A cost survey of backfill around bridge abutments and retaining walls in South East England

This publication describes the results of a survey of the type, volume and cost of backfill material used around structures on a number of Department of Transport road schemes in the South East of England in recent years. The survey includes an assessment of whether an acceptable fill, which would comply with the requirement of the new 6th edition of the Department of Transport Specification for Highway Works (1986) for fill structures, would have been available either from the site or locally and its likely cost. This indicates what cost savings are likely to occur due to the introduction of this new, wider, specification compared with the Clause 615 Granular Backfill to Structures of the 5th edition of the specification. The survey also includes an assessment of tne general fills available and their costs to see what additional cost savings might be possible by relaxing still further the physical properties required of the fill materials.