Corpus sync: neutrality remakes, note hygiene, datasheet relocation, transformer-split cross-refs
---
title: Site Clearing
…36 unchanged lines
## Where referenced standards conflict, the more stringent requirement shall govern unless the Engineer of Record directs otherwise in writing.
−## State-administered stormwater permit numbers and acreage thresholds vary by jurisdiction and shall be identified in the project's temporary erosion and sediment control documents rather than in this section. {note}
+## State-administered stormwater permit numbers and acreage thresholds vary by jurisdiction and shall be identified in the project's temporary erosion and sediment control documents rather than in this section.
| Standard | Title |
…89 unchanged lines
## An ISA Certified Arborist shall supervise felling of trees 6 in. DBH or greater located near structures or within or adjacent to a Tree Protection Zone.
−### Latent tree mortality from construction root damage often does not appear until one to three years after the work, long after the clearing contractor has demobilized. Requiring arborist supervision at the point of clearing is the only practical control, because the damage is invisible at the time it is done. {note}
−
```datasheet
label: ISA Certified Arborist required on-site
…16 unchanged lines
```
+### Latent tree mortality from construction root damage often does not appear until one to three years after the work, long after the clearing contractor has demobilized. Requiring arborist supervision at the point of clearing is the only practical control, because the damage is invisible at the time it is done. {note}
+
## Heavy clearing equipment shall be operated in accordance with OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart O.
…10 unchanged lines
## Clearing shall observe any seasonal restrictions imposed by the jurisdiction for migratory bird nesting, wetland buffer protection, or burn bans.
−### Jurisdictions commonly close clearing windows during nesting season or impose dry-season burn bans. A specification silent on seasonal restrictions invites a costly mid-operation work stoppage; the applicable windows shall be identified before mobilization. {note}
+### Jurisdictions commonly close clearing windows during nesting season or impose dry-season burn bans. A specification silent on seasonal restrictions invites a costly mid-operation work stoppage; the applicable windows shall be identified before mobilization.
```datasheet
…12 unchanged lines
## Clearing within a horizontal offset of a marked buried utility shall be performed by hand methods until the utility is positively located and protected.
−### A grubbing tooth or dozer blade will sever an unmarked utility as readily as a tree root. The hand-clear zone around known buried utilities is the buffer that keeps mechanized grubbing away from infrastructure that the locate has flagged but not yet exposed. {note}
−
```datasheet
label: Hand-clear offset around marked buried utilities
…6 unchanged lines
```
+### A grubbing tooth or dozer blade will sever an unmarked utility as readily as a tree root. The hand-clear zone around known buried utilities is the buffer that keeps mechanized grubbing away from infrastructure that the locate has flagged but not yet exposed. {note}
+
# Clearing Limits and Survey Protection {toc}
…10 unchanged lines
### A re-establishment survey after a corner is lost is expensive and delays the downstream work that depends on those control points. Flagging monuments before mobilization is a low-cost precaution against a high-cost loss. {note}
+### The clearing limit setback from the property line shall be specified and staked in the field before clearing begins.
+
```datasheet
label: Clearing limit setback from property line
…11 unchanged lines
## The clearing configuration shall be as selected below.
−### The configuration determines whether stumps are grubbed, whether specific vegetation is retained, and whether topsoil is salvaged. Standard clearing and grubbing with full disturbance is the most common case and is the default; the other configurations address selective retention, fill-over situations, and topsoil disposition. {note}
−
```datasheet
label: Clearing configuration
…8 unchanged lines
```
+### The configuration determines whether stumps are grubbed, whether specific vegetation is retained, and whether topsoil is salvaged. Standard clearing and grubbing with full disturbance is the most common case and is the default; the other configurations address selective retention, fill-over situations, and topsoil disposition. {note}
+
## Strip-only clearing shall be used only where the area will be filled with 3 ft or more of compacted fill and organic settlement is acceptable, or for temporary access roads.
…31 unchanged lines
## Grubbing depth shall be measured below finish subgrade, not below existing grade.
−### Where significant cut is taken, stumps measured from existing grade can remain inside the compaction zone after grading. Referencing finish subgrade ties the grubbing depth to the surface that the pavement or structure will actually bear on. {note}
−
```datasheet
label: Grubbing depth below finish subgrade
…6 unchanged lines
```
+### Where significant cut is taken, stumps measured from existing grade can remain inside the compaction zone after grading. Referencing finish subgrade ties the grubbing depth to the surface that the pavement or structure will actually bear on. {note}
+
### A grubbing depth of 12 in. is typical for residential and light commercial subgrade, 18 in. for standard highway subgrade, and 24 in. for heavy pavement subgrade. The 18 in. default reflects the most common case. {note}
