Planning and construction for earthworks projects

In order to establish, where practicable, a balance in cut and fill volume various vertical and horizontal alignments may be considered primarily based on topography along the route alignment and the likely nature of materials to be won from excavation to be utilised as engineering fill in embankment construction.

In current practice, once a vertical and horizontal alignment has been established it would be modelled in a computer program of which MXROAD and Auto Desk Civil 3d are the most commonly used in the UK.

The determination of the earthworks quantities for each individual earthwork will usually be established at 20 metre chainage intervals along the route corridor taking into account both the vertical alignment and the likely earthworks side slopes.