MODULE 14: EARTHWORK & mass diagram

EARTHWORK
❑ Cross Sections
❑ Quantities- Excavation and Embankment using
▪ Average End Area Method
▪ Prismoidal Formula
▪ Average End Area Method with
Prismoidal correction
❑ Total Quantities- Topsoil
❑ Shrinkage

Cross Sections
❑ Two Types
1. Existing
2. Proposed
❑ Cross sections tell us the amount of cut and fill at each
station. Existing

Proposed

Quantities
Prismoidal Formula
❑ Excavation- the amount of material that needs to be
❑ Prismoidal formula usually yields smaller volume than
removed from the grade.
does the Average-End Area Method.
❑ Embankment- the amount of material that needs to
❑ The area of the middle section Am is determined by
be added to the grade.
taking cross sections there or by averaging the
❑ Excavation and embankment are calculated with
dimensions of the end cross sections and using these
cross sections using the average end area method.
values to calculate the area. (It is not determined by
averaging the end area).
Average End Area Method
❑ Although the prismoidal formula does provide better
❑ The area between the existing ground and proposed
estimates of the volume of the prismoids, the
ground is calculated at each cross-section.
average-end-area method is more commonly used
❑ The area between two consecutive cross-sections is
because the difference between the two methods is
averaged.
quite small except where abrupt changes in cross-
❑ This area is multiplied by the distance between two
section occurs.
cross-sections.
𝑨𝟏 + 𝑨𝟐 𝑨𝟏 + 𝟒𝑨𝒎 + 𝑨𝟐
𝑽𝑬 = ൬ ൰𝑳 𝑽𝒑 = ൬ ൰𝑳
𝟐 𝟔
𝑤 𝑐 Prismoidal Correction Formula
𝐴= ሺℎ𝐿 + ℎ𝑅 ሻ + ሺ𝑑𝐿 + 𝑑𝑅 ሻ
4 2 ❑ If it is desired to determine the prismoidal volume, it is
Where: easier to use average-end-area method and correct
w – width of the road the results obtained with prismoidal correction
h – height left formula. 𝑳
L
h – height right 𝑪𝒗 = ሺ𝑪𝟏 − 𝑪𝟐 ሻሺ𝒘𝟏 − 𝒘𝟐 ሻ
R 𝟏𝟐
c – height of center line
d – distance from centerline to the left NOTE:
L
𝑽𝑷 = 𝑽𝑬 − 𝑪𝒗 𝑾𝟏 = 𝒅𝒍𝟏 + 𝒅𝒓𝟏
d – distance from centerline to the right 𝑾𝟐 = 𝒅𝒍𝟐 + 𝒅𝒓𝟐
R
Total Quantities
❑ Topsoil- topsoil quantities are not calculated into the Basic Definitions
excavation or embankment. This is a separate value ❑ Mass Diagram- A graphical representation of the
that has to be dealt with separately. cumulative amount of earthwork moved along the
❑ Imported topsoil is needed if the stripping volume centerline and distances over which the earth and
acquired does not fulfill the quantity of topsoil that is materials are to be transported.
proposed.

Shrinkage
❑ Shrinkage is the % additional volume added to the
embankment quantity.
➢ Shrinkage factor may vary from 5% to 20%
depending on the character of the material
involved
𝐹𝑖𝑙𝑙
𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐹𝑖𝑙𝑙 =
ሺ1 − 𝑠ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟ሻ

Three States of Material Characteristics of Mass Curve:

1. Bank 1. Rising sections of the mass curve indicates areas
2. Loose where excavating exceeds fill, whereas falling sections
3. Compacted indicate where fill exceeds excavation.
2. Steep slopes reflect heavy cuts & fills, while flat slopes
indicate areas fro small amount of earthwork.
3. The difference in ordinates between any two points
indicate net excess of excavation over embankment
or vise versa.
4. Any horizontal line dawn to intersect two points
within the same curve indicates a balance of
excavation (cut) and embankment (fill) quantities
between the two points.
5. Points of zero slope represent points where roadway
goes from cut to fill or from fill to cut.
6. The highest or the lowest points of the mass haul
diagram represents the crossing points between the
grade line (roadway level) and natural ground level.
Shrinkage
❑ it will state that “XX% additional volume has been ❑ Vertical Axis- Cubic Yards (excavation and
added to the embankment quantity to account for embankment).
shrinkage”. ❑ Horizontal Axis- Stationing
❑ In other words, compacted cubic yards have been
converted into bank cubic yards so you can compare Mass Ordinates
“apples to apples ❑ Mass ordinates are the cumulative total of the
excavation and embankment on the project.
Mass Diagram
❑ Basic Definitions
❑ Mass Ordinates
❑ Plot of Mass Ordinate
Graph ❑ Mass Diagrams are used to calculate the average or
❑ Uphill line indicates cut free haul between two given balance points and also
❑ Downhill line indicates fill the average or free haul for the entire project area.
❑ Flat line indicates cut and fill are equal ❑ They also tell the contractor which way the dirt is to
❑ Balance point is where the diagram intersects the be moved and the quantity of dirt to be moved.
baseline and indicates where the cut and fill have
balanced out. Calculation of Average or Free Haul
❑ The two values you need for the calculation of average
What do they tell us? or free haul are an area and a volume.
❑ Mass diagrams determine the average haul, free haul, ❑ These two values can be obtained from the mass
and overhaul on a given segment of roadway. diagram.
❑ Mass diagrams tell the contractors and inspectors the ❑ The area you use is the area under the curve and the
quantity of material moved and how far it can be volume you use is the sum of the peaks and valleys on
economically moved. the diagram.

HOW A MASS DIAGRAM IS USED?

Topics
❑ Basic Definitions- Haul, Average Haul, Overhaul
❑ How to Calculate Average haul
❑ Borrow

 Economical Haul Distance

Machine Type Economical Haul
Distance

Large Dozer (pushing material) Up to 300 feet

Push-Loaded Scrapers 300 – 500 feet

Trucks > 500 feet

BORROW PIT
❑ During construction of roads, airports, dams, and
other projects involving earthwork, it is often
necessary to or borrow earth from a designated area
near the project in order to construct embankments.
❑ In construction and civil engineering, a borrow pit,
also known as a sand box, is an area where material
(usually soil, gravel or sand) has been dug for use at
another location
Definitions
❑ Haul- the transportation of excavated material from
its original position to is final location in the work or
other disposal area. This is also know as authorized
haul.
❑ Average haul- determined from mass diagram.
Average haul is the area of the mass diagram
representing the number of cubic yard stations of haul
between balance points divided by the ordinate of the
mass which the yardage is hauled.
❑ Overhaul - the authorized hauling of excavation
beyond the specified free-haul distance.
❑ Free haul -Average haul for project that is free