Grid method
How to Calculate Cut and Fill by the Grid Method
Overview
In the grid method, we are going to calculate cut and fill by dividing our site plan into equally sized grid cells and then
calculating the cut or fill volume in each cell. Well do this by drawing sets of horizontal and vertical lines at equally
spaced intervals across the plan. Then for each corner of every grid cell we will determine both the existing elevation
and proposed elevation at that point. The difference between the two will be the cut or fill depth for that point. Positive
differences will be fill and negative differences will be cut. Once weve determined the cut or fill depth for every
corner, well add up the cut or fill numbers for each of the four corners, average them, then multiply that number by
the number of square feet in the grid cell and then finally dividing that number by 27 to calculate cut and fill in cubic
yards for that grid cell. Then for every grid cell, well add up all of the cuts and all of the fills separately. These are the
total cuts and fills for the site. The difference between those two numbers is the import or export of dirt from the site.
Tools youll need
A large flat surface bigger than your plan
36 inch T-square, Fairgate T36T
A pencil (preferably mechanical)
A calculator or spreadsheet
Step 1 Gridding off the drawing
Take your site plan and lay it on a large flat surface like a drafting table, a large desk, or your homes dining room
table. (Sorry Mrs. Reader)
With a large T-square, draw a series of equally spaced Coors auto and vertical lines across your drawing. The lines
should be spaced in multiples of your drawing scale.
The spacing you choose should strike a balance between speed and accuracy. The smaller the grid cells, the more
calculations will need be performed but the higher the accuracy. The larger the grid cells, the fewer calculations will
need to be performed the lower the accuracy will be. A good compromise is to base the spacing on the average
complexity of the job site. In more complex areas the grid cells can be further subdivided so as to increase the
accuracy in those portions of the drawing.
Step 2 Calculating the existing elevations
For the corner of each grid cell, determine the existing elevation.
To do this accurately, take a scale and find the shortest distance between two contours that form a line crossing
through your corner. Use the ratio of the distance between the contours and the distance from one contour to your
corner to determine the elevation at the corner. For example, if one contour is 70 feet, the next contour is 72 feet, the
distance between the contours is 15 feet and the distance from the 70 foot contour to the corner is 12 feet than the
math looks like this,
(First contour elevation second contour elevation) * (distance from first contour to corner / distance from first
contour to second contour) + elevation of first contour = corner elevation
Using the numbers in our example, (72 70) * 12 / 15 + 70 = 2 * 0.8 + 70 = 1.6 + 70 = 71.6.
If youre stripping topsoil from the site, make sure to reduce the existing elevation by the thickness of the topsoil strip.
Step 3 Calculating the proposed elevations
Repeat step 2 above for all your proposed elevations. If your re-spreading topsoil or adding parking lot and building
pads, make sure to reduce the proposed elevation by the thickness of the topsoil re-spread or other man-made
materials.
Step 4 Calculating the cut and fill depths
For the corner of each grid cell, subtract the existing elevation from the proposed elevation. Positive quantities are fill.
Negative quantities are cut.
Step 5 Calculating the average cut/fill depth
For each grid cell, add the four corner cut or fill depths together and divide that sum by 4.0 to calculate the average
cut or fill depth for that grid cell.
Step 6 Calculating the cut or fill volume for each grid cell
For each grid cell, calculate the total cut or fill volume by multiplying the average cut or fill depth by the area of the
grid cell. (To determine the area of the grid cell, multiply the length of one horizontal side by the length of one vertical
side). Finally, divide this number by 27 in order to calculate cut and fill in cubic yards. Negative volumes are cut.
Positive volumes are fill.
Step 7 Calculate cut and fill volumes for the entire site
Determine the total cut for the site by adding up all of the negative volumes in every grid cell on the drawing. (You can
record the cut as a positive number at this point.) Then determine the total fill for the site by adding up all the positive
volumes in every grid cell on the drawing.
Step 8 Calculating the import or export from the site
To determine the export from the site, subtract the fill from the cut. If the result is positive, this is the volume of soil
that must be exported from the site. If the result is negative, this is the volume of soil that must be imported to the
site.
Grid Method Earthwork Calculation
Land Devlopment Engineering
Use a grid to determine points of changes in cut and fill to interpolate total cut
and fill for your disturbed area
create a grading plan, make sure it meets grade and specs
create a grid- preferably on a piece of grid paper (you may get confuse
with too much on your grading plans)
remember for each point you will calculate the existing and the
proposed elevations (make it easy on yourself and do not create too
many grids)
o make sure your grid covers your disturbed area
o Label Each of your grids A B C D, according to how many blocks
on the grid it intersects
o
Calculate the proposed and existing elevations of each intersection (see
figure below)
o use your scale (to the scale of the drawing)
o measure the distance between the contours that are around your
particular point on the grid- we will call this distance T
o Measure the distance from the contour directly up from your grid
point- we will call this distance S
o Multiply S/T by contour interval then take this and subtracted by
the value of the next contour up, giving you the elevation at the
grid intersection
DO this for every intersection for both proposed and existing
Calculate your cut and Fill
o Existing - Proposed = -fill (negative) +cut(positive)
o Proposed- Existing= -cut(negative +fill(positive)
It may be beneficial to keep a table of your A, B, C, D's and whether
they are cut or fill (otherwise you will only have a net volume for both cut
and fill)
Cut
A
Fill
A
Now place your cut values in the following equation
Cut = Area of grid * [A+ 2B + 3C + 4D) / 4]
Fill = Area of grid * [A+ 2B + 3C + 4D) / 4]
