Street Excavation
Standard conditions and regulations
SCHEDULE "B"APPENDIX III Attached to and Forming Part of Traffic Regulation Amendment Bylaw No. 1869, 1995
A. Standard Conditions
1. That the construction and maintenance of the said works is carried out to the satisfaction of the Superintendent of Public Works.
2. That before commencing with any work on City property, notice in writing of the intention to do so must be given to the Superintendent of Public Works at least two (2) clear working days before the work is begun.
3. That any person or persons appointed by the Superintendent of Public Works for inspection purposes, shall have free access to all parts of the work for the purpose of inspecting the same.
4. That the construction of the said works shall be commenced on or before _________________ and shall be prosecuted, with due diligence and to the satisfaction of the Superintendent of Public Works and shall be completed on or before _________________.
5. (a) Highways, including sidewalks, must at all times be kept open to traffic, unless specific permission is granted to close such to traffic for the purpose of executing these works. The roadway must be completely restored for traffic as soon as possible. At all times the permittee must safeguard the travelling public, and shall be responsible for the supply, setting out and maintaining all barricades, lights and warning devices required for the safety of the public. Immediately before any highway is closed, the applicant must notify the Superintendent of Public Works who will in turn notify the emergency services. The applicant must also notify
the Superintendent of Public Works immediately on opening a street to the travelling public and the Superintendent of Public Works will advise the emergency services.
(b) Pavement cuts shall be straight, vertical and parallel or perpendicular to property lines. No uneven or ragged edges will be permitted.
(c) Trenches and excavations shall be shored, if necessary, and in all respects shall conform with the requirements of the Workmens' Compensation Board. Care shall be taken to protect adjacent property.
(d) A pre-backfill inspection by the City shall be requested and received before commencing any excavation backfill procedures. All excavations shall be carefully backfilled with suitable material acceptable to the Superintendent of Public Works and shall be compacted to the density specified by the Superintendent of Public Works or the compaction procedure and equipment utilization specified by the Superintendent of Public Works shall be followed. Surplus material is to be removed form the City lands, or deposited where and as directed by the Superintendent of
Public Works. The permittee is financially responsible for any maintenance work required on said excavation or surface works for a period of one year following the completion of the work. The City Works Department will carry out any necessary remedial work and invoice the permittee for cost of same.
(e) Private and commercial driveways shall be restored to original condition within forty-eight (48) hours after fill is in place.
(f) Concrete curb and sidewalk crossings shall be constructed in accordance with the standard Sidewalk Crossing Plan. Curing compound is to be applied to exposed concrete and cured for seven days (7) before permitting vehicle traffic to cross.
6. That where the work for which permission is hereby granted, comes in contact with any existing works, such existing works must be properly maintained and supported in such a manner as not to interfere with its proper function. During the construction of the new work, and on the
completion of the new work, the existing work interfered with shall be completely restored to the satisfaction of the City.
7. That the person or persons for whom these works are being constructed, or by whom these works are maintained, shall at all times accept full responsiblity for any accident that may occur or damage that may be done to any person or property whatsoever caused directly or indirectly by these works, all shall save harmless and keep indemnified the City from all claims and demands whatsoever in respect of these works and such work.
8. The permission herein granted is not to be construed as being granted for all time, and shall not be deemed to vest in the permittee any right, title or interest whatsoever in or to the lands upon which the works are constructed. Should the lands affected at any time be classified as an arterial or primary highway, this permission shall become void.
9. That the permission hereby granted to construct, use and maintain work is granted subject to and without prejudice to the provisions of the Highway Act, City Bylaws or other acts governing City lands and public works or their use by the Public.
10. All works, surface or underground, carried out in, on or through any City lands except the works of any private or public utility company, shall, upon completion become the property of the city of Courtenay and shall not be further added to, modified, destroyed or removed without obtaining a further permit from the City.
11. This permit is valid only for the specific works stated herein. Any alteration or additions must be covered by a separate permit.
12. This permit may be cancelled at the direction of the Superintendent of Public Works without recourse should the Permittee fail to comply with all the terms of the permit.
B. Regulations
Accommodation of Traffic
1. Where reasonably possible, no excavation in any street shall extend beyond the centre line of the street before being backfilled and the surface of the street temporarily restored. The Permittee shall maintain safe crossings for pedestrians at intervals of not more than three hundred feet. If any excavating is made across any public street, alley or sidewalk, at least one
safe crossing shall be maintained for vehicles and pedestrians. If the street is not wide enough to hold the excavated material without using part of the adjacent sidewalk, a passageway at least one-half of the sidewalk width shall be maintained along the sidewalk line.
