Practice Details
State Agency: City of San Diego, California
Practice Provision: Steel plates to cover trenches in construction zones
Description:
The City of San Diego allows contractors to use steel trench plates on narrow trench projects, but does not expect that plates will span more than 6 feet of trench width. Following is the language from city Special Provisions:
"Trenches shall be backfilled or trench-plated at the end of each work day. An asphalt ramp shall be placed around each trench plate to prevent the plate from being dislodged."
Specifications require the contractor to put spikes through the plate into the pavement to secure the plates on steep grades. They are also now requiring the contractor to paint the contractor name and phone number on the pavement at the advancing end of the trench plates so that they can be called if a plate becomes dislodged during non-working hours. The idea is that when the contractor advances the trench the next working day, the name and phone number will be obliterated, and it will need to be repainted each day the trench is advanced.
Contact:
Mr. Frank Yates
Engineer
Email: fyates@1wow.org
