201.03 Construction Requirements.
Division 200
EARTHWORK CLEARING AND GRUBBING
201.01 Description.
Clearing and grubbing shall be the removal and disposal of vegetation (trees, shrubs, vines, stumps, roots, etc.) and other objects (trash, refuse, debris, etc.) within designated limits.
201.02 Materials.
Herbicides allowed for use shall be approved by the Department. Only herbicides listed in the ALDOT "Manual for Roadside Vegeta tion Management" shall be used.
201.03 Construction Requirements.
a.Control of Erosion and Stormwater Runoff . The requirements for the control of erosion and stormwater runoff are given in Article 107.21 and Section 665. These requirements shall be imple mented prior to the beginning of initial clearing operations.
b.Work Limits . The Engineer will designate the location and extent of right of way lines, easement lines and construction limits. Work limits may be designated by the Engineer within right of way lines, easement lines, and construction limits when limited work is require d. The Contractor shall not exceed the maximum limit established for the exposure of erodible material.
c.Vegetation Designated to Remain Undisturbed. The Contractor shall not damage vegetation and terrain that the Engineer designates to remain undisturbed. Damage shall be repaired without additional compensation as directed by the Engineer.
d.Disposal of Materials. The Contractor shall dispose of all removed materials. The Contractor shall comply with all local, State and Federal laws and ordinances pertaining to disposal. The Contractor shall submit a plan for the satisfactory disposal of materials. Clearing shall not begin until the Engineer accepts the plan as having sufficient detail. The plan shall include an acceptable means for the treatment of disposal areas so as not to present an unsightly appearance, create a public nuisance or create future maintenance problems for the Department. The disposal plan shall provide for the satisfactory disposal of biodegradable materials and rubbish within 30 days after accumulation, unless a longer period is authorized in writing by the Engineer, to prevent the infestation of pests. Disposal by the burning of perishable materials will be permitted only when authorized in accordance with the requirements given in Articles 107.13 and 107.22. Burning will not be allowed on the State right of way unless approved in writing by the Engineer. Disposal by the indiscriminate dumping of materials, with or without the property owner's consent, is not satisfactory disposal. The Contractor shall obtain written permission from the property owner for any disposal area. A copy of the written permission from the property owner shall be submitted to the Engineer prior to disposal. The use of mechanical brush clippers or other recycling methods may be considered for approval.
e.Clearing and Grubbing ( Pay Item 201 -A).
1.Clearing . Clearing shall be the removal of vegetation on and above the ground surface within the construction limits.
201.03 Construction Requirements.
Clearing shall also be the selective remova l (removal designated by the Engineer) of vegetation beyond the construction limits to the limits of the right of way or easement lines. Trash, refuse and debris shall be removed with the removal of vegetation.
2.Grubbing . The areas within the limits of construction shall be grubbed as directed by the Engineer and as follows. • Grubbing within fill areas shall be the complete removal, regardless of depth in the ground, of vegetation and other objects where any part of the vegetation or object is within 1 f oot {300 mm} of the ground surface. • Grubbing outside of actual foundation excavation lines at bridge sites and channel changes shall be limited as directed by the Engineer so that stumps may be left in place to aid in erosion control. • Grubbing in all oth er areas within the construction limits shall be the complete removal of vegetation and other objects where any part of the vegetation or object is visible at the ground surface.
3.Clearing and Grubbing at Bridge Construction Sites . When a pay item is no t given on the plans for the clearing and grubbing at bridge construction sites, the Contractor shall clear and grub the entire width of the right of way without extra compensation. Clearing and grubbing shall begin 1 foot {300 mm} before the beginning of any part of a structure (usually the structure wings, end bents or abutments) and shall end 1 foot {300 mm} beyond the end of any part of the structure.
f.Selective Clearing (Pay Item 201 -B). Selective Clearing shall comply with the requirements shown o n the plans and shall be performed as directed by the Engineer.
g.Clearing (Pay Item 201 -C).
1.Required Clearing. The work of clearing is usually required for the removal of trees, bushes, trash and refuse along the right of way where earthwork will not be required. Clearing shall be the removal of trees and bushes and possibly the chipping of timber and the spreading of the chips. Any areas where chipping and spreading are allowed or required will be shown on the plans. Clearing shall also be the rem oval and disposal of trash, refuse and debris.
