EARTHWORKS

Chapter 4
ROAD CONSTRUCTION Excavation
Earthwork Calculations Excavation increases the volume of material.
By:
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohamad Yusri Aman It is therefore necessary to use a bulking factor to determine the volume of
material that will be created by excavation.

Bulking factor is defined as:

Bulking Factor = Volume after Excavation / Volume before Excavation

Similarly a shrinkage factor is defined for the compaction of a soil at it's final
destination:

Shrinkage Factor = Volume after Compaction / Volume before Excavation

Soil Properties MASS HAUL DIAGRAM

In order to minimize material waste or borrow, it is necessary to produce what
is called a Mass Haul diagram.

This is essentially a plot of cumulative volume of soil against distance along

the road, often called the chainage.

Cut volumes are taken to be positive and fill volumes to be negative.

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MASS HAUL DIAGRAM MASS HAUL DIAGRAM

Calculation of Cross Sectional Area

A rising curve indicates an
increasing volume (cut). The first stage in the production of the Mass Haul Diagram is the calculation of the
Cross sectional areas of cut or fill at different points along the road.
A maximum point on the curve
represents the end of a cut. For a cut or fill on horizontal ground
Assuming a cut such as the one above, the cross sectional area is given by:
A falling curve represents a
decreasing volume (fill). 1 
Area = hb  2 h(nh) 
2 
A minimum point represents the
end of a fill.
= hb + nh2

Areas at the end of the diagram

= h(b + nh)
represent a waste or a deficit.

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 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
Example 1
The table below shows ground levels and formation levels for a proposed road construction.
For a cut or fill on sloping ground
Embankments are to be built with side slopes of 1:2.5 and cuttings with slopes of 1:3. The
embankment crest width and cutting base width is 13 m. It may be assumed that the ground
Assuming a cut such as the one above, the cross sectional area is found firstly by is horizontal across the section.
calculating WL and WG:
b 
WL = S   nh 
2 
S n
b 
S   nh 
2 
WG =
S n

1 b  b2
h  (WL  WG ) 
Thus Area = 2  2n  4n

(a) Construct a Mass Haul diagram for the project given the following:
Bulking Factor = 0.8
Shrinkage Factor = 1.0

A2

D
A1

Volume = D*(A1 + A2)/2

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(b) A river breaks up the project at chainage 1160m. Calculate the volumes of waste
material and borrow for this scenarios:
(i) Material cannot be moved across the river
M ASS HAUL DIAGRAM
M ASS HAUL DIAGRAM
50000
40000 150 280 500 740 1160 1280
Cumulative volume (cubic meter)

30000 50000
20000 40000
Cumulative volume (cubic meter)

10000 30000
0 20000
0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

1500

-10000 10000
-20000 0
0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

1500

-30000 -10000
-40000 -20000
-50000 -30000
-60000 -40000
-70000 -50000
-80000
-60000
-90000
-70000
Chainange (m) -80000
Fill Cut Cut Fill Fill Fill Cut
-90000
Chainange (m)

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 River (b) (ii) A Bailey bridge is constructed allowing material to be transported across the river

M ASS HAUL DIAGRAM

Distance (m) 150 130 220 240 420 120 220

Cut (m3) 15,000 36,000 49,000

50000 150 280 500 740 1280
40000
Fill (m3) 15,000 36,000 68,000 11,000

Cumulative volume (cubic meter)

30000
Haul (m3) 15,000 36,000 11,000
20000
10000
Borrow (m3) 68,000
0
Waste (m3) 38,000

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

1500
-10000
-20000
-30000
Borrow = 68,000 m3 -40000
Waste = 38,000 m3 -50000
-60000
-70000
-80000
-90000
Fill Cut Cut Fill Fill Fill Cut
Chainange (m)

Example 2
885.00 m

Existing
Ground
Distance (m) 150 130 220 240 540 220 Level
Cut (m3) 15,000 36,000 49,000 Proposed
Formation
Fill (m3) 15,000 36,000 79,000 Level
Haul (m3) 15,000 36,000 49,000

Borrow (m3) 30,000

Waste (m3)
Distance (m) 103 62 67 50 75 77 120 86 71 63 45 66
Volume (m3) 7,012 3,314 3,615 3,216 4,435 4,578 9,315 5,622 4,336 3,282 2,077 3,670
Cut (m3)
Borrow = 30,000 m3
Fill (m3)
Waste = 0 m3 Haul (m3)

Borrow (m3)
Waste (m3)

The diagram above shows the proposed formation level and existing ground level for the construction of a
road.
1. Determine the volume of borrow or waste.
2. Verify your answer using a mass haul diagram.

