HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

EARTHWORKS, CROSS-SECTIONS
AND MASS HAUL DIAGRAMS

OBJECTIVES
ROUTE SELECTION Estimation of cut and fill locations and
quantities in order to approximately balance these values as a
basis for selecting alternative routes and making preliminary
costs.
a pit created to provide
earth that can be used as
fill at another site

CONSTRUCTION preparation of detailed earthwork

quantities to establish economical haul distances, acquire
borrow pit and disposal areas and to conduct cost and tender
estimates.

PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Earthworks and Preliminary Route Selection
Earthwork Analysis
Cross-sections types
Estimating volumes
Shrinkage
Location of cross-sections

Earthworks tabulations
Mass-Haul Diagrams

Earthworks and Preliminary Route Selection

Base mapping
Horizontal alignments
Vertical alignment (profile or longitudinal section)
Controls and constraints
Evaluation

Earthworks and Preliminary Route Selection

Plan View

Profile View

Earthwork Analysis
Take cross sections (typically 50 - 200 m)
Plot natural ground level
Plot proposed grade profile
Indicate areas of cut and fill
Calculate volume between cross sections

Cross-Sections Types

Cross-Section Area

Cross-Section Area Example

= 53.68 + 45.88 + 131.57 + 19.47 16.00 45.70 = 188.90

Cross-Section Area

Estimating Volumes
Average End Area Method
The area between the existing ground and proposed ground is
calculated at each cross section.
The area between two consecutive cross sections is averaged.
This area is multiplied by the distance between two cross
sections.

Estimating Volumes

Where:
V = volume (m3)
A1, A2 and A3 = area of end sections (m 2)
L = length between end sections (m)

Shrinkage
Material volume increases during excavation (presence of air
voids)
Volume decreases during compaction
This difference is defined as 'shrinkage'
Varies with
o soil type
o fill height
o cut depth

Location of Cross Sections

Sufficient to adequately estimate the earthworks

Hilly, undulating terrain requires more than flat terrain
Usually minimum of 20 m in rolling terrain (interval)
Possibly 100 to 200 m in flat terrain (interval)
Most highway departments have standardized intervals
More frequent spacing may be required at specific locations
e.g: at end and near bridges, culverts, etc.

Mass Haul Computation

Usually in a tabular format with the following columns :
Station or distance
Area of cross section
Excavation (cut)
Embankment (fill)
Average cross section area
Excavation
Embankment
Volume
Excavation
Embankment
Excess (+ for embankment, - for excavation)
Mass Haul Ordinate

Sample of cross section cut area

* cross-sections interval shall be within 15 m to 30 m, especially in the

mountainous and hilly terrain areas.

Sample of calculation
Shrinkage : 10%

Stn/
Dist.

A REA
(sq. m)
EXC

EMB

10

150

40

300

156

450

140

600

14

750

45

900

72

Stn/
Dist.

A REA
(sq. m)
EXC

EMB

1050

107

1200

14

1350

34

1500

43

1650

40

1794

11

Shrinkage

Average Area
(sq. m)

EMB+10%

EXC

Shrinkage

Average Area
(sq. m)

EMB+10%

EXC

EMB

EMB

Volume
(cu. m)
EXC

Mass
Curve
Ordinate

EXCESS
(EXC/EMB)

Mass
Curve
Ordinate

EMB

Volume
(cu. m)
EXC

EXCESS
(EXC/EMB)

EMB

10

Mass-Haul Ordinate

11