Earthwork and Drainage Improvements

Earthwork consists of roadway excavations (cuts), roadway embankments (fills) for highways and associated items of work, or any other preparation of the ground for a construction project.  Earthwork includes all types of materials excavated and placed in embankment, including soil, granular material, rock, shale, and random material. Associated items of work considered to be in the broad range of earthwork include clearing and grubbing, removal of trees and stumps, scalping, removal of structures and obstructions, channel excavation, preparation of foundations for embankment, disposal of excavated material, borrow, preparation of subgrade, proof rolling, subbase, and temporary water pollution, soil erosion and siltation control. If concrete or pavement is to remain smooth and stable during construction or years of service under traffic, the earthwork upon which it rests must be stable and provide balanced support. When distresses form in pavement during service under traffic, the cause often is often attributable to a deficiency in the stability of the earthwork underneath the pavement. Uniformity of earthwork is necessary and crucial to obtain high stability and long term performance at all locations throughout the length and width of the project.