Comparison of Earthwork Computation Methods

Modern technologies for data collection, data processing, and highway design allow for accurate representation of terrain-specific information to support volume computations for earthwork. These technologies support the representation of existing ground, design, and final as-built surfaces that can be overlaid and differenced to obtain volumes. However, most state highway agencies still use, or even specify, the average-end-area method, which relies on a coarse abstraction of cross sections. Results of an investigation of three highway design and construction data sets indicated, as expected, that when the cross-section interval was decreased, average-end-area volumes approached those computed by the surface-to-surface method. There could be exceptions, explainable by coincidence of the arbitrary cross-section interval and random variability of the terrain. Study results indicated that differences between the two methods could approach 5% when the cross-section interval was 100 ft. On one of the tested data sets, this difference in construction costs represented $112,500 for fill and $95,800 for cut.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/2215-11
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Comparison+of+Earthwork+Computation+Methods&author=C.+Hintz&author=A.+Vonderohe&publication_year=2011
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/Information_Systems_Geographic_Information_Systems_165941.aspx
• Authors:
  • Hintz, Cassie
  • Vonderohe, Alan P
• Publication Date: 2011

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 100-104
• Monograph Title: Information Systems, Geographic Information Systems, and Advanced Computing 2011
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 2215
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Calculation; Cross sections; Data files; Earthwork; Estimating; Highway design; Road construction; Volume
• Uncontrolled Terms: Construction costs
• Subject Areas: Construction; Data and Information Technology; Design; Highways; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I51: Earthworks and Soil Drainage;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01341186
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780309167291
• Report/Paper Numbers: 11-2454
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: May 30 2011 6:49AM