BS EN 16907-1:2018

What is BS EN 16907-1-Principles and rules for earthworks about?   

BS EN 16907 is a European standard that discusses earthworks. The main aim of the EN 16907 series is to provide best industry strategies and guidance to entities involved in earthworks, to ensure that the foundational stability and integrity of civil engineering processes are maintained. 

BS EN 16907-1 is the first part of the multi-series that gives definitions, principles and general rules for the planning, design and specification of earthworks. It introduces the other parts of the standard, which will be used together with Part 1. Application fields of earthworks are associated with: 

• Transport infrastructures (road and motorways, railways, waterways, airports) 
• Platforms for industrial, commercial and residential buildings 
• Water engineering, flood defence and coastal protection works 
• Harbours and airport areas, including the construction of embankments in water 
• River dykes and marine embankments for land reclamation 
• Earth and rock fill dams 
• Onshore embankments made of hydraulically placed fill 
• Noise barriers, visual barrier, and other non-load bearing earthworks 
• Landscaping embankments 
• Backfilling of open mines and quarries 
• Tailings dams 

BS EN 16907-1 is applicable to all types of earth structures, except the cases listed below: 

• Some specific types of works such as the execution of trenches and small earthworks may be organized using simplified or specific rules 
• Some structures, such as dykes and dams, need earthworks that have specific designs and construction requirements: these may extend beyond the rules of this standard. 

Note: BS EN 16907-1 does not cover ground improvement beneath an earth structure by techniques such as piling, jet grouting, deep soil mixing, vertical drains or stone columns. 

Who is BS EN 16907-1- Principles and rules for earthworks for? 

BS EN 16907-1 on earthworks is applicable to:  

• Geotechnical engineers and consultants 
• Designers, contractors, designers, operators and maintainers of earthwork  
• Construction companies 
• Land/soil/site investigation authorities 
• Land reclamation project management 
• Civil engineers 
• Local authorities 

Why should you use BS EN 16907-1- Principles and rules for earthworks?  

Earthworks are a civil engineering process aimed at creating earth-structures by changing the geometry of the earth surface for construction or other activities. The main purpose of earthworks is the removal of overburden to gain access to structurally capable earth or soil, excavation for basements and other underground structures, and the development of structural fills to support floors are all required for most structures. Earthworks require planning, design, construction and maintenance. They depend on the properties of the fill materials, the required properties of the earth-structure and the environmental conditions. 

In this regard, BS EN 16907-1 provides guidance on quality control of earthworks during general civil engineering and building works. 

BS EN 16907-1 gives rules relative to the organization of earthworks projects and their design and planning. 

BS EN 16907-1 covers best industry principles for design and execution of earthworks. This includes guidance on the stages of earthwork projects, sustainable development and environmental considerations, and risk management.  

BS EN 16907-1 also covers site and material investigations, design of earthworks for fills and cuttings, hydraulic placement of waste, as well as earthworks drainage, amongst others specifications. 

By adopting guidance on optimization of earthworks project design, you can reducing the transport distances between extraction and filling sites, re-use the largest possible part of the site materials in the structures to be built, and achieve maximum efficiency of the equipment used at the different stages of works. 

Overall, BS EN 16907-1 can be your one-stop guide for ensuring end-to-end efficiency and integrity of earthwork operations. Moreover, these guidelines can be particularly beneficial for entities involved with land reclamation works as it could ensure underground works and foundation constructions are stable and durable.