San Ignacio de Loyola University

Alex Sanchez, Ph.D., P.E.

Lecture 18

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 Three Views Presented in Contract Documents to Show
Earthwork Construction Features
1. Plan View

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 Three Views Presented in Contract Documents to Show
Earthwork Construction Features
2. Profile View

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3. Cross Section

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Earthwork Volume Calculations
 Cross Sectional Methods
 Trench Excavations
 Average End Method
 Plan Area Methods
 Four Corner Method

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Trench Excavations
 Volume = Cross Sectional Area x Length of Trench
 EXAMPLE: Find the volume (bank measure) of
excavation required for a trench 0.92m (3 ft) wide, 1.8m
(6 ft) deep, and 152m (500 ft) long. Assume that the
trench sides will be approximately vertical

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Average End Method
L  A1  A 2 
Volume, CF   
VF  2 
A1 , A 2  Area of Two Adjacent Sections
L  Length between A1 & A 2

A2

A1 L

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 Mass Diagrams
 Shows two curves:
 A continuous curve representing
the profile of the existing grade.
 A continuous curve representing
the accumulated volume of
earthwork plotted against the
linear profile of the roadway.
 Tells Us:
 Quantities of Materials to cut and
fill
 Average Haul Distances
 Types of Equipment that should
be considered

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Mass Diagrams - Definitions
 Cut – volume of excavation for a given cut
 Fill – volume of material to be added to an existing
terrain for a given fill
 Waste – volume of material that is required to be
hauled off site
 Borrow – volume of material that is required to be
brought on site.

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 Mass Diagram

Cut
Borrow
Fill

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 Mass Diagram
 The vertical coordinate
represents the cumulative
earthwork volume
 Cut, the curve rises from
left to right.
 Fill, the curve falls from
left to right.

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Mass Diagrams

Cut

Fill

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Mass Diagrams
 A peak on the curve represents a point where the
earthwork changes from cut to fill.
 A valley (low point) on the curve represents a point
where the earthwork changes from fill to cut.
 When a horizontal line intersects the curve at two or
more points, the accumulated volumes at these points
are equal.

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Mass Diagrams

Turning Points

Balanced
Points

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Key Terms
 Borrow- material not obtained from roadway excavation. It can be
obtain by excavating from sources adjacent to the road within the
right-of-way, or from selected borrow pits (quarry) as may be noted on
the plans.
 Waste- material excavated from roadway cuts but not required for
making the embankment.
 Free Haul- the maximum distance through which excavated material
may be transported without the added cost above the unit bid price
 Overhaul- excavated material transported to a distance beyond the free
haul distance
 Economic Limit of Haul- distance through which it is more economical
to haul excavated material than to waste and borrow.

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Mass Haul Diagram
 The mass haul diagram can be used to determine:
 Proper distribution of excavated material
 Amount and location of waste
 Amount and location of borrow
 Amount of overhaul in kilometer-cubic meters
 Direction of haul.

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Relationship of Profile Grade and Haul to
Mass Haul Diagram

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Mass Haul Diagram - Considerations
 The project should be broken down to sections not to exceed 5
km in length. This allows the designer to work with smaller
sections, solving the individual problems of each section
involving drainage, grades, erosion control, and earthwork
distribution.
 Free haul is defined as the maximum distance through which
excavated material may be transported without added cost above
the unit bid price.
 Prior to the use of high-speed pneumatic-tired earth moving
equipment, free haul distances were limited to approx. 1000
meters, but distances of up to 2000 meters are not uncommon
now.

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Mass Haul Diagram - Considerations
 Special conditions on a project may require longer hauls, where
restrictions do not allow excavation or borrow in the immediate
area.
 Some contracts do not provide for separate payment for haul
and/or overhaul.
 Haul and overhaul figures shall be made available to prospective
bidders to assist them in determining their excavation bid price.
 A note on the mass haul diagram, in the plans, or in the
specifications shall state that the contractor may be required to
haul material a specified distance, or within balance points
shown on the plans, without additional compensation.

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The Economical Limit of Haul
 The economical limit of haul is defined as the distance through
which it is more economical to haul excavated material than to waste
and borrow. The following formula is presented as a guide to assist
the designer in determining the economic limit of haul:

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Balancing Earthwork Using the Mass Haul
Diagram
 Next figures show three situations where the
balance line can be at the top, bottom or at
the center of the mass curve.

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 Balancing Earthwork Using the Mass Haul
Diagram – CASE 1

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 Balancing Earthwork Using the Mass Haul
Diagram – CASE 2

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 Balancing Earthwork Using the Mass Haul
Diagram – CASE 3

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Balancing Earthwork Using the Mass Haul
Diagram - Observations
 Case 3 where the balance line is located at the center of the
mass curve is not necessarily the ideal situation in all cases.
 The profile grade should be studied along with the mass
haul diagram to determine where it will be more
economical to haul towards back stations (Case 1), towards
forward stations (Case 2), or to haul equally towards back
and forward stations (Case 3).

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Balancing Earthwork Using Borrow and
Waste Determined from the MHD

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 Mass Diagrams

 The average length

of haul for a
balanced section.
 The location and
amount of borrow
and waste for the Borrow
project.

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