…19 unchanged lines
## Topsoil shall be stripped from areas to be disturbed and shall be kept segregated from subsoil and subbase material.
−### Co-mingling topsoil with subsoil destroys the organic horizon and forces the owner to import topsoil for landscaping at significant cost. The value of stripping is realized only if the stripped material stays segregated. {note}
−
```datasheet
label: Topsoil stripping required
…6 unchanged lines
```
+### Co-mingling topsoil with subsoil destroys the organic horizon and forces the owner to import topsoil for landscaping at significant cost. The value of stripping is realized only if the stripped material stays segregated. {note}
+
## Topsoil shall be stripped to the full depth of the encountered organic horizon.
…39 unchanged lines
## Topsoil stockpiles inactive for more than 14 days shall be stabilized with temporary seeding or mulch.
−## Topsoil stockpiles inactive for more than 30 days shall receive permanent vegetative cover.
−
−## The perimeter of each topsoil stockpile shall be protected with sediment control in accordance with [[sync/erosion-and-sediment-control]].
−
−### An unprotected stockpile is an exposed pile of fine, erodible soil that generates heavy sediment loading and can place the project in violation of its stormwater permit. Stockpile stabilization is a permit condition, not an optional courtesy. {note}
−
```datasheet
label: Stockpile stabilization method
…9 unchanged lines
```
+## Topsoil stockpiles inactive for more than 30 days shall receive permanent vegetative cover.
+
+## The perimeter of each topsoil stockpile shall be protected with sediment control in accordance with [[sync/erosion-and-sediment-control]].
+
+### An unprotected stockpile is an exposed pile of fine, erodible soil that generates heavy sediment loading and can place the project in violation of its stormwater permit. Stockpile stabilization is a permit condition, not an optional courtesy. {note}
+
# Tree and Vegetation Protection {toc}
…4 unchanged lines
## The TPZ radius shall be the greater of 1 ft per inch of trunk diameter at breast height (DBH) or the tree's drip line, and shall be not less than 6 ft regardless of DBH.
−### The 1-ft-per-inch-DBH rule is the dominant US practice and is referenced by most state DOT and municipal specifications; it approximates the critical root zone within which feeder roots concentrate. Using the greater of the calculated radius and the drip line protects the wider of the root and canopy footprints. {note}
−
```datasheet
label: TPZ radius basis
…16 unchanged lines
```
+### The 1-ft-per-inch-DBH rule is the dominant US practice and is referenced by most state DOT and municipal specifications; it approximates the critical root zone within which feeder roots concentrate. Using the greater of the calculated radius and the drip line protects the wider of the root and canopy footprints. {note}
+
## TPZ fencing shall be installed at the TPZ perimeter before any clearing equipment enters the site.
### Fencing shown on the plans but installed after equipment has mobilized protects nothing. A single dozer pass inside the TPZ can sever 60 to 80 percent of a tree's feeder roots, and that damage is done before the fence goes up. The sequence — fence first, then clear — is the entire point of the requirement. {note}
+### The Tree Protection Zone fencing type shall be specified and shall be installed before any clearing equipment mobilizes on the site.
+
```datasheet
label: TPZ fencing type
…5 unchanged lines
```
+### The minimum height of Tree Protection Zone fencing shall be specified and installed before any clearing equipment mobilizes on the site.
+
```datasheet
label: TPZ fencing minimum height
…14 unchanged lines
## Cleared vegetation and debris shall be disposed of by the method specified.
−### The contract must state the disposal method, because the cost difference between off-site hauling and on-site chipping is large, and silence invites either an unpriced premium for hauling or an unpermitted burn. The default below assumes off-site disposal to a licensed facility, which is the broadly acceptable case. {note}
−
```datasheet
label: Disposal method for cleared vegetation
…7 unchanged lines
```
+### The contract must state the disposal method, because the cost difference between off-site hauling and on-site chipping is large, and silence invites either an unpriced premium for hauling or an unpermitted burn. The default below assumes off-site disposal to a licensed facility, which is the broadly acceptable case. {note}
+
## Cleared material shall not be buried on site.
…12 unchanged lines
## On-site open burning shall not be performed unless permitted by the local jurisdiction and air quality district and authorized by permit.
−### Where the contract is silent on disposal, contractors sometimes assume burning is allowed, producing an air quality permit violation. Burning is permitted only where the jurisdiction explicitly allows it, and then only under permit conditions that govern pile size and setback. {note}
−
```datasheet
label: On-site burning permitted
…5 unchanged lines
```
+### Where the contract is silent on disposal, contractors sometimes assume burning is allowed, producing an air quality permit violation. Burning is permitted only where the jurisdiction explicitly allows it, and then only under permit conditions that govern pile size and setback. {note}
+
## Where burning is permitted, burn piles shall observe the size and setback limits established by the air quality district permit.
…49 unchanged lines
## This section requires no spare parts; site clearing produces no installed components requiring spares. {note}