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 Quantity Surveying & Estimation
CE-341

Lecture # 26,27: Road Works (Earthwork in

filling)
 ROAD ESTIMATING EARTHWORK
Cross-section of earthwork of road in banking or in cutting is usually in
the form of trapezium, and the quantity of earthwork may be
calculated by the following methods Quantity or volume = Sectional
area x Length.

Fig. 7.1 Fig. 7.2

Banking Cutting
• Sectional area = Area of central rectangular portion + Area of two-side
triangular portions.
Bd+2(1/2 x sdxd) = Bd+sd2

S : 1 is the ratio of side slopes as horizontal : vertical. For 1 vertical, horizontal is s, for d
vertical, horizontal is sd.

Quantity= (Bd + sd2)xL

• When the ground is in a longitudinal slope, the height of bank or the depth of
cutting will be different at the two ends of the section, and mean height or
depth may be taken for "d" and sectional area at mid-section is taken out for
mean height. Alternatively, sectional area at the two ends may be calculated
and the mean of two sectional area is taken out. Sectional area at the mid-
section or the mean sectional area, multiplied by the length gives the quantity.
Mean Height = (d1+d2)/2
Different kinds of soil as sandy, clayey, rocky, etc., estimated separately as the
rates vary
 Lead and Lift
• Normally earthwork is estimated for 30 m lead for distance and 1.5 m
lift for height or depth, and this distance of 30 m and the height of I .5
m are known as normal lead and lift. Normal rate for earthwork is for
30 m lead and I .5 m lift. For greater lead or lift the rates will be
different (higher) for every unit of 30 m lead and for every unit of 1.5
m lift. The earthwork therefore, estimated separately for every 30 m
lead and for every 1.5 m lift
 Earth Work
For the calculation of earthwork in a road longitudinal section and cross-section of the
ground are taken and the formation line is fixed. The formation line is fixed in
consideration of flood level, gradient, height of bank, depth of cutting, etc. In plain
countries road is usually in banking, but if the road is in cutting for some length and in
banking for some other length, the excavated earth from the cutting portion should be
utilized for the banking portion within economical limits, during the execution of the
work. But for estimating of earthwork this point of utilising excavated earth from cutting
in certain length in banking of the adjacent length may not be taken into account to
avoid complicacy. In hilly countries road is usually both in banking and in cutting and the
excavated earth from cutting is utilized for banking within economical limits
• From the L-section and formation line, the height of bank and depth
of cutting are calculated the difference of R. L. of ground and R.L of
formation gives the height of bank or depth of cutting. For plain
country the ground is considered as level across, that is there is no
cross-slope. The earthwork is calculated by parts of the length In
between two consecutive stations of L-section and continued until the
whole length is covered.
• The quantity of earthwork may be calculated by the various methods
of mensuration out of which three methods are given below
Method I.
Mid-Sectional Area Method:
Quantity=Area of mid-section x length. Let d1 and d2 be the height of
bank at two ends portion of embankment, L the length of the section, B
the formation width and S : 1 (horizontal : vertical) the side slope then,
Area of mid section = Area of rectangular portion + area of two
triangular portion
Bdm + ½ sdm2+ ½ sdm2= Bdm + sdm2
Quantity of earthwork = (Bdm + sdm2) x L
Or in general Q= (Bd+ Sd2) x L : where d is the mean depth or height
Area of side sloping surface
The area of sides which may require turfing or pitching, may be found
by multiplying the mean sloping breadth by the length.
• The mean sloping breadth = = where d stands for mean d.
• Area of both side slopes = 2 L x
Method Il

Mean Sectional Area Method :

Quantity = Mean Sectional area x length. Sectional area at one end A1 =
Bd1+sd12 ' sectional area at the other end A2=Bd2+sd22. d1 and d2 are the
heights or depth at the two ends.
The mean sectional area = (A1+A2)/2
Quantity= L x (A1+A2)/2
 Method III
Prismoidal Formula Method:
Quantity or volume = L/6 (A1+A2+ 4Am)
• Where A1 and A2 are the cross-sectional areas at the two ends of a
portion of embankment of a road of length L, and Am is the mid-
sectional area.
• Let d1 and d2 be the heights of banks at the two ends, and dm be the
mean height at the mid-section, B be the formation width and S:1 be
the side slope.
Cross-sectional area at one end A1 = Bd1+sd12

Cross-sectional area at other end A2=Bd2+sd22

Cross-section at middle Am = (Bdm + sdm2)

Quantity or volume = L/6 (A1+A2+ 4Am)

Example 1.—Calculate the quantity of earthwork for 200 metre length
for a portion of a road in an uniform of banks at the two ends being
1.00 m and I .60 m. The formation width is 10 metre and side slopes 2 :
1 (Horizontal : Vertical). Assume that there is no transverse slope
• Example 2
(1) Calculate the area of the side slopes of portion of a bank for a
length of 200 metre the heights of banks at the two ends being 2.50 m
and 3.50 m and the ratio of the side slope 2 : 1.
(2) If the side slopes are to be provided with 15 cm thick stone pitching;
calculate the cost of pitching at the rate of Rs. 2000 per cu m
• Example 3.—Reduced level (R.L.) of ground along the centre line of a
proposed road from chainage 10 to chainage 20 are given below. The
formation level at the 10th chainage is 107 and the road is in
downward gradient of I in 150 up to the chainage 14 and then the
gradient changes to I in 100 downward. Formation width of road is 10
metre and side slopes of banking are 2 : I (Horizontal Vertical). Length
of the chain is 30 metre.
• Draw longitudinal section of the road and a typical cross-section and
prepare an estimate of earthwork at the rate of Rs. 275.00% cu m.