Specification for the reinstatement of openings in ...

1 October 2018 Specification for the reinstatement of openings in Highways Fourth edition 27 February 2019 2 The Department for Transport has actively considered the needs of blind and partially sighted people in accessing this document. The text will be made available in full on the Department s website. The text may be freely downloaded and translated by individuals or organisations for conversion into other accessible formats. If you have other needs in this regard, please contact the Department. Department for Transport Great Minster House 33 Horseferry Road London SW1P 4DR Telephone 0300 330 3000 Website General enquiries: Crown copyright 2019 Copyright in the typographical arrangement rests with the Crown.

2 You may re-use this information (not including logos or third-party material) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or e-mail: Where we have identified any third-party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. 3 Contents Foreword 9 Definitions 10 S0 Preamble 15 General 15 Outline of the Specification 15 Outline of the appendices 15 Outline of the Notes for Guidance 16 Using the Specification and appendices 16 S1 Operational principles 18 General 18 Guarantee period 18 Road categories 19 Footway, footpath and cycle track categories 19 Excavation and trench categories 20 Alternative options 20 Immediate works 21 Apparatus within road, footway, footpath and cycle track structures 21 Geosynthetic materials.

3 Geotextiles and reinforcement grids 22 Trees 22 Conciliation and arbitration 22 S2 Performance requirements 23 General 23 Surface profile 25 Fixed features 27 Surface regularity 30 Structural integrity 31 Skid resistance 33 Sampling and testing 37 Undertaker s works in deteriorated or distressed areas 38 S3 Excavation 39 4 Breaking the surface 39 Excavation 39 Excavated material 40 Side support 40 Drainage 40 Shallow or aborted excavations 40 Trenchless pipelaying 41 S4 Surround to apparatus 42 General 42 S5 Backfill 43 Backfill material classification 43 Alternative reinstatement materials (ARMs) 44 Additional requirements 44 S6 Flexible and composite roads 46 reinstatement methods 46 Sub-base reinstatement 47 Base reinstatement 47 Surface reinstatement 49 Small excavations, narrow trenches and access chamber covers 53 Micro trenching 55 Large diameter cores 58 Base and edge preparation 61 Tolerances 68 S7 Rigid and modular roads 69 reinstatement methods 69 Sub-base reinstatement 70 Concrete road slab reinstatement 70 Large diameter cores 72 Edge support and preparation 72 Reinforcement 75 Overlays 75 Modular roads 75 Tolerances 76 S8 Footways.

4 Footpaths and cycle tracks 77 reinstatement methods 77 Sub-base reinstatement 78 5 Surface reinstatement 79 Micro trenching 81 Large diameter cores 81 Edge requirements 81 Vehicular trafficking 83 Tolerances 83 S9 Verges and unmade ground 84 General 84 Adjacent road structures 84 Cultivated areas 85 Grassed areas 85 Verges, ditches and drainage courses 85 S10 Compaction requirements 86 Introduction 86 Compaction of materials 86 Equipment operation and restrictions 88 S11 Ancillary activities 91 Traffic signs, road markings, studs and verge markers 91 Street furniture and special features 93 Traffic sensors, etc. 93 Water-related matters 93 Ironwork and apparatus 94 Test holes 97 S12 Remedial works 98 General 98 Safety requirements 98 Repair of cracking 98 Repair of settlement beyond reinstatement limits 100 Repair of other significant defects 100 Appendix A1 101 Backfill materials 101 Class A Graded granular materials 101 Class B Granular materials 101 Class C Cohesive/granular materials 101 Class D Cohesive materials 101 Class E Unacceptable materials 102 6 Field identification tests 102 Appendix A2 106 Key to materials 106 Introduction 106 Hot rolled asphalt (HRA) mixtures 106 Stone mastic asphalt (SMA)

5 Mixtures 109 Asphalt concrete mixtures 110 Cold-lay surfacing materials 111 Flowable materials 112 reinstatement materials for micro trenches 114 Structural layer thickness tolerances 116 Compacted lift thickness 117 Bituminous laying temperatures 119 Identification of structural layers 120 Key to materials 124 Key to reinstatement methods 126 Summarised selection process for hot lay flexible materials 128 Appendix A3 132 Appendix A4 138 Appendix A5 144 Appendix A6 147 Appendix A7 150 Appendix A8 154 Compaction requirements 154 Granular, cohesive and cement bound materials 154 Chalk materials 156 Bituminous mixtures 157 Appendix A9 158 Alternative reinstatement materials (ARMs) and alternative technologies (ATs) 158 Introduction 158 General requirements for ARMs and ATs 160 Structural materials for reinstatements (SMRs) 160 Treated materials for fills (TMFs) 162 Outline scheme for approval trials 164 Appendix A10 170 Additional standard materials 170 7 General 170 Modified Type 1 Unbound Mixture (0/20) 170 Hydraulically bound materials (HBMs)