Length of Trench
2. No more than 90 metres measured longitudinally shall be opened in any street at any one time.
Detection of Utilities
3. All Utility facilities shall be exposed sufficiently ahead of trench excavation work to avoid damage to those facilities and to permit their relocation, if necessary.
Relocation of Utilities
4. The Permittee shall not interfere with any existing Utility without the written consent of the Superintendent of Public Works and the owner of the utility. If it becomes necessary to relocate an existing Utility, this shall be done by its Owner. No Utility owned by the City shall be moved to accommodate the Permittee unless the cost of such work be borne by the Permittee. the cost of moving privately owned Utilities shall be similarly borne by the Permittee unless he makes other arrangements with the Owner of the Utility.
Protection of Utilities
5. The Permittee shall support and protect all pipes, conduits, poles, wires, or other apparatus which may be in any way affected by the excavation work, and do everything necessary to support, sustain and protect them under, over and along or across such work.
Damage to Utilities
6. In case any of said pipes, conduits, poles, wires or apparatus should be damaged (and for this purpose pipe coasting or other encasement or devices are to be considered part of a substructure) they shall be repaired by the agency or person owning same and the expense of such repairs shall be charged to the Permittee. The Permittee shall be responsible for any damage done to any public or private property by reason of the breaking of any water pipes, sewer, gas pipe, electric conduit, or other Utility. The Permittee shall inform himself as to the existence and location of all underground utilities and protect the same against damage.
Preservation of Monuments
7. Monuments of concrete, iron or other lasting material set for the purpose of locating or preserving the lines of any street or property subdivision, or a precise survey reference point or a permanent survey bench mark within the City shall not be removed or disturbed or caused to be removed or disturbed unless permission to do so is first obtained in writing from the Superintendent of Public Works. Permission shall be grants only upon condition that the Permittee shall pay all expenses incidental to the proper replacement of the monument of survey bench mark.
Surface Drainage
8. When work performed by the Permittee interferes with the established drainage system of any street, provision shall be made by the Permittee to provide proper drainage. The Permittee shall maintain all gutters free and unobstructed for the full depth of the adjacent curb and for at least one foot in width from the face of such curb at the gutter line. Wherever a gutter crosses an intersection street, an adequate waterway shall be provided and at all times maintained. The Permittee shall make provisions to take care of all surplus water, muck, silt, or any other run-off pumped from excavations or resulting from sluicing or other operations and shall be responsible for any damage resulting from his failure to so provide.
Clean up
9. As the excavation works progresses, all streets shall be thoroughly cleaned of all rubbish, excess earth, rock and other debris resulting from such work. All clean up operations at the location of such excavation shall be accomplished at the expense of the Permittee and shall be completed to the satisfaction of the Superintendent of Public Works. From time to time, as may be ordered by the Superintendent of Public Works and in any event immediately after completion of said work the Permittee shall at his own expense, clean up and remove all refuse and unused materials of any kind resulting from said work and upon failure to do so within 24 hours after having been notified to do so in writing, by the Superintendent of Public Works, said work may be done by the City and the cost thereof charged to the Permittee, or deducted from his deposit.
Access to Driveways
10. Access to private driveways, lanes and loading areas shall be provided at all times, except when actual construction operations prohibit provision of such access during normal working hours. Immediately prior to closure of any private driveway or loading area the residents so affected by the closure shall be notified in order that vehicles may be removed if necessary.
Protection of Lawns or Boulevards
11. Whenever it may be necessary for the Permittee to trench through any lawn area, the sod shall be carefully cut and rolled and replaced after ditches have been backfilled as required in this bylaw. All construction and maintenance work shall be done in a manner calculated to leave the lawn area clean of earth and debris and in a condition as nearly as possible to that which existed before such work began. The Permittee shall not remove, even temporarily, any trees or shrubs which exist in parking strip areas without first obtaining the consent of the Superintendent of Public Works.
Care of Excavated Material
12. All material excavated from trenches or tunnels and piled adjacent to the excavation shall be piled, and maintained in such a manner as not to endanger those working in the trench, pedestrians, or users of the streets, and so that as little inconvenience as possible is caused to those using streets and adjoining property. In order to expedite the flow of traffic or to abate a dirt or dust nuisance, the Superintendent of Public Works may require the Permittee to provide tow boards or bins; and if the excavated area is muddy and causes inconvenience to pedestrians, temporary wooden plank walks shall be installed. Where the confines of the area being excavated are too narrow to permit the piling of excavated materials beside the trench, such as might be the case in a narrow alley, the Superintendent of Public Works shall have the authority to require that the Permittee haul the excavated material away to a storage or disposal site.
