(a) Cuts through bituminous wearing surfaces shall be scored on a neat, straight line to the full trench width, using either a pneumatic spade or a concrete saw. Cuts through portland cement concrete shall be sawed to a sufficient depth to enable removal of concrete with a clean, straight break.
(b) Excavated material shall be removed immediately or laid compactly off the roadway surface to cause as little inconvenience as possible to public travel. Pedestrian sidewalks shall be kept clean and free of obstructions, and, where necessary, temporary bridging or plank walkways shall be provided. Excavated material not suitable for backfill shall be immediately removed as excavation is in progress. Construction material shall not be stored in the public street except immediately in advance of installation. Loose earth and stone shall be promptly cleaned from the streets and sidewalks, and dust shall be regularly swept up and removed.
(c) Sidewalls of a trench under four feet in depth shall be kept as nearly vertical as possible. When over four feet in depth, the trench shall comply with the requirements established by Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards.
(d) Backfilling. Excavation openings shall be backfilled immediately with suitable materials and appropriately compacted in layers according to PennDOT specifications and City of Sharon standards. All work is subject to inspection and approval by the City Engineer or Representative.
Utility Specific Notes.
(1) The opening may first be backfilled with fine aggregate materials, meeting the requirements of § 703.1 of Publication 408, or granular material to protect the facility, 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 loose layers or as authorized under Publications 408. To help protect its facility from future excavations, the permittee is required to place a permanent ribbon colored under subsection (1) at least one (1) foot above its facility. If the facility is nonmetallic, the permittee is also required to 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 or other coarse aggregate material meeting the requirements of § 703.2 of Publication 408 is 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 (for example, oil and chip) shoulders as well as unimproved (for example, stabilized or earth surface) shoulders within three feet of the edge of pavement. Backfill requirements shall meet PennDOT Requirements and meet the standards set forth in PennDOT HOP Publication 282 Appendix C8.
(3) Backfill shall be compacted as follows:
A. General rule. Except as provided in subsection B. below, backfill material shall be placed in six-inch compacted layers as specified in Section 206 of Publication 408. Each layer shall be thoroughly compacted to preclude subsidence, under § 601.3(e) of Publication 408.
B. Compaction outside pavement and shoulders. At least fifteen days prior to the start of work, the applicant may submit its written compaction plan to the City requesting backfill in an opening outside the pavement and shoulder to be placed in layers thicker than six inches prior to compaction. The compaction plan shall include full details of equipment, materials and work methods as well as the permittee's acknowledgment of its obligation and commitment to regularly monitor the restored surface until two years after the acknowledged completion of the permitted work and to promptly correct failure or subsidence of the highway.
C. Existing pavement elevation. Compaction shall be completed to the bottom elevation of the existing pavement. Compaction of subbase and subgrade beneath pavement areas shall be inspected and approved by a City representative prior to beginning pavement restoration. Compaction requirements and frequency shall adhere to standards presented in Section 206 of Publication 408. These requirements shall be met assuming the minimum quantity for embankment/fill, subgrade, or pipe backfill in Table B of Section 206.3(a) is met for the project. If the project quantities are less than the quantities listed on this table, the testing frequency shall be determined by the City representative. Compaction testing will be performed at the expense of the permittee.
(4) Test holes shall be backfilled, as soon as safely possible, with existing type material or other material authorized by the Department, and sealed under subsection (o). The City may authorize test holes in the pavement or shoulder to be restored without a one foot cutback of the surrounding surface.
(e) All cuts, excavation and backfill shall be performed to the satisfaction of the Inspector, who may in consultation with the City develop additional work standards.
(Ord. 02-10. Passed 6-17-10; Ord. 11-23. Passed 12-6-23.)