6 172 Appendix A11 180 Product Equivalence 180 Appendix A12 182 reinstatement of modular surface layers 182 Interim reinstatement 182 Permanent reinstatement 182 Provision of replacement modules 185 Joint inspections and recovery of costs 185 Notes for Guidance 188 NG1 Operational principles 189 General 189 Guarantee period 189 Road categories 190 Alternative options 192 Immediate works 194 Apparatus within the road structure 194 Geosynthetic materials, geotextiles and reinforcement grids 194 Trees 195 NG2 Performance requirements 197 NG3 Excavation 201 Breaking the surface 201 Excavation 201 NG4 Surround to apparatus 202 General 202 NG5 Backfill 203 Backfill material classification 203 NG6 Flexible and composite roads 205 NG7 Rigid and modular roads 220 reinstatement methods 220 Concrete road slab reinstatement 220 Edge support and preparation 221 Modular roads 221 NG8 Footways, footpaths and cycle tracks 222 8 Surface reinstatement 222 NG9 Verges and unmade ground 224 NG10 Compaction requirements 225 Introduction 225 Compaction of materials 225 Equipment operation and restrictions 227 NG11 Ancillary activities 231 Traffic signs.

7 Road markings, studs and verge markers 231 Street furniture and special features 231 Traffic sensors etc. 231 Water-related matters 231 Ironwork and apparatus 232 NGA2 Key to materials 233 Introduction 233 Hot rolled asphalt (HRA) mixtures 233 Stone mastic asphalt (SMA) mixtures 233 Asphalt concrete mixtures 235 Structural layer thickness tolerances 236 NGA8 Compaction requirements 237 NGA9 Alternative reinstatement materials (ARMs) and alternative technologies (ATs) 238 Introduction 238 General requirements for ARMs and ATs 239 Outline scheme for the approval trials 240 NGA10 Additional standard materials 245 General 245 Hydraulically bound materials (HBMs) 245 NGA12 reinstatement of modular surfaces 247 General 247 Examples of cement or concrete infills 247 Examples of reinstatement of modular patterns 247 Foreword 9 Foreword Our local road network and the way we operate it has a direct impact on everyone s lives.

8 Whilst the primary purpose of our highways is to facilitate safe and convenient travel for all, they also serve an important function in accommodating the essential services on which we all rely - water, gas, electricity and telecommunications. To make sure these services operate reliably, utility companies must, from time to time, maintain, repair and install apparatus under our roads. Given the impact these works can have on the travelling public, it is important that they are completed as quickly and efficiently as possible. At the same time, utilities have to reinstate the roads to certain standards to ensure they do not shorten their life or create uneven running surfaces. This statutory code of practice, published under section 71 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, is key to achieving these aims.

9 The previous edition was last updated in April 2010 and much has changed since then. Apart from issues that have arisen over its interpretation, many innovations in reinstatement techniques and materials have been introduced that were not covered. The 4th edition is intended to address these issues and bring the document up to date. It supports innovation and allows new techniques and materials to be used. It should help reduce the time taken to carry out street works and make it easier for utilities to get their reinstatements right first time, and so avoid return site visits. It should also to improve the quality and durability of reinstatements, and help to protect this vital national asset We would especially like to thank members of the SROH working party (a Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee sub-group) for the considerable contribution they made in developing this edition.

10 Their advice was invaluable in helping us to identify the issues to be addressed and in suggesting ways to resolve them. We would also like to thank the wider group of experts from across this sector for their input, advice and contributions to the new SROH, and AECOM/Arup who led on the update of this document and delivered a technical Specification that will support and deliver our aims for high quality and well-managed street works. This version of the Code replaces the third edition in England. 10 Definitions AAV Aggregate Abrasion Value - the standard measure of an aggregate s resistance to abrasion. Authority The authority as defined in the Act. Bond coat Proprietary materials certified by a Product Acceptance Scheme, generally formulated to provide cohesion between bituminous layers.