Earth Work in civil Engineering Projects

The earthworks are one of the most important sections in the civil engineering
works in general, as in the work of roads, bridges, tunnels and earth dams to
protect against floods and channels and other works.

How to Compute the Volume of Earth Works?

The amount of cut and fill should be calculated on the basis of cubic meters.
Compression, swelling or change in size should be considered when cutting or
filling soil. These changes depending on soil type:

• In Sand or Gravel, the swelling factor (10-15) %.

• In Ordinary Soil about 25%.
• In Clay Soil up to 30%.

Therefore, this percentage should be increased to the required quantity, ie, the
size of the soil extracted from the size of the cut should be increased by the
swelling factor.

Vcut corrected = V cut ( 1+ SW%)

Various sections of a roadway design will require bringing in earth. Other

sections will require earth to be removed. Earth that is brought in is considered
Fill while earth that is removed is considered Cut. Generally, designers
generate drawings called Cut and Fill Diagrams, which illustrate the cut or fill
present at any given site. This drawing is quite standard, being no more than a
graph with site location on the X-axis and fill being the positive range of the Y-
axis while cut is the negative range of the Y-axis.

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Earth Work Computation Method

1. Average Area Method (End Area Method)

A1

Am

A2 V= Am* L

The only things you need to know are

How to find the Area of the cross section?

A = Area of cut/fill

Am = Area of a plane surface midway between the two cross sections

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How to find the volume using the different techniques

1- Average end area Method

2- Prismoidal Method – This is a more accurate formula, which takes out

most of the error accrued by the average end area method.

Calculate the area of the section

Fill Section Cut Section

b2
b S1d b S2d

d 1
1 1
s
S1 S2
d d
sd b sd
z b
b2

1/s = d/z A= [( b+b2)/2]×d

Z=s×d A = [(b+(s1d + b +s2d)/2] ×d
A = [( b + (b+ 2sd)) /2] × d A= [( 2b + d (s1+s2)) /2] × d
A= 2(b + sd) × d/2
A=(b+sd) × d
In this case the side slope of
In this case the side slope of The section is not equal
The section is equal (Different)

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Ex 1: Compute the volume of earth works of an earth dike 200 m length, the height
of one side is 1m and the second is 1.5 m. The longitudinal slope is uniform. The
width of the dike from the top is 10m and the side slope is 1:2

10 m

d=1m

d = 1.2 m
200 m

d = 1.5
A1= (b+sd) ˣ d
A1= (10+2ˣ1.5) ˣ1.5
A1 = 19.5 m2
A2 = (10+2ˣ1) ˣ1
= 12 m2
1-Using average Area Method:
V= [(A1+A2)/2] ˣ L
= [(19.5+12)/2] ˣ 200
= 3150 m3
2-Using Prismoidal Method:
V= (L/6) (A1+4Am+A2)
Am= (A1+A2) /2
Am = (19.5+12) /2
= 15.75 m2
V = (200/6) (19.5 + 4 ˣ 15.75 + 12)
= 3150 m3
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Ex 2: Compute the volume of earth work for part of the road, its width (10m), as
shown below for 200 m distance.

Proposed ground 210 m

level (Road)
N.G.level 207.2
205.6 206 206.8
205 m

Longitudinal
0 50 150 Section
100 200
10m

Road Level

1 d 1

2 2
N.G.L

Cross-Section

Sol.

Am (m2)
Distance Depth of fill Average of fill Volume of earth
10d+2d2
(m) (m) Depth (m) work (m3)

0 210-205=5
} (5+4.4)/2=4.7 91.18 91.18*50=4559
50 210-205.6=4.4
} (4.4+4)/2=4.2 77.28 3864
100 210-206=4.0
} (4.2+3.2)/2=3.6 61.92 3096
150 210-206.8=3.2
} (3.2+2.8)/2=3.0 48 2400
200 210-207.2=2.8
Total ∑13919 m3

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 10m

1 d 1
2 2

2d 10m 2d

A= [(10+ (10+2dˣ2))/2] ˣ d

= [(20+2(2d))/2] ˣ d → (10+2d) ˣ d

A= 10d+2d2

Ex 3: Part of road with (400 m) long .Compute the volume of earth works as shown
below. Side slop 1:3

55.4 55.2 55.1 55.1

55
55 54.7
54.9
54.5

54

1:50

50.5

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

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 Cut

1 1

3 3

10m
Sol.
We should compute the level of the proposed road.

