Excavate Residential Foundation Footings

A. Finished-Deliverable Specification

Deliverable: one set of footing excavations matching the approved plan in width, location, length, and bottom elevation, with footing bottoms and corners hand-trimmed to the approved dimensions, an undisturbed bearing surface free of loose soil, organic material, and water, all soft spots, unsuitable soil, groundwater, caving, or unexpected fill identified and resolved through required direction, drainage maintained away from the excavation, required protective systems and barricades installed, and a completed excavation record with final dimensions, benchmark readings, and photographs ready for inspection.

B. Excavation Deliverable Schedule

Item	Quantity	Form	Content Requirement	Purpose
Marked excavation limits and exclusion zones	1 set	Flagged or painted boundary	Matches approved footing dimensions and offsets from the Project 03 layout	Confining excavation to the approved area and protecting personnel
Spoil placement areas	As required by trench length and equipment	Marked stockpile locations	Located at the distance from trench edges required by the excavation-safety plan	Preventing surcharge and collapse hazards at the trench edge
Excavated footing trenches	Full footing length shown on the approved plan	Machine-excavated and hand-trimmed trench	Matches approved width, location, and bottom elevation within project tolerance	Providing the exact volume required for the foundation footing
Exposed bearing surface	Full trench bottom	Clean, undisturbed subsoil	Free of loose soil, organic material, and standing water	Providing a sound surface for the foundation to bear on
Installed protective systems and barricades	As required by the excavation-safety plan	Installed sloping, benching, shoring, shielding, or barricades	Matches the competent person's determination for depth and soil condition	Protecting workers who must enter or work near the excavation
Completed excavation record	1 record set	Written record and photographs	Final dimensions, benchmark readings, unsuitable-condition findings, and corrections recorded	Documenting the completed excavation for the Project 05 and Project 16 inspections

C. Material Takeoff

• Barricades or fencing: sufficient length to enclose the excavation exclusion zone around the full footing perimeter.
• Protective-system components: sloping, benching, shoring, or shielding materials identified by the competent person, in the quantity and configuration that determination requires.
• Grade stakes or elevation pins: sufficient quantity to mark bottom-elevation references at each corner, step, pad, and regular interval along the footing length.
• Marking paint or flags: sufficient quantity to mark excavation limits, exclusion zones, and spoil placement boundaries.
• Waste allowance: the material quantities above are working allowances; record any material used beyond the planned quantity, and the reason, on the excavation record.

D. Acceptance Standards

Check	Standard
Trench location and width	Matches the approved plan and the Project 03 footing lines and offsets within project tolerance
Bottom elevation	Matches the approved plan elevation, verified against the Project 03 benchmark at regular intervals, corners, steps, and pads
Bearing surface condition	Free of loose soil, organic material, disturbed material, and standing water
Overexcavation	None present without required direction; any overexcavated area corrected only as directed
Soil and groundwater conditions	Soft spots, unsuitable soil, groundwater, caving, and unexpected fill identified, escalated, and resolved before proceeding
Protective systems and access	Installed and maintained as required by the excavation-safety plan for the excavation's depth and soil condition
Drainage	Rainwater and runoff diverted away from the excavation; no ponding on the bearing surface
Steps, pads, and crossings	Match the approved plan location, dimension, and elevation
Documentation	Final dimensions, benchmark readings, and photographs recorded before the clearing and stripping and pre-inspection reviews

E. Preparation — Plan Verification and Layout Recheck

1. Verify approved footing dimensions, elevations, soil information, and excavation safety plan. Confirm the footing plan, benchmark elevation, soil report where available, and excavation-safety plan against the current site condition before staging equipment.
2. Confirm utility-locate status and resolve all conflicts before excavation. Confirm current utility-locate markings and resolve any conflict identified before excavating.
3. Recheck the building layout, footing lines, offsets, and benchmark. Compare every Project 03 control point re-confirmed in Project 04 against the layout record sheet before transferring footing lines to the ground.

F. Limit Marking and Spoil Placement

1. Mark excavation limits and equipment exclusion zones. Flag or paint the approved footing width and length, and mark the exclusion zone around the excavation before equipment enters.
2. Establish spoil placement areas far enough from trench edges to avoid surcharge and collapse hazards. Mark spoil locations at the distance from the trench edge required by the excavation-safety plan, and confirm the location does not block drainage or access routes established in Project 01.
3. Inspect excavation equipment, attachments, alarms, access routes, and operator qualifications. Confirm equipment condition, backup alarms, attachment security, and operator qualification before excavation begins.

G. Excavation and Hand-Trimming

1. Excavate in controlled passes while preserving required offsets and control points. Remove soil in successive passes toward the approved dimensions, checking progress against the marked limits and preserved control points as work proceeds.
2. Stop mechanical excavation above final grade when required to avoid overexcavation. Stop the equipment at the distance above final bottom elevation specified in the approved plan or excavation-safety plan.
3. Hand-trim footing bottoms and corners to the approved dimensions. Complete the remaining depth and all corners by hand, working to the exact width, location, and elevation shown on the approved plan.

H. Dimensional Verification and Condition Checks

1. Check trench width, location, bottom elevation, and continuity at regular intervals. Measure and record width, location, and elevation at each corner, step, pad, and regular interval along the footing length.
2. Remove loose soil, organic material, water, and disturbed material from the bearing surface. Clean the trench bottom immediately before each elevation check so the bearing surface reflects true undisturbed material.
3. Identify soft spots, unsuitable soil, groundwater, caving, or unexpected fill. Inspect the bearing surface and trench walls for any condition inconsistent with the anticipated soil report or plan assumption.
4. Stop work and obtain required direction before correcting overexcavation or unsuitable bearing conditions. Do not backfill, add material, or otherwise correct an unsuitable bearing condition without direction from the competent person, engineer, or responsible party identified in the excavation-safety plan.

I. Protection, Drainage, and Inspection Preparation

1. Install required access, barricades, protective systems, or competent-person controls. Install the protective system, access, and barricades identified by the competent person for the excavation's depth and soil condition.
2. Maintain drainage and prevent rainwater or runoff from entering the excavation. Shape surrounding grade or install temporary diversion so runoff does not enter the open trench.
3. Verify footing steps, pads, intersections, and service crossings against the plan. Confirm every step, pad, intersection, and utility crossing matches the approved plan location, dimension, and elevation.
4. Record final dimensions and benchmark readings. Complete the excavation record with final width, location, elevation, and benchmark readings at every check point.
5. Prepare safe inspector access and expose all required areas. Provide a safe route for the inspector and confirm every area requiring inspection is visible and accessible.
6. Correct deficiencies identified during pre-inspection. Walk the completed excavation against the Acceptance Standards table and correct any failed item before scheduling the official inspection.
7. Protect the excavation until reinforcement, forms, or concrete work begins. Maintain barricades, drainage, and protective systems, and keep equipment and spoil clear of the excavation until the next operation begins.