31 - Earthwork
Geotechnical and deep-foundation bid estimating, without the grind.
The deep-foundation number is set less by the count than by what the ground does between the pile and the plan tip elevation — the bond zone, the caving soils, the grout that disappears into fractures. Drop in your package and get back a cited first-pass: elements derived from the structural loads with the math shown, production and shift counts built from stated planning rates, the grout volume calculated from annular space with an honest waste factor, and the RFIs that keep a deep-foundation bid from losing on the conditions.
✓ PE-reviewable✓ Cited to source✓ Your geotechnical / deep foundations workflow
✓
REVIEWED
REVIEWED
mobilization / demobilizationmeasure each (count) + LF installed to plan tip elevation— cite
drilling and primary installation (pile or nail)measure each (count) + LF installed to plan tip elevation— cite
soil nail wall: drilling/nail installation, initial shotcrete (4 in typical), final facing (if permanent), drainage, testing — as SEPARATE groupsmeasure LF of nail drilling per shift (NOT SF, NOT per nail)— cite
initial shotcrete vs final facing as separate mobilizationsmeasure each (count) + LF installed to plan tip elevation— cite
grout (from annular space)measure cubic feet or cubic yards, from annular space— cite
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governing codes
13
line-item groups
7
units of measure
6
risk flags
What it surfaces for geotechnical / deep foundations
Priced for the way geotechnical / deep foundations is actually bid.
The engine reads your package and flags exactly what bites geotechnical / deep foundations estimators — before it costs you.
Governing codes named, not guessed: FHWA-NHI-05-039 (micropile design and construction, Type A/B/C/D classification), FHWA-RD-89-043 (soil nail and global slope stability), AASHTO LRFD (bridge and DOT deep-foundation loads), ACI 336.1/336.3 (drilled shafts + cast-in-place deep foundations), ASTM D1143/D3689 (compressive + tensile load tests), ASTM D5882 (low-strain integrity), IBC Ch. 18 (soils and foundations), OSHA 1926 Subpart P (excavation and trench safety).
Line-item groups your bid breaks into: mobilization + demob; drilling and primary installation; grout from annular space; steel casing, reinforcement + centralizers; permanent materials; corrosion protection; testing (proof, verification, integrity, performance); drill tooling + consumables; equipment owned/rented + fuel; traffic control, access + vibration monitoring; contingency. For soil nail walls, drilling/nail installation, initial shotcrete, final facing, drainage and testing are SEPARATE groups.
The deep-foundation risks ranked: global slope stability not analysed before wall selection; grout overrun in fractured rock or karst; differing site conditions + obstruction disputes; load-test failure and production hold points; casing length and stick-up missed in the takeoff; access, headroom, + vibration limits from adjacent structures.
The RFIs drafted (verbatim): "What are the acceptance criteria for proof/verification load tests, who approves and witnesses results, and are there hold points requiring engineer presence before production drilling resumes?" "Is vibration monitoring required during drilling (especially percussive down-the-hole or casing advancement) — who establishes the pre-construction baseline survey, what are the trigger/action levels, and who can halt operations?" "How are obstructions defined for T&M billing — by material type (IBC rock definition), drill refusal criteria (blow count, penetration rate), or contractor judgment — and who authorizes T&M?"
The trade's anatomy
Everything geotechnical / deep foundations needs, structured.
Line-item groups
mobilization / demobilizationdrilling and primary installation (pile or nail)soil nail wall: drilling/nail installation, initial shotcrete (4 in typical), final facing (if permanent), drainage, testing — as SEPARATE groupsinitial shotcrete vs final facing as separate mobilizationsgrout (from annular space)steel casing, reinforcement, and centralizerspermanent materials (steel, grout, corrosion protection)corrosion protection (enhanced typically adds 15-25% to material cost)testing (proof/verification load tests, integrity, performance)drill tooling and consumablesequipment (owned and rented), fueltraffic control, access, and vibration monitoringcontingency (5-10%, labeled, for unforeseen conditions)
Governing codes
FHWA-NHI-05-039 · micropile design and construction (Type A/B/C/D classification)FHWA-RD-89-043 · soil nail / slope-stability design (global stability before wall selection)AASHTO LRFD · bridge and DOT deep-foundation design loadsACI 336.1 / 336.3 · drilled shafts / cast-in-place deep foundationASTM D1143 / D3689 · compressive / tensile load test methodsASTM D5882 · low-strain integrity testing (PIT)IBC Ch. 18 · soils and foundations; geotechnical investigation requirementsOSHA 1926 Subpart P · excavation and trench safety (sloping, shoring, competent person)
Units of measure
micropiles → each (count) + LF installed to plan tip elevationsoil nails — drilling → LF of nail drilling per shift (NOT SF, NOT per nail)soil nails — shotcrete facing → SF per shift (separate crew, separate schedule)tiebacks → each + LF of bond and unbonded lengthdrilled shafts → each + LF by diametergrout → cubic feet or cubic yards, from annular spacecasing → LF, including 2-3 ft stick-up above cutoff plus cap embedment
The risks that usually bite
global slope stability not analysed before wall selectiongrout overrundiffering site conditions / obstructionsload-test failure and hold pointscasing length and stick-upaccess, headroom, and vibration limits
“"I already know my production rates and my grout factors. The ground is different on every job."”
The ground is different on every job — which is exactly why the derivation matters more than the rate. The analysis derives the element count from the structural loads with the math shown instead of assuming a round number, calculates grout from annular space with a waste factor tied to what the borings describe (not a house rule of 1.15x), separates drilling LF from shotcrete SF so the two schedules are not summed, and carries casing stick-up into the takeoff. Where the documents are silent it states the assumption and its basis. Cited hands clean to the geotechnical PE for review under PE supervision.
Run this on your own deep-foundation package.
30 minutes. Bring a real set — a micropile package, a soil nail wall, or a job with thin geotech data — and we'll walk the derived quantities, the grout calculation, the differing-site-conditions flags, and the draft RFIs on your actual drawings.