Which items constitute the main earthwork components on a typical FDOT project?

Which items constitute the main earthwork components on a typical FDOT project?

• A. Subgrade, Subbase, Embankment, Trench Backfill
• B. Cut, Fill, Borrow, Spoil
• C. Benchmark, Control Point, Elevations, Locations
• D. Moisture, Density, Compaction, Testing

Answer: (B)

In earthwork for a typical FDOT project, the fundamental actions are cut, fill, borrow, and spoil. Cut means removing earth from places that are higher than the design grade. Fill is placing earth where the ground is too low to meet the design grade. Borrow describes bringing in material from outside the project to supply additional fill when onsite material isn’t enough or suitable. Spoil refers to excavated material that will not be used and must be disposed of or relocated elsewhere. These four terms define how earthwork quantities are planned, estimated, and controlled, forming the core of what’s moved and where it goes during construction. The other choices describe pavement layers, surveying references, or testing/compaction activities, which are important but not the primary earthwork movements.

In earthwork for a typical FDOT project, the fundamental actions are cut, fill, borrow, and spoil. Cut means removing earth from places that are higher than the design grade. Fill is placing earth where the ground is too low to meet the design grade. Borrow describes bringing in material from outside the project to supply additional fill when onsite material isn’t enough or suitable. Spoil refers to excavated material that will not be used and must be disposed of or relocated elsewhere. These four terms define how earthwork quantities are planned, estimated, and controlled, forming the core of what’s moved and where it goes during construction. The other choices describe pavement layers, surveying references, or testing/compaction activities, which are important but not the primary earthwork movements.