scope:

This Standard sets out earth fill practices which experience has shown to produce fiIIs of satisfactory stability for:

(a) Residential construction involving one-storey and two-storey timber framed buildings, or masonry buildings, or buildings of both timber and masonry not requiring specific design in terms of NZS 1900* provided that:

(i) Continuous brittle walls such as masonry veneer and stucco, especially those which may be subject to differential settlement, may require specific design of foundations;

(ii) The foundation sections of the relevant non-design Codes are observed and complied with;

(iii) That the floor loads used do not exceed 1.5 kPa, which corresponds to the floor live load specified for domestic buildings (excluding balconies) by NZS 4203;

(iv) Any "special limitations" noted on the certificate contained in Appendix A are complied with.

(b) Residential services and streetworks.

This Standard is approved as a means of compliance with the relevant requirements of NZS 1900.

The following aspects are not covered by this Standard:

(a) Cuts;

(b) Methods of evaluation of the suitability of existing natural ground for founding houses and services;

(c) Methods of evaluation of the suitability of filled ground for founding houses and services where the methods and standards of filling have not been controlled in terms of this Standard;

(d) Requirements for retaining wall construction and backfiIIing;

(e) Contractual aspects of earth fills.