Construction: clearing and grubbing

Clearing and grubbing is the stripping of vegetation and topsoil prior to excavation and rough grading within designated areas.

Scarifying native soils helps to increase infiltration rates. (Photo source: CVC, 2022)

Construction steps

1. Clear trees, large shrubs, stumps, etc. (grubbing).
2. Use appropriately sized machinery (e.g. a mini-excavator) to strip sod and ground-level vegetation (clearing).
3. Stockpile materials within designated areas if necessary. If the materials are being hauled offsite, stripped materials ideally would go straight into the back of a dump truck.
4. Secure stockpiles with appropriate erosion and sediment control (ESC) measures if the material must be stored before hauling offsite or will be reused.

Key inspection points

• Structural ESC measures are in place before clearing and grubbing begin.
• Natural heritage features, including trees, and construction limits are clearly marked and respected by the contractor.
• Contractor cleared and grubbed only within designated areas and according to the phasing plan.

Mistakes to avoid

• clearing more area than is needed
• insufficient marking of areas to be protected
• stockpiling materials without ESC controls or for extended periods of time
• leaving heavy equipment in the facility’s footprint
• making excessive passes with heavy equipment in the LID practice’s footprint without scouring soil afterward

Credit Valley Conservation

Soil, sand and minerals washed from land into water, usually after rain. They pile up in reservoirs, rivers and harbors, destroying fish-nesting areas and holes of water animals and cloud the water so that needed sunlight might not reach aquatic plans. Careless farming, mining and building activities will expose sediment materials, allowing them to be washed off the land after rainfalls.

Low Impact Development. A stormwater management strategy that seeks to mitigate the impacts of increased urban runoff and stormwater pollution by managing it as close to its source as possible. It comprises a set of site design approaches and small scale stormwater management practices that promote the use of natural systems for infiltration and evapotranspiration, and rainwater harvesting.