THE SLAB SHOULD BE
BROKEN INTO PIECES WITH GREATEST DIMENSION OF NOT MORE THAN
500MM AND THE EXISTING PAVEMENT MATERIAL COMPACTED. THE
RESULTING SUBGRADE LEVEL SHALL, AS PART PAVEMENT
CONSTRUCTION BE SHAPED TO CONFORM TO THE ALLOWABLE
TOLERANCES BY PLACING AND COMPACTING WHERE NECESSARY A
LEVELING COURSE COMPRISING THE MATERIAL OF THE PAVEMENT
COURSE TO BE PLACED IMMEDIATELY ABOVE.

WHERE THE NEW PAVEMENT IS TO BE CONSTRUCTED OVER AN EXISTING

ASPHALT CONCRETE PAVEMENT OR GRAVEL SURFACE PAVEMENT
THOROUGHLY LOOSENED, RESHAPED AND RECOMPACTED.

PROTECTION OF COMPLETED
WORK

MAINTENANCE SHALL INCLUDE REPAIRING AND

RECOMPACTING RUTS, RIDGES, SOFT SPOTS AND
DETERIORATED SECTIONS OF THE SUBGRADE CAUSE
BY THE TRAFFIC EITHER THE CONTRACTORS
VEHICLES/EQUIPMENT OR THE PUBLIC.

TEMPLATES AND STRAIGHTEDGES

STRAIGHT-EDGE - A TOOL WITH AN EDGE FREE FROM

CURVES, OR STRAIGHT, USED FOR TRANSCRIBING
STRAIGHT LINES, OR CHECKING THE STRAIGHTNESS
OF LINES. IF IT HAS EQUALLY SPACED MARKINGS
ALONG ITS LENGTH.

TEMPLATE A PATTERN, MOLD, OR THE LIKE, USUALLY CONSISTING

OF A THIN PLATE OF WOOD OR
METAL, SERVING AS A GAUGE OR GUIDE IN MECHANIC
AL WORK.

METHOD OF MEASUREMENT
1.

THE COMPACTION OF EXISTING GROUND

BELOW SUBGRADE LEVEL IN CUTS OF
COMMON MATERIAL.

2.

THE BREAKING UP OR SCARIFYING,

LOOSENING, RESHAPING AND RECOMPACTING
OF EXISTING PAVEMENT.

BASIS OF PAYMENT
PAY ITEM NUMBER

DESCRIPTION

UNIT FOR MEASUREMENT

105(1)

SUBGRADE PREPARATION
(COMMON MATERIAL)

SQUARE METER

105(2)

SUBGRADE PREPARATION
(EXISTING PAVEMENT)

SQUARE METER

105(3)

SUBGRADE PREPARATION
(UNSUITABLE MATERIAL)

SQUARE METER