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Road earthwork, grades from 90 m to 210 m (s)

Short answer

Determine formation levels from given grades and reference, compute depths. Using level-section area formula A=(B+s h)h, compute volumes by mean area method: 1,745.94 m³ cutting and 187.07 m³ filling.

Find out the quantity of earthwork of a portion of road to be constructed with the following data: Formation width of the road throughout = 10 m. Side slope in banking (2:1) and side slope in cutting (1:1). Downward grade 1 in 120 from distance 90 m to 120 m. While it remains in level from distance 120 m to 180 m and has again upward grade 1 in 90 from distance 180 m to 210 m. The formation level at distance 180 m = 1197.50 m. The ground levels are as under:

R.L. of ground1198.651196.401199.301200.401198.10
Distance (m)90120150180210

Given data and assumptions

  • Formation width 1010 m throughout; banking slope 2:12:1, cutting slope 1:11:1; ground level across the road.
  • Formation level at 180 m is 1197.50 m; level from 120 m to 180 m; falling 1 in 120 from 90 to 120 m, so level at 90 m = 1197.50 + 30/120 = 1197.75 m; rising 1 in 90 from 180 to 210 m, so level at 210 m = 1197.833 m.

Method

Level (plain-ground) sections are used. With centre height hh, formation width BB and side slope s:1s:1:

A=(B+s h) hA = (B + s\,h)\,h

Volume between two sections = mean area × distance; where a section changes from cutting to filling, the length of each part is found by proportion of the depths and the volume of each part = ½ × end area × length.

ChainageGL (m)FL (m)Depth of cutting / height of filling (m)
0+0901,198.6501,197.750cutting 0.900
0+1201,196.4001,197.500filling 1.100
0+1501,199.3001,197.500cutting 1.800
0+1801,200.4001,197.500cutting 2.900
0+2101,198.1001,197.833cutting 0.267

Sectional areas

ChainageCentre ht. hh (m)Cutting area (m²)Filling area (m²)
0+090cut 0.909.8100.000
0+120fill 1.100.00013.420
0+150cut 1.8021.2400.000
0+180cut 2.9037.4100.000
0+210cut 0.272.7380.000

Volumes

BetweenDistance (m)Cutting (m³)Filling (m³)
0+090 – 0+12030.066.22110.71
0+120 – 0+15030.0197.7576.36
0+150 – 0+18030.0879.750.00
0+180 – 0+21030.0602.220.00
Total120.01,745.94187.07

Answer: Earthwork in cutting = 1,745.94 m³; earthwork in filling = 187.07 m³.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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