Excavations – Part G
Safety and Stability When Doing Excavations
Are Top Priorities – Part G
Part G of the National Building Regulations focuses on excavations and emphasizes the critical importance of safety and stability when engaging in these activities. Even in situations where the ground seems relatively level, excavations are often imperative in the construction of homes. The regulations outlined in Part G serve to ensure that the excavation process is conducted in a manner that prioritizes safety and stability, safeguarding both the property and the individuals involved.
Safety Precautions and Responsibility
Engaging experts or seeking their guidance during any building operation is a wise and proactive approach. While professionals can provide valuable insight and expertise, the responsibility for ensuring safety during building operations ultimately lies with the property owner. It’s crucial for property owners to take precautionary measures or ensure their implementation during excavations to prevent potential risks.
Excavations, particularly major ones, have the potential to compromise the safety and stability of a property. Therefore, it is essential to take necessary precautions to avoid any adverse effects on the property’s structural integrity. Open spaces created during excavations must also be managed and maintained to ensure safety throughout the process.
Regulatory Compliance and Authorization
Part G specifies that if excavations are expected to exceed a depth of 3 meters, property owners must obtain written authorization from the local authority before commencing any digging. This authorization requirement is crucial, as it prompts local authorities to outline specific precautionary measures necessary for the safety of the excavation. Additionally, they might require the appointment of a competent person to oversee the operation and take responsibility for it.
Even in cases where written authorization might not be mandatory, property owners planning excavations are obligated to inform the local authority at least seven days before the operation begins. Failure to comply with these regulations may result in legal consequences.
Foundation Excavations and Design Guidelines
To adhere to building regulations concerning excavations, SANS 10400 stipulates that a professional engineer or a competent person must design foundations for excavations deeper than 3 meters. The guidelines underscore the significance of foundations being designed to ensure stability.
Excavations for foundations should typically extend to firm, natural ground, unless approved measures are in place to guarantee stability for foundations cast on fill. It’s vital that the bottom of all foundations is level and flat, except when foundations are cast on stable solid rock. When casting a concrete foundation on solid rock, ensuring cleanliness and dryness of the rock and implementing measures to prevent lateral movement is crucial to prevent potential structural issues.
For foundations on ordinary ground, stepped foundations are acceptable but must have both horizontal and vertical surfaces. The guideline recommends that the bottom of excavations for external masonry walls should be at least 300 mm below the finished ground level, except for walls built on solid rock.
Importance and Process of Excavations in House Construction
The excavation process plays a pivotal role in house construction, involving the removal of soil, rock, and other materials to prepare the foundation. Initially, the area earmarked for excavation is demarcated, and vegetation is cleared. Subsequently, a trench is dug to the desired depth, followed by grading the area. The excavated soil is often stored for future use, primarily to fill around the foundation and utility installations like plumbing and electricity.
The foundation, a critical component of the house’s construction, is then laid on the leveled and stable excavation site. This foundation, usually made of poured concrete or stacked stone, is engineered to support the weight of the entire structure.
Following the foundation, the construction progresses to erect walls and a roof. Walls are commonly made from clay bricks or concrete blocks, while the roof can be shingled or made of metal. Once the structural elements are in place, the interior work commences, encompassing insulation, drywall, flooring, and window installations.
The final stages involve completing the exterior of the house with siding, trim, and other finishing touches before landscaping takes place.
In essence, the excavation process is fundamental in laying the groundwork for house construction. It provides the space required for a stable foundation and facilitates the assembly of the house’s structural components. Without this foundational process, the construction of a safe and stable house would not be possible.
The adherence to Part G of the National Building Regulations ensures that safety and stability are prioritized throughout the excavation process, minimizing potential risks and ensuring the structural integrity of the property. Owners and construction professionals must heed these guidelines to create secure and lasting structures.
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Foundations
What is the Final hand clearance depth when excavating, specifically to avoid underground untilities?
What is the minimum stand-off distances required by the utility owners or operators from underground utilities?
Good day,
My question is as follows: There is two properties adjacent to each, one property is approximately 2m higher than the other one interms of the height level. When constructing boundary wall, how will that work?. Will the retaining wall be a requirement, and if so who is responsible for it between the two neighbour (high or low altitude)
You need to go to a business adviser Mpadi. This site is about building regulations, not registration of companies.
I need to register a company as specialize in excavation but the problem is i don’t understand the principles with regards to pricing, please assist?
I am not sure what you mean by a draw-well – a borehole perhaps? At the moment there is no fee for borehole water, but there is talk that this may be introduced at some stage. Property owners do though have to pay to have their own pump installed and maintained.
There is nothing to stop you from working from home, however you may need a license from your local authority for certain types of work. This would usually apply to businesses that attract traffic.
Hello i have a question, do South African Law regulate the draw-well, do we have to pay a fee for having it our property.
I am foreign and i heard that you can not have a house for living and your office at the same property, can somebody gimme which legislation dictate that?
