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Cut and fill is a construction technique that involves removing earth from one point and using it as fill in another to level slopes and create trenches, channels, and embankments. This process saves time and cost, reduces the environmental footprint, and is commonly used in building construction, road, railway, and canal construction. Specialized software applications are used to calculate cut and fill balances on large sites with complex slope profiles.
A cut and fill is a construction site procedure for leveling slopes and creating trenches, channels and embankments by removing earth from one point and using it as fill in another. The techniques for this procedure have several distinct advantages, the most appealing of which are the time and cost savings that the process offers. Transporting backfill material to a construction site is time consuming and can add significantly to the overall expense of the project. The environmental footprint of any project is also minimized as no secondary off-site excavation is involved. Cut and fill operations on large sites characterized by complex topography are generally carried out according to plans calculated by specialized software applications.
Adequately level construction sites are very rare indeed; in most cases, the removal or integration of material will be necessary to level the sites. This is particularly true for projects involving sloping sites and in the construction of roads, railways and canals. Sloping sites often require extensive site excavation and backfilling to achieve the ground level required for flooring, landscaping, access and parking areas. The rail, canal and road routes require less local intervention but cover longer routes. However, the cost of integrating material from external sources is often prohibitive in both cases. The practice of using material removed from one area of a site to meet backfill requirements in others represents significant savings and forms the core of cut and fill theory.
In the case of building construction on sloped sites, material cut from the slope in the footprint area of the building is used to fill the gradient below that area. These fills are typically compacted and contained by retaining walls. In the case of rail and road construction, material is often cut on slopes to keep grades and roadways level. This material is then typically used to form embankments along shear areas which then form barriers to adjacent water bodies or marshy areas and can also serve to mitigate air pollution due to the dispersive effect of the ‘valleys’ they form. The cut material is also often used to sheath rocks and tree trunks along the course and to stabilize the slope above the track or road.
Calculating cut and fill balances can be challenging, especially on large sites with complex slope profiles. Software applications such as Quantm and DynaRoad are then used to create accurate topography maps and calculate the optimal cut and fill process. These programs can be used to calculate any excess fill requirements in advance and greatly increase the accuracy of preconstruction planning and cost analysis. This process also serves to minimize the total environmental signature of a project because little or no additional off-site excavation is required.
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