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The cost of this kind of excavation increases as more land is moved and more equipment and labor are needed to do so. While effective at conserving mass, cut and fill is an expensive process. To avoid bringing in or removing excess mass, cut and fill processes are planned in a way to keep cut mass and fill mass approximately the same. Both of these outcomes result in extra material, labor and equipment costs. Having more cut than fill results in project managers needing to find somewhere to dump excess rock and soil, while having more fill than cut results in the manager needing to bring in dirt from another location. In cut and fill excavation, the ultimate goal is to conserve mass as much as possible. It’s essential, as it prevents the earth from moving and settling during or after the construction process, which can damage the foundation and building features. This compacting process removes air before any construction takes place. Once the land is transferred to the fill location, the filled earth is compacted with a roll-style or plate compactor. Bulldozers and excavators remove land from cut locations and transfer it to dump trucks, which carry it to fill locations. This process is usually accomplished with earthmoving equipment. When railways, roads or canals are dug out, the cut material is pushed to fill out nearby hills and embankments.
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To avoid such problems, project planners use detailed and intelligent cut and fill maps, providing exhaustive plans to help guide excavation teams to the most efficient use of mass and labor. While common, it can be an exhaustive process - moving earth takes a great deal of labor, and mistakes can lead to costly rework. The goal of cut and fill is ultimately to conserve energy and maximize the use of existing materials to avoid bringing in or shipping out dirt mass. Cut and fill is a common process where the movement of the earth is handled in a logical manner. This addition and removal of mass is called cut and fill in the excavation industry. The processes involved with building roads, railways and canals often involve adding or removing large masses of dirt and stone.
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