scope:

This Standard covers all Earthworks within the Network Rail boundary, and where it is appropriate to do so, slopes outside the boundary that may affect Network Rail infrastructure.

This Standard applies to the following:

1. Network Rail owned or managed¹ Earthworks equal to or greater than 3 metres high - this includes Earthworks lying above a Retaining Wall where the Earthwork component is greater than or equal to 3 metres.

2. Network Rail owned or managed1 Earthworks (irrespective of their height) whose failure could pose an unacceptable risk to the safe operation or performance of railway infrastructure, for example, those Earthworks which have a history of instability, or are at risk of flooding or water action.

3. Outside Party Slopes (irrespective of their height) whose failure could pose an unacceptable risk to the safe operation or performance of railway infrastructure (section 4.1 only applies). If application of this Standard is not appropriate to such slopes then a suitable bespoke system should be adopted to manage the risk.

4. Earthworks (irrespective of their height) that lie above the portal of a railway tunnel.

5. Approach Embankments to an overline Bridge that are equal to or greater than 3 metres high, except those owned by a Highway Authority, Roads Authority or other competent authority.

6. Nailed or reinforced soil structures whose face angle is less than or equal to 70 degrees to the horizontal.

7. Any Embankment that also acts as a Coastal, Estuarine or River Defence, irrespective of its height.

The requirements of this Standard need not be applied to Earthworks that do not meet any of the above criteria.

This Standard does not apply to:

1. Examinations specifically undertaken to assess ground movements resulting from, for example, mineral extraction, landfill operations, or a subterranean fire.

2. The examination of vegetation - other than the factors affecting slope stability: the requirements for inspecting vegetation are defined in NR/L2/TRK/5201: Management of lineside vegetation.

3. The examination of Earthworks drainage - other than the factors affecting slope stability: the requirements for inspecting drainage are defined in NR/L3/CIV/005: Railway Drainage Systems Manual.

4. The examination of nailed or reinforced soil structures steeper than 70 degrees, Retaining Walls and gabion walls - other than the factors that may indicate instability of the slope (see 8.2 and 9.2). The examination of such structures is defined in NR/L3/CIV/006: Handbook for the Examination of Structures

5. The examination of Coastal, Estuarine or River Defence works that are not also Embankments. The examination of such works is defined in NR/L3/CIV/006: Handbook for the Examination of Structures.

This Standard does not cover:

1. Health and safety requirements applicable to operational safety and emergency evacuation procedures.

2. The commercial and all the organisational responsibilities for delivering the requirements of the Standard.

3. A list of parameters to be collected in an examination is given in NR/L3/CIV/065/F020, F021, F022, F023 and F024.

4. The Evaluation of an Earthwork: this is covered by NR/L2/CIV/086: Management of Earthworks and NR/GN/CIV/203: Evaluation and Assessment of Earthworks.

Purpose

The purpose of this Standard is to define the requirements for:

1. Undertaking, recording and reporting the findings of Examinations on Earthworks,

2. Identifying those actions from the findings of an Examination that need to be implemented so that there is no unacceptable risk to the safe operation or performance of railway infrastructure.

This Standard defines requirements that expand upon, or are supplementary to, those given in NR/L1/CIV/032: The Management of Structures.

¹ Totally or Shared