Ground conditions
Formation, bearing, groundwater and unsuitable material need a clear route for inspection, reporting and instruction rather than an improvised decision on site.
Contact Clause collection 02 / Groundworks and Substructure
Once below-ground work is covered,the chance to check it has gone.
Groundworks may look straightforward on a drawing. Yet excavation limits, formation, unsuitable material, groundwater, filling, compaction and inspection all affect what the contractor prices. The current A series contains 24 numbered clauses, supported by AA00 General Groundworks.
Register interest- Section
- A series
- Status
- 24 clauses / Preparing for publication
- Emphasis
- Scope, formation and inspection
01 / Where difficulty begins
The drawing shows the intended foundation. It does not define every allowance beneath it.
Two contractors can price the same foundation plan and still include materially different groundworks.
The tender information must distinguish the work included in the base price from conditions that require measurement, reporting or further instruction. Otherwise, formation, unsuitable material, disposal, imported fill and groundwater become assumptions rather than common pricing information.
Below-ground omissions are unforgiving. They are difficult to verify later and expensive to correct once foundations, slabs and finishes have covered the evidence.
02 / Where assumptions gather
The important differences are often hidden inside the price.
Pricing basis
Excavation, disposal, imported fill and additional work must be separated clearly enough for tenderers to price the same scope.
Work before covering
Compaction, reinforcement, damp protection and substructure work need defined checks while they remain visible.
03 / The practical answer
Make the hidden work visible in the specification.
The A series follows the work from site clearance and excavation through foundations, substructure and ground floors.
Each clause defines the operation, materials, preparation, critical workmanship, interfaces and inspection requirements that affect what is priced and built. Project-specific decisions remain visible, ready to be completed by the professional preparing the specification rather than buried inside generic wording.
04 / Within the collection
24 clauses covering the work from clearance to ground floor level.
The collection currently contains 24 numbered A-series clauses, supported by AA00 General Groundworks. It remains under publication review while the clauses and supporting material are checked as a complete working collection.
- A01Site Clearance
- A02Tree and Shrub Removal
- A03Bulk Excavation and Formation Preparation
- A04Filling, Compaction and Made Ground
- A05In Situ Concrete Strip Foundations
- A06Reinforced In Situ Concrete Strip Foundations
- A07In Situ Concrete Trench Fill Foundations
- A08Reinforced In Situ Concrete Trench Fill Foundations
- A09In Situ Concrete Pad Foundations
- A10Reinforced Concrete Raft Foundations
- A11Mini Piled Foundations
- A12Reinforced Concrete Pile Caps
- A13Reinforced Concrete Ground Beams
- A14Helical Screw Piles
- A15Below Ground Blockwork Foundations
- A16Below Ground Brickwork Foundations
- A17Cavity Foundation Walls Below Ground
- A18Substructure Wall Damp Proofing
- A19Solid Ground Bearing Concrete Floors
- A20Beam and Block Ground Floors
- A21Suspended Timber Ground Floors
- A22Substructure Service Ducts and Sleeves
- A23Substructure DPCs and Cavity Trays
- A24Underfloor Ventilation to Suspended Ground Floors
Preparing for publication
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If groundworks and substructure form part of your regular workload, register your interest and we will let you know when publication details and samples are ready.
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