(A) Any person who shall open or excavate any improved street in the borough, shall thoroughly and completely backfill the opening or excavation, mechanically compact the opening to prevent any settling thereafter and match the same surface, base materials, line and grade existing before the opening or excavation as restored. The surface and base shall conform to the line and grade and be of the same materials as that of the undisturbed existing adjacent surfaces and bases.
(B) An opening shall be backfilled by the permit holder in accordance with the following.
(1) The opening may first be backfilled with fine aggregate materials, meeting applicable Pennsylvania Department of Transportation standards, or standards as promulgated by the borough from time to time, and placed to a height not to exceed one foot over the top of the facility, if the material is compacted in not more than four inch(s) loose layers or as authorized by the borough. To help protect its facility from future excavations, the permit holder shall place a permanent ribbon at least one foot above its facility. If the facility is nonmetallic, the permit holder shall place a metallic ribbon at a depth from which the ribbon can be sensed by typical metal locating instruments.
(2) The opening shall then be backfilled with select granular material, unless the borough authorizes retained suitable materials or other coarse aggregate material specified in the permit. Select granular material or other aggregate material will be required for use as backfill of openings in pavements, paved shoulders and improved shoulders as well as unimproved shoulders within three feet of the edge of pavement. Retained suitable material will normally be authorized for use as backfill of openings outside shoulders and in unimproved shoulders more than three feet outside the edge of pavement and up to within three feet of the surface.
(3) Backfill shall be compacted as follows.
(a) General rule. Except as provided in division (B)(3)(b) below, backfill material shall be placed in loose layers not to exceed eight inches if vibratory compaction equipment is used or authorized. Each layer shall be thoroughly compacted to preclude subsidence.
(b) Compaction outside pavement and shoulders. At least 15 days prior to the start of work, the applicant may submit its written compaction plan to the borough office requesting backfill in an opening outside the pavement and shoulder to be placed in layers thicker than eight inches prior to compaction. The compaction plan shall include full details of equipment, materials and work methods as well as the permit holder’s acknowledgment of its obligation and commitment to regularly monitor the restoration of the permitted work and to promptly correct failure or subsidence of the roadway. The borough may condition its approval of a compaction plan on the execution of a bond if a part of the opening is within the improved area.
(c) Existing pavement elevation. Compaction shall be completed to the bottom elevation of the existing pavement.
(4) The borough may require the permit holder to have material proposed for use as backfill and compacted material tested, at the expense of the permit holder.
(Ord. 1078, passed 4-17-2012)