Routing of Traffic
13. The Permittee shall take appropriate measures to assure that during the performance of the excavation work, traffic conditions as near normal as practicable, shall be maintained at all times so as to cause as little inconvenience as possible to the occupants of the abutting property and to the general public. The Superintendent of Public Works may permit the closing of streets and alleys to all traffic temporarily, for a period of time prescribed by him, if, in his opinion, it is necessary. Written permission from the Superintendent of Public Works will be required for all street and lane closures and the Permittee may be required to give notification to various public agencies and to the general public.
Signs, Flares, Barricades, Flagman, etc.
14. Warning signs shall be placed far enough back of the construction operation to alert traffic within a public street, and cones, signs, lights or other approved devices shall be placed to channel traffic. All channelization, detours, closures, etc., shall be as approved by the Superintendent of Public Works.
Barricades or barriers shall meet the requirements of the Superintendent of Public Works and shall display the name of the Contractor performing the work. Warning lights shall be electrical markers or flashers used to indicate a hazard to traffic from sunset of each day to sunrise of the next day. Electrical markers or flashers shall emit light at sufficient intensity and frequency to be visible at a clear distance of 600 feet. Reflectors or reflecting material may be used to supplement, but not replace light sources.
Where, in the opinion of the Superintendent of Public Works, traffic or other conditions warrant, flagmen will be required to assist traffic through the construction area.
Breaking Through Pavement
15. (a) Approved cutting of bituminous pavement surface ahead of excavations may be required in order to confine pavement damage to the limits of the trench.
(b) Saw cutting of Portland cement concrete may be requried when the nature of the job or the conditions of the stret warrants. When required, the depth of the cut shall not be less than one inch in depth; however, depths greater than one inch may be required by the Superintendent of Public Works when circumstances warrant.
(c) Sections of sidewalks shall be removed to the nearest score line or saw cut edge.
(d) Unstable pavement shall be removed over caveouts and over-breaks and the subgrade shall be treated as the main trench.
(e) Pavement edges shall be trimmed to a vertical face and neatly aligned with the center line of the trench.
(f) Cutouts outside of the trench lines must be normal or parallel to the trench line.
(g) Boring or other methods to prevent cutting of new pavement may be requried by the Superintendent of Public Works.
(h) Permittee shall not be requried to repair damage existing prior to excavation unless his cut results in small floating sections that may be unstable, in which case the Permittee shall remove and pave the area.
Trench Safety
16. All trench and tunnel excavations and construction shall conform with the safety requriements for shoring, bracing, cribbing, ladders, etc., in excavations, in accordance with the Accident Prevention Regulations of the Worker's Compensation Board of British Columbia.
Hours of Work
17. Work authorized by a permit shall be performed between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, unless the Permittee obtains written consent from the Superintendent of Public works to do the work at any other hour. Such permission shall be granted only in case of emergency.
If, in his judgement, traffic conditions, the safety or convenience of the travelling public or the public interest require that the excavation work be performed as emergency work, the Superintendent of Public Works shall have full power to order at the time the permit is granted, that a crew of men and adequate facilities be employed by the Permittee 24 hours a day so that
such excavation work may be completed as soon as possible. Work in or around excavations on major thoroughfares may be prohibited during certain hours of the day, and temporary means of conducting traffic by or over work areas may be required during peak traffic periods.
Other Conditions
18. In granting any permit, the Superintendent of Public Works may attach such other conditions thereto as may be reasonably necessary to prevent damage to public or private property or to prevent the operation from being conducted in a manner hazardous to life or property or in a manner likely to create a nuisance. Such conditions may include, but shall not be limited to:
(a) Limitations of the period of the year in which the work may be performed.
(b) Restrictions as to the size and type of equipment.
(c) Designation of routes upon which materials may be transported.
(d) The place and manner of disposal of excavated materials.
(e) Requirements as to the laying of dust, the cleaning of streets, the prevention of noise, and other operations offensive or injurious to the neighbourhood or the general public.
(f) Regulations as to the use of streets in the course of the work.
