Abstract

Abandoned  borrow  pits  and  the  associated  risks  are  on  the  increase  following rising  trend  in  road  construction  in  many  developing  countries.  Notable  risk factors include: frequent sliding, loss of life and ecosystem services, groundwater contamination, and loss of arable land. Reclamation of borrow pits should go by earth-moving; moving spoil heap and adjoining land area to fill the pit. This is followed by compaction and in-situ and laboratory testing to achieve the original geotechnical  ground  condition.  Operators,  host  community  and  the  government agency  must  agree  and  enforce  reclamation  of  borrow  pits  soon  after  use. Borrow  pits  should  be  properly  sited,  planned  and  designed  by  professionals, with  provision  of  appropriate  safety  measures.  Reclaiming  a  borrow  pit  should  be  as  important  as  opening  a  borrow  pit,  towards  sustainable  engineering  and environment.

Keywords

Soil excavation, Road construction, Environmental hazards, Soil tests, Geophysics, Safety Sustainability, Borrow pit, Harcourt road, Trial pit, Mine pits