(1) (2)

Distance (m) 103 62 67 50 75 77 120 86 71 63 45 66

Volume (m3) 7,012 3,314 3,615 3,216 4,435 4,578 9,315 5,622 4,336 3,282 2,077 3,670
Cut (m3) 10,326 9,013 7,618
Fill (m3) 6,831 14,938 5,747 Distance Volume Cumulative
Haul (m3) 6,831 9,013 2,429 (m) (m3) Volume (m3)
3,495 5,189 0 0 0
Borrow (m3) 558 103 7012 7012
Waste (m3)
165 3314 10326
232 -3615 6711
282 -3216 3495
Borrow = 558 m3 357 4435 7930
434 4578 12508
554 -9315 3193
640 -5622 -2429
711 4336 1907
774 3282 5189
819 -2077 3112
885 -3670 -558

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 In-situ and On Site testing
METHODS OF MEASURING FIELD DENSITY
Soil Density Calculation
(1) SAND CONE / SAND REPLACEMENT
The volume of the test hole is obtained from
the loose sand required to fill the hole. The
sand used is uniform, medium sand that has
a constant loose density.
The difference between the mass of the
apparatus before and after the test is equal to
the mass of sand used to fill the test hole and
cone.
As the amount to fill the cone is constant,
therefore the mass in the test hole and the
volume of the test hole can be calculated.
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SUBGRADE PREPARATION: Volumetric Calculations

In-situ density test (sand replacement method)
METHODS OF MEASURING FIELD DENSITY
 This method covers the
determination in-situ of the density (2) BALLOON APPARATUS
of natural or compacted fine and
medium grained soils for which The volume of the sample hole is determined by
forcing a liquid-filled balloon into the test hole.
115mm diameter sand pouring
cylinder is used in conjunction with The rubber membrane allows the fluid to fill all the
replacement sand. cavities in the test hole.
The volume of fluid required to do this is read on a
 The small pouring cylinder method scale on the apparatus.
is applicable to layers not
exceeding 150mm in thickness.

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1. Determine the field dry density.

Example of sand replacement method calculation
An urban expressway is being constructed in a congested area
in Batu Pahat town. A subgrade was compacted using a wheel
vibratory compactor to achieve the JKR (2008) standard
specification requirement. The mass weight of a sand cone holds
is 851.0 gm and the loose density of the sand is 1.430 gm/cm3.
The field test results shown in Table below.
Mass of sand used = Initial weight of the sand - cone apparatus-Initial
weight of the sand-cone apparatus
Mass of sand used = 4527.8 - 3223.9 = 1303.9 gm
Mass in rest hole = Mass of sand used - mass weight of a sand cone
Mass in rest hole = 1303.9 - 851.0 = 452.9 gm

Table of Field test results 547.9

Volume of test ratio =  1.730 g / cm 3
Parameters Weight (gm) 316.7
Total weight of the soil 639.5 Field dry density = 452 . 9
Dry weight of the soil 547.9  316 . 7 cm 3
1 . 430
Initial weight of the sand-cone apparatus 4527.8
Final weight of the sand-cone apparatus 3223.9 2. Determine the field water content percentage.

1. Determine the field dry density. 639 . 5  547 . 9

Field water content (%) =  16 . 7 %
2. Determine the field water content percentage. 547 . 9
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 SUBGRADE PREPARATION: Volumetric Calculations SUBGRADE PREPARATION: Volumetric Calculations

Results from Laboratory Compaction Test:

Calculation of Soil and Water required for Embankment construction
Max. dry density = 1.75 Mg/m3
Optimum moisture content = 10%

Borrow material:
Bulk density = 1.65 Mg/m3

Embankment Water content = 7%

Borrow pit
Data Given:
Bulking factor = 1.25
Length of proposed road = 10 km
Height of road embankment = 2.0 m
Specification: Soil is to be compacted to 97% of the maximum dry
Cross-sectional area of embankment = 20 m2 density determined in BS 1377 compaction test.
Distance of borrow pit from embankment= 5 km
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SUBGRADE PREPARATION: Volumetric Calculations SUBGRADE PREPARATION: Volumetric Calculations

(a)
Determine,
Dry density of borrow material dry = bulk / (1 + w) = 1.65 / (1 + 0.07) = 1.54 Mg/m3
(a)Volume of borrow material required for 1 cubic meter of
compacted road embankment
(b)Volume of additional water required for the entire volume of Compaction requirement: 97% of max. dry density:
embankment. 0.97 x 1.75 Mg/m3 = 1.70 Mg/m3

(c)The number of truckloads of soil required if hauling capacity per

truck is 10 m3. 1 m3 compacted embankment requires 1.70/1.54 = 1.10 m3 of borrow material.
(d)Cost of construction of embankment given the following costs:
Purchase and borrow pit material at site, haul 2 km round (b)
trip, and spread with bulldozer = RM 50/m3 Total volume of embankment = AL = 20 x 10,000 = 200,000 m3
Extra haul for each km round trip = RM 5/m3 Additional water required = (OMC – WC) x dry x V
Compaction = RM 5/m3 = (0.10 – 0.07) x 1.70 x 200,000
= 10,200 Mg
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SUBGRADE PREPARATION: Volumetric Calculations SUBGRADE PREPARATION: Volumetric Calculations

Assuming unit weight of water is 1 Mg/m3, (d)

Total volume of water required = 10,200 m3 Compaction cost = RM 5/m3 x 275,000 m3 = RM 1,375,000

(c) Purchase and borrow pit material at site, haul 2 km round trip and spread
Soil inside truck is in loose condition, i.e. volume is the volume after excavation = RM 50/m3 x 275,000 m3
which is subjected to swelling (bulking).
= RM 13,750,000
Soil before excavation = 1.10 x 200,000 = 220,000 m3
Soil after excavation = 1.25 x 220,000 = 275,000 m3
Extra haul cost = RM 5/m3/km x 275,000 m3 x 3 km = RM 4,125,000

Truckloads of soil required = 275,000 m3 / 10 m3

Total cost = RM 1.375 mil + RM 13.75 mil + RM 4.125 mil
= 27,500 truckloads
= RM 19.25 million

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QUESTIONS??

Thank you …

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