2.Damage Caused By Removal Operations. Off-road equipment shall not travel on, be parked on, or operate on the wearing surface of the roadway. The Contractor shall perform the work as directed by the Engineer to minimize the damage done to the existing terrain. Damage to the paved or grassed shoulders shall be repaired by the Contractor without extra compensation. When conditions exist where deep rutting or other grade disturbances are caused by the operation of machinery, work shall cease or alternate methods shall be chosen to complete the work. Any damaged areas shall be repaired at the contractor’s expense.
3.Cutting Down Trees. Where trees cannot be felled without endangering traffic, encroachment on t he roadway, injury to other trees, structures, or property, they shall be cut down in sections.
4.Mowing. Areas that have cross- sectional slopes of 2:1 or flatter shall be mowed to a height of 6 inches {150 mm}(max.) with a rotary type cutter in one conti nuous operation after trees and underbrush have been removed. Mowing shall be completed prior to the final acceptance of the project.
5.Areas Where the Chipping of Timber and Spreading of Chips Are Required. Areas where the chipping of timber and spreadin g the chips is allowed or required will be shown on the plans. Tree trunks, limbs and bushes shall be cut into chips using a chipping machine. The average largest dimension of a chip shall not be greater than 4 inches {100 mm}. The chips shall be loosely d ispersed to eliminate any accumulation of a continuous blanket layer. The Contractor shall chip any debris created by the clearing operation and any pre- existing debris, such as dead trees and limbs, to leave the area suitable for mowing.
6.Removal By th e End of the Workday. Tree trunks and limbs 4 inches {100 mm} or greater in diameter shall be removed from the project site, or chipped if required, by the end of the workday on which they are cut.
204.02 Materials.
7.Removal of Stumps. Stumps shall be removed to the groun dline or below. Removal shall be accomplished by cutting or grinding. Additionally, hardwood tree stumps shall be removed to a minimum depth of 1 foot {300 mm} below the ground line or treated with an ALDOT approved dyed herbicide designated for cut stump treatment immediately after cutting or grinding.
201.04 Method of Measurement.
a.General . For Pay Item 201 -A, the area to be cleared and grubbed will include the entire area within the construction limits, right of way lines and easement lines and will be measured as one lump sum unit. An approximate number of acres {hectares} will be given in the pay item description. There will be no measurement of the clearing and grubbing required at bridge construction sites where there is no pay item for this work shown on the plans. For Pay Item 201 -B, the roadside areas required to be selectively cleared will be measured in acres {hectares}, computed from surface measurements of the area cleared. For Pay Item 201 -C, roadside areas required to be cleared will be measured as one lump sum unit.
b.Partial Payment (Item 201 -A). The estimated percentage of the total area cleared and grubbed each month will be multiplied by the Contractor's bid price for Item 201 -A. These percentage payments will be made each month work is performed on this item until the entire project has been cleared and grubbed.
201.05 Basis of Payment.
a.Unit Price Coverage . For Item 201- A, clearing and grubbing will be paid for at the contract unit price which shall be full compensation for furni shing all materials, equipment, tools, labor and incidentals necessary to complete and maintain the work until acceptance of the project. Where the limits of construction are shown on the plans to extend beyond the beginning or end of the project, payment for the clearing and grubbing of these areas shall be included in the contract price. If the location of the limits of construction, right of way lines, or easement lines result in changes in areas from those shown on the plans, payment will be handled as Extra Work as defined in Article 104.03. For Item 201- B, selective clearing will be paid for at the contract unit price which shall be full compensation for furnishing all materials, equipment, tools, labor and incidentals necessary to complete and maintain the work until acceptance of the project. For Item 201- C, clearing will be paid for at the contract unit price which shall be full compensation for cutting, removal of debris, chipping, spreading of chips, bushhogging, herbicide, repairing of damage to the existing ground surface (including blading, topsoil, seeding, etc.), and for furnishing all materials, equipment, tools, labor and incidentals necessary to complete and maintain the work until acceptance of the project.
b.Payment will be Made Under Item No.: 201-A Clearing & Grubbing (maximum allowable bid $_______ per acre {hectare}) (Approximately ______ acres {hectares}) - per lump sum 201-B Selective Clearing - per acre {hectare} 201-C Clearing - per lump sum SECTION 204 CLOSING WATER WELLS
204.01 Description.
This Section shall cover the work of closing water wells at the locations shown on the plans or directed, all in conformance with plan details, these specifications, and as approved by the Engineer.
204.02 Materials.
All materials shall conform to the requirements set forth in Division 800, Materials.
Source: Alabama Standard Specifications for Highway Construction, 2022 Edition. Pages 108–109 of 934.