Backfill
19. Fine material, free from lumps, stones, and frozen material, selected from the spoil, shall be thoroughly compacted around and under the substructure to the upper level of the substructure. Above this level backfill material shall be placed to the subgrade of the pavement in lifts consistent
with the type of soil involved and the method of consolidation being used. Broken pavement, large stones, roots and other debris shall not be used in the backfill. Each lift shall be flooded, jetted, rolled or tamped, or a combination of these methods shall be used, depending upon the type of soil involved, to compact the backfill materials. Such backfill shall be done in a manner that will permit the restoration of the surface to a condition equivalent to that in which it was prior to excavation. The Superintendent of Public Works may require soil tests to be furnished by a recognized soil testing laboratory or registered professional engineer specializing in soil
mechanics when, in his opinion, backfill for the excavation is not being adequately compacted. All expense of such tests shall be borne by the Permittee.
Restoration of Surface
20. Permanent resurfacing of excavations may be made where the type of consolidation used in replacing the backfill is adequate, in the opinion of the Superintendent of Public Works, to prevent settling and when the moisture content of the backfill is not excessive. In the event the type of consolidation is not adequate to prevent further settling, temporary resurfacing shall be provided. If temporary resurfacing is provided the top surface of the backfill shall be covered with approximately one inch of bituminous material. All temporary paving material shall conform closely enough to the level of the adjoining paving material and shall be compacted so that it is smooth enough to be safe for pedestrian travel and for vehicles to pass safely over it at a legal rate of speed. the Permittee shall maintain temporary paving in a safe condition for pedestrian and vehicular traffic until the excavation has been resurfaced with permanent paving; if this is not practicable, then the Permittee shall maintain barricades and lights where required.
Acceptance or approval of any excavation work by the Superintendent of Public Works shall not prevent the City from asserting a claim against the Permittee and his surety under the surety bond required herein for incomplete or defective work if discovered within 12 months from the
completion of the restoration work. the presence of the Superintendent of Public Works during the performance of any excavation work shall not relieve the Permittee of his responsibilities herein. In the event that the Superintendent of Public Works elects to do such resurfacing with
the City forces, the cost of such resurfacing shall be borne by the Permittee.
Street Repaving
21. If the Superintendent of Public Works finds that paving surfaces adjacent to the street opening may be damaged where trenches are made parallel to the street, or where a number of cross trenches are laid in close proximity to one another, or where the equipment used may cause such damage, he may require a negotiated contribution from the Permittee for the resurfacing in place of patching of such street if the total area of the proposed patch or probably damaged area exceeds fifteen percent (15%) of the total pavement surfacing between curbs in any block. Such negotiation shall be carried on and contributions agreed upon prior to issuance of a permit.
Inspection
22. The Superintendent of Public works shall make such inspections as are reasonably necessary in the enforcement of this bylaw, and is empowered to provide a full time Inspector if the work to be performed is of a nature that a full time Inspector is necessary. All inspection costs shall be borne by the Permittee.
Surface Restoration Specifications
23. (a) Subgrade - Subgrades shall be restored to that existing prior to the excavation.
(b) Paving Replacement - Portland cement concrete used in the repair of trenches in streets or lanes shall be replaced with a thickness equivalent to that removed, but in no case less than five (5) inches. Bituminous pavement shall be replaced in the same thickness as the existing pavement. Portland cement concrete shall be finished to match the texture of that of the
adjoining pavement.
(c) Sidewalks - Portland cement sidewalks shall be replaced with the thickness of that removed; but in no case less than four (4) inches and shall be of a colour and texture of the adjoining sidewalk.
(d) Expansion Joints - Expansion joints in Portland cement patches shall be matched with those in the adjoining sidewalk or pavement.
(e) Concrete and Asphalt Materials - Handling, placement, curing and protection of concrete and asphalt used in surface restoration shall be in accordance with the City of Courtenay standards and requirements for new construction.
(f) Seal Coats - Seal coating may be required on restored sections of bituminous paving where the adjoining pavement has been recently seal coated.
24. Upon completion of all work accomplished under the provisions of the permit, the Permittee shall notify the Superintendent of Public Works. A certificate of final inspection shall be issued by the Superintendent of Public Works to each permittee no sooner than one (1) year after the permanent restoration of the excavation has been made, provided the work authorized by the permit has been performed according to City specifications.
If any settlement in a restored area occurs within a period of one (1) year from the date of completion of the permanent restoration, any expense incurred by the City in correcting such settlement shall be paid by the Permittee unless the Permittee submits proof satisfactory to the Superintendent of Public Works that the settlement was not due to defective backfill.
Last Update : Monday, November 20, 2006