Martina there is a form that has to be filled in re the NBR for “sensitive” sites – and graveyards may fall under this. I am not sure. But I think more likely it will be a zoning issue, and so the local authority would need to give permission. You certainly can’t simply go and built on an old graveyard.
hi
what are the rules/law regarding building on an old graveyard? Do you need to get some form of permission from City council or other authorities?
thanks
Martina
Hi Wikus,
The regulations do cover excavations. But many sites require fill to be brought in to infill foundation walls before the concrete slab is thrown. This has to be clean according to the regulations. There might be some localised regulation that deals with height restrictions in your area. If they have raised the level overall by more than one meter the concern would be more about the soil stability when building on soil that has not had time to stabilize. Contact your local planning department and ask them for advice.
Hi,
How high can you fill a clean plot? The neighbourhood is next to the
sea so everyone wants to build as high as possible for best view, but
the clean plot where they are starting to build has now almost filled
a meter from our ground level. Isn’t that too high?
Robin, this might be helpful. “Lateral Support You have a duty to your neighbour to ensure that when digging or excavating on your property you do not withdraw lateral support to his property provided by yours, unless you replace it with artificial means such as a retaining wall.
“You may not, for instance, dig below the level of his land along your boundary if it is likely that this will result in his soil being washed away when it rains. Your excavations must not threaten the stability of any part of any building on his land. He may successfully sue you for damages without having to prove that you were negligent if damage does result from your action.” Reader’s Digest Family Guide to The Law in South Africa.
If a building inspector is involved, can I assume that your neighbour has submitted plans? It also isn’t clear what he is excavating for. If some sort of structure is being built right against your boundary, I would have thought that your permission would have been required.
However, if all the work is being done legally, in terms of your local authority’s requirements as well as the requirements of the building regulations, and the building inspector is not bothered by your concerns, probably the only recourse is to put something in writing to both your neighbour and the local authority, that in the event of future damage caused by the affect of undermining your wall’s foundations, you will hold them jointly and severally responsible for any costs you may face. This would, though mean that you would have to take the legal route if there is long-term damage. And another factor to consider is what would happen if your neighbour sells.
Perhaps you should, in any case, get an independent engineer to inspect the work now. If an engineer is concerned, then this will alter the whole scenario.
My neighbour has excavated an area approximately 4m wide and 3m deep right next to the foundations of my boundary wall which is partially a retaining wall. He has supported the wall with some timber and metal poles but after the rain, some of the clay underneath the wall collapsed. I am seriously concerned that the wall will suffer damage only visible over the long term. The building inspector did not seem to have a problem with the work. What recourse do I have in the case of future damage? How can excavations be allowed right up to the foundations?
I am a little puzzled as to why you aren’t getting answers from the people who should be able to provide you with answers. What sort of servitude is this? Normally the title deed will state clearly what building restrictions there are on a plot. You have every right to insist on seeing the title deeds before making a final decision.
Hi, I want to buy a pice of land. My intention is to build on it. It has a servitude running right through the middle of it. I dont want to build on the servitude though. I only want to build in the space where there is no servitude. But i am not sure if i can do this. I have emailed council and phoned them i have asked the lawyers, my architect and a builder that we might use none of them can tell us if we will be able to build. I want the property but i have to know if i can build on it. Please help me. I have the plot layout and line of servitude. Please help us. Thank you Shaun
Thank you for your prompt and informative response!
You won’t necessarily be notified that excavations are to take place on an adjoining plot, it depends on the Local authority. However, the law is explicit when it comes to the owner of the plot’s responsibilities in terms of excavation. The law states that:
“The owner of any site shall, at least seven days prior to the commencement of any excavation” … that is related to “a building” … “notify the local authority in writing of his intention to excavate.” Even though he appears to be excavating for access, I think it would be safe to argue that the excavations are related to his intentions to build. Further, he has a responsibility, in terms of the law (the NBR) to ensure that the excavation is safe and does not undermine the stability of the property or any services on the property.
Also, if the excavation is any deeper than 3 m, he MUST “obtain the prior written authorization of the local authority for such excavation”.
In terms of your fence, have a look at the article on Minor Building Work on this site, as well as an article I posted on our sister site recently, that touches on Minor Building Work (scroll to the end). You will see in the latter article that you do not need plans to construct any form of freestanding wall or fence, as long as it is no higher than 1.8 m and does not retain soil. All you have to do is notify the council that you will be raising the wall to 1.8 m. If it is already higher than this, you will need plans; and your neighbour cannot reasonably prevent you from getting approval, particularly if it is a privacy issue.
Hi
We own a property in Noordhoek Cape Town. Recently our neighbour who owns the adjacent vacant plot started to excavate so that he could access his plot. Of course he chose to do it in a howling south easter which didn’t help my shock as I received no notification that this was happening !! He has dug into the slope at the bottom of the plot to create ‘ track’ so that he can drive his 4 x 4 up onto his plot. He has also leveled a large area so that he can enjoy a glass of wine up there with his family. We have no objection to this of course. However what are the regulations regarding excavation works? I have read that the local authority must be informed. Is this correct?
In addition we would like to raise the height of our existing wooden fence on the boundary to ensure privacy over our deck and pool. The platform that he has excavated impinges directly on out pool. Apparently raising the fence is not allowed. The plot owner has objected as it obscures his sea view. Is this correct?
PLease advise.