Site diary for groundworks: what to record

Groundworks is where a project is most exposed to delay, dispute and the unknown. Ground conditions change, services turn up where no drawing said they would, and rain stops the job for days at a time. A clear daily site diary for the groundworks phase is the record that protects the programme and the payment. This guide sets out exactly what a groundworks diary should capture, a worked example of a real day, and how to log it from your phone without losing an hour to paperwork.

What a site diary for groundworks needs to capture

A generic diary template misses the things that actually cause arguments on a groundworks job. The excavation, the ground, the water and the buried services are the whole story. Record these every day:

• Excavation and depths. Where you dug, to what formation or reduced level, and against which drawing. Note if the ground differed from the ground investigation report
• Ground conditions. Made ground, running sand, rock, obstructions, contamination, soft spots. This is the single biggest source of variations, so be specific
• Dewatering. Pumps running, water levels, flooded excavations, any standing water that stopped work
• Muck-away and imported fill. Loads removed with ticket numbers, imported stone or fill delivered, and any material tested
• Services. Any existing services located, marked, diverted or struck. A live cable strike must be logged in full
• Plant on site. Excavators, dumpers, rollers, breakers and attachments, plus any plant standing idle and why
• Gangs and operatives. Who was on site, trades, subcontractors and numbers
• Inspections. Trial holes, formation level sign-off, building control foundation inspections, and the outcome
• Weather and stoppages. Rain, frost, high wind, and the exact time work stood down with the reason
• Instructions and variations. Anything the client, engineer or building control asked for that changes the dig

A worked groundworks diary example

Here is what a solid entry looks like for a single day on a reduced-level dig and foundation job. It is illustrative only, but it shows the level of detail that stands up later.

Tuesday. Weather: heavy rain from 06:30, easing by 13:00. Ground temperature 9C. On site: 1 groundworks gang (4 operatives), 1 banksman. Plant: 13t excavator, two 6t dumpers, one running pump. Work: continued reduced-level dig to plot 3, formation reached at approx 1.2m below existing ground level against drawing GA-102. Made ground and buried brick encountered across the eastern half, softer than the ground investigation indicated. Dewatering pump ran all morning, north corner of dig held standing water. Muck-away: 6 loads removed (tickets 4471 to 4476). Services: no new services located today, existing gas main to west boundary remained marked and protected. Stoppage: work in the north corner stood down 09:15 to 11:00, excavation flooded. Photos: formation level east and west, water in north corner, made ground exposed face. Instruction: engineer verbally asked for two trial holes to the eastern half to check bearing, logged as possible variation.

Compare that to "carried on digging plot 3, rained". One is evidence. The other is nothing.

Why it matters on a groundworks job

Groundworks disputes almost always come down to two questions: what was actually in the ground, and how much time did the weather and conditions cost. Both are answered by the diary, or by nothing at all.

If the ground turned out worse than the ground investigation report suggested, a dated entry with photos of the exposed face is what supports a fair variation. If a fortnight of rain flooded the dig, day-by-day weather entries and stand-down times are what support an extension of time. And a formation level photographed before the concrete pour is the only proof the foundation was correct once it is buried. The groundworks phase covers up most of its own evidence, so the record has to be made on the day or it is gone.

Paper vs phone on a groundworks site

A paper diary in a groundworks site office has a hard life. It gets wet, muddy and left in the van, and the photos sit on a phone with no link to the entry. Six months later, matching the right foundation photo to the right day is guesswork.

Logging from a phone solves the practical problems. The entry is timestamped as you make it, the photo attaches to that day with its own time and location, and the record cannot be quietly rewritten afterwards. Groundworks also throws up the signal problem more than any other phase. Deep cuts, basements and rural plots often have no data connection, so the tool has to work offline and sync later. A diary that needs a signal to save is no use standing in a hole.

Frequently asked questions

What should a groundworks site diary record each day?

Record the date and weather, the gangs and plant on site, what was excavated and to what depth, any dewatering, muck-away loads removed and imported fill delivered, services located or struck, inspections such as trial holes or foundation sign-off, and any stoppages with the reason. Attach photos of open excavations before they are backfilled.

Why do weather stops matter in a groundworks diary?

Groundworks is heavily affected by rain and frost. Flooded excavations, unworkable ground and delayed concrete pours are common. If you record the weather, the time you stood down and what work was lost, you have a contemporaneous record to support any delay or extension of time claim.

Should I photograph excavations before backfilling?

Yes. Anything about to be covered up, such as foundation bearing, formation level, reinforcement, drainage runs and located services, should be photographed with a date and time before it disappears. Once it is backfilled you cannot prove what was there without the record.

How does FORGE Command help on a groundworks site?

FORGE Command lets the site lead log the day from a phone in a couple of minutes, attach photos to each entry, and have every record stamped with GPS, weather and time automatically. It works offline for basements and cut areas with no signal, then syncs, and exports a branded PDF for the file. It is a one payment of £39.99 with no subscription.

Related: what a defensible site diary records, site diary for roofing, site diary for a house extension.