What is Borrow?
A borrow pit is a place where earth material is dug and removed to use as fill for a specific job. These pits can be used for embankments, overpasses and more. They are typically seen in highway right-of-ways, but can also be used for construction on new housing developments or individual homes. What is Borrow Pits?
Borrow pits are large holes dug in the ground that contain gravel, soil, clay or sand. Often, these are used for construction projects such as roads, highways, railways and canals.
Borrow Pits can be enclosed or open, depending on their purpose. The enclosed types are called mines and the open ones are called dredging pits. The dredged material is then used as fill in another location.
Many new-build housing developments use borrow pit materials to prepare the land for construction. This helps ensure that the site will be stable enough to support a building.
Similarly, the soil and gravel excavated from a borrow pit can be used in landscaping as well. This helps create a flat backyard that won't erode from frequent rains or heavy snowfall.
The soil and gravel Sports rental extracted from a borrow pit can also be used for road embankments, which are required to support traffic. Likewise, the water from the excavation may be filled into a lake to create a recreational area or a sustainable wildlife habitat.
In the case of the latter, a water quality buffer is required around the perimeter of the wet borrow pit. This buffer is designed to retain some surface water, maximize the land-water edge, and preserve wildlife habitat values.
It is possible to convert a wet borrow pit into an attractive recreation area or an urban lake through proper planning and implementation. This practice may increase the value of a wet borrow pit as a wildlife habitat, provide needed spoil disposal sites, and promote waterfront residential uses that are consistent with location and use rules.
If the filling of a wet borrow pit is designed to retain some surface water, it can improve water storage and enhance wetlands in both semi-arid areas and flood plains that have high groundwater tables. This technique has been successfully utilized in several counties in Georgia and Florida.
However, if the filling of a wet borrowpit is done in a manner that degrades or destroys the water quality in the area, then the borrow pit is not allowed to be refilled and it must be restored to its natural state. This can be done by removing the existing fill and replacing it with new dredged material that is suitable for the soil conditions in the area, clean and non-toxic, and will not disturb groundwater quality or flow. What is Borrow Material?
Borrow material is the material of choice on most MoDOT projects and for good reason. Its use in the construction process is as old as time itself and in many cases, more cost effective than trying to dig, lift and transport the same materials in a more traditional fashion. While most b borrow material is left in its natural state, the occasional dust storm or mudslide can be expected to happen on occasion. Its uses are not limited to roadside or highway construction and include filling in gullies and potholes, creating an embankment for a bridge and perhaps most importantly, preventing a serious derailment. The most common b borrow areas can be found near the most trafficked roadways. Using the proper sized amounts of b borrow in appropriate locations is no small feat and should be done with the utmost care. What is Borrow Backfill?
Borrow backfill is material that was not removed during excavation and used as a replacement for the original soil. It is usually a mixture of bank sand and drain rock. It is sold by the cubic yard and meets state specifications for structural fill material. Generally it is placed on Class II pavements, drive approaches and paved shoulders where it is necessary to backfill a trench that is greater than five feet in width.
It is the responsibility of the Contractor to place all backfill outside of pavement areas in a manner that achieves proper mechanical compaction. This is a major cost and may be included in the overall price of the project if required by the City Engineer. In order to ensure proper compaction, the Contractor will test a sample of the backfill with a density machine at the beginning of the project and continue using that method until it is proven that the backfill has achieved proper mechanical compaction.