Grade (req.) = grade (known) ± Distance ˣ Slope

Grade = 50.5 + 50 ˣ (1/50)

= 50.5 + 50 ˣ (1/50)

= 51.5

zd b zd

1 d
1
3 z

b
A = [(b+ (b+2zd)) / 2] ˣ d
= [(2b+2ˣ3d) /2] ˣ d
= 2 [(b+3d) /2)] ˣ d
A = bd+3d2

A = 10d +3d2

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 Average of cut Am Volume of earth
Station Depth of cut (m)
Depth (m) (m2) work (m3)
0 3.5
} 3.5 71.75 71.75 ˣ 50 = 3587.5
50 3.5
3.2 62.72 62.72 ˣ 50 = 3136
100 2.9
2.2 36.52 1826
150 1.5
1.1 14.63 731.5
200 0.7
0.55 6.41 320.5
250 0.4
0.5 5.75 287.5
300 0.6
0.4 4.48 224
350 0.2
0.4 4.48 224
400 0.6
Total ∑10337

Vcut (corr.) = 10337ˣ (1+20%)

= 10337 ˣ 1.2
= 12404 m3

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Ex 4: Organize a BQ for the work items that required to construct of a clear water
pipe with a length 400m, as in the topography and section below.

70 71 68 72 75

10 m
Center Line
Of the pipe
71 72 69 73 75
10 m

72 73 70 74 75

100 m 100 m 100 m 100 m

1
2
65 m
D=75 cm
2m

Sol.

We must find the ground level at the center of the pipe by an average of two
levels.

Average
Cut Area of
Ground of cut Volume
Distance Grade depth section
level depth (m3)
(m) (m2)
(m)
0 71 65 6
6.5 97.5 9750
100 72 65 7
5.5 71.5 7150
200 69 65 4
6 84 8400
300 73 65 8
9 180 18000
400 75 65 10
Total ∑43300

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 Dimensions (m)
No. Details Unit No Qu
L W H
- Excavation work M3 1 43300
Supply of installation of
- iron water pipe with 75 cm M 400
diameter

Ex 5: Find the earth works volume for a road of (12m) width, 1:2 side slope and
(500m) length.
The profile of the proposed road is as shown.

10
 12 m

fill cross section

1
2

cut cross section

Sol.

Must find the value of (X1) & (X2) , the transition distance from cut to fill and vice
versa.
52
50.5

X2
50 50
X1 50- X2

49.4 49
50 m

(50.5-50)/X1 = (50-49.4) / (50-X1) (50-49)/X2 = (52-50)/ (50- X2)

0.5/X1 = 0.6/ (50-X1) 1/ X2 = 2/ (50- X2)

0.6X1 = 0.5(50- X1) 2X2 = 50- X2

0.6 X1 = 0.5 ˣ 50 – 0.5 X1 3X2 = 50

0.6 X1+0.5 X1 = 25 X2 = 50/3

1.1 X1 = 25 = 16.66 m

X1 = 25/1.1

= 22.73 m
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 2d 2d
d 12

d
2d 12 2d

Width of down base of fill Width of up base of cut

= 12+4d = 2dˣ2+12
= 12+4d

Width Volume of earth work

Average Width
Depth of (m3)
of of up Area of
Distance of down
fill/cut base section
(m) fill/cut base
Depth of cut (m2) Fill (m3) Cut (m3)
(m) of fill
(m) (m)
(m)
0 1.8
} 1.7 18.8 26.18 1309
50 1.6
1.05 16.2 14.805 240.25
100 0.5
0.25 13.0 3.125 3.125×22.73
71.03
122.73 0
0.3 13.2 3.78 103.0
150 0.6
0.9 15.6 12.42 621.0
200 1.2
1.3 17.2 18.98 949.0
250 1.4
1.45 17.8 21.605 1080.25
300 1.5
1.25 17.0 18.125 906.25
350 1
0.5 14.0 6.5 =16.66×18.125
108.29
366.66 0
1.0 16.0 14.0 466.76
400 2.0
2.2 20.8 36.08 1804
450 2.4
2.5 22.0 42.50 2125
500 2.6
Total ∑3767.79m3 ∑6516m3

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