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CHAPTER 5
Measuring Site work,
Excavation, and Piling

5-1

Objectives
• Upon completion of this chapter, you
will be able to:
– Determine the likely soil conditions at a
site by studying a soils report
– Explain the use of swell factor and
compaction factor when calculating
volumes of excavation and backfill

5-2

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Objectives (cont’d.)
– Define bank measure and explain how it
applies to site work takeoffs
– Describe and use the “grid method” of
calculating cut and fill volumes
– Describe and use the “section method” of
calculating cut and fill volumes
– Explain how piling work is measured in a
takeoff

5-3

Objectives (cont’d.)
– Explain how trenches and basements are
measured in a takeoff
– Complete a manual takeoff of site work
– Complete a computer takeoff of site work
using Excel spreadsheets and MC2 ICE
software

5-4

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Generally
• Measuring site work and excavation
work
– Different from measuring most other work
 Current site condition may not be provided
 Dimensions and shape of excavations may not
be disclosed
– Estimators must assess requirements
before measuring site work

5-5

Soils Report
• Provides subsurface condition
information
– Usually not a bid document
– Includes data for foundation system design
• Comments on sample soils report
– Topsoil, moisture content, soil compaction,
slope ratio, drainage, etc.

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Bank Measure, Swell, and

Compaction Factors
• Extracted soil
– Less dense and will occupy more space
• Compaction factor
– Difference between hole volume and fill
material volume
• Bank measure
– Obtained using hole dimensions

5-7

Excavation Safety
Considerations
• Potential danger to workers
– Cave-ins
• OSHA’s Construction Safety and Health
Regulations
– Requires shoring systems or cutting back
sides to a safe angle
 Strongly enforced

5-8

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Use of Digitizers
• Electronic devices
– Enables user to take measurements from
drawings
 Input directly into computer program
• Digitizer types
– Sonic
– Tablet

5-9

On-Screen Takeoff
• Eliminates need for paper-based
printouts
– Number of formats
– Cost savings
– Speed
– Convenience
• Plans still have to be drawn to scale

5-10

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Measuring Notes—Excavation
and Backfill
• Include:
– Measure in cubic yards or cubic meters
“bank measure”
– Classify and measure separately
 Excavations
 Materials
 Hand excavation
 Disposal of surplus soil

5-11

Calculation of Cut and Fill

Using the “Grid Method”
• Requires a  site survey  
– Showing elevation of existing grade
 Each intersection point on the grid
 Plotted at each intersection point
 Depth of cut can be obtained at each point
– Accuracy depends on grid spacing

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Calculation of Cut and Fill

Using the Section Method”
• Mostly used with long, relatively narrow 
areas of cut and fill
– Road and railroad construction
• Results quality depends on accuracy of 
plotting

5-13

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Area=(20x16)/4=80
One point= Quarter

5-15

The volume of cutting or filling is calculated as follows:

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Trench Excavations
• Formula for trench volume:
– Trench Volume = Length of Trench Centerline 
× Average Width of Trench × Average Depth 
of Trench
– Refer to Figure 5.5
• Sides of trenches often cut‐back due to:
– Safety reasons
– Soil will not stand vertically

5-17

Trench Backfill
• Volume of backfill for a trench
– Generally equal to volume of excavation
minus volume of what is to be contained
– Surplus occurs when volume of excavation
exceeds amount required for backfill
 Item for disposal of surplus material is required

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5-19

5-20

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Greater Accuracy
• Formula used to calculate volume of
excavation:
– Usually sufficient
– Some situations require more accuracy
 Example: pit and basement excavations

5-21

Measuring Notes—Piling
• Often subcontracted to specialized
companies
• Typical general contractor items:
– Layout of piles
– Cutting off tops of piles
– Removing excavated material

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Bearing Piles
• Generally:
– Measure in linear feet or meters
– Include a separate lump-sum item for
equipment
– Piles that are measures separately
– Measurement may be subdivided
– Enumerate splicing and lengthening of
piles

5-23

Bearing Piles (cont’d.)

• Additional considerations:
– Classification of bearing piles
– Timber piles
– Steel piles
– Precast concrete piles
– Poured-in-place concrete piles

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Sheet Piling
• Generally:
– Described and measured in square feet or
square meters
– Separately measure piles
– Measurement may be subdivided
– Measure withdrawing of piles
– Cutting off of sheet piling: measured in
linear feet or meters

5-25

Sheet Piling (cont’d.)

– Splices: described and measured by
number
– Timber sheet piling, concrete sheet piling,
and steel sheet piling: measured
according to foregoing principles
– Extraction of piles: measured separately

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Example –sheet piles

• Estimate the Quantity(lineal foot for
furnishing and driving steel-sheet
piling for construction of the
basement of a building, 200 by 350
ft. The piles will be 22 in. wide, 20 ft.
long, and weigh 40.3 lb/lin.ft (section
no. PZ22).

5-27

Example –sheet piles

• Quantity of material:
• Perimeter of wall = 200 ft + 350 ft + 200
ft + 350 ft) = 1,100 ft
• Number of 22-in. wide sheet piles =
1,100 ft / (22/12 ft) = 600 piles
• Corner sheet piles will be the same
section, bent at right angles.

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Example –sheet piles

• Quantity of material:
• Linear feet of driven sheet piling = 600
piles x 20 ft/pile = 12,000 ft
• Weight of sheet piling = 12,000 ft x 40.3
lb/ft = 483,600 lb
• Square feet of sheet piling = 1,100 ft x
20 ft = 22,000 sf

5-29

Example –sheet piles

5-30

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Example –sheet piles

5-31

Additional Examples
• Drawings
– Refer to Figures 5.11 and 5.12
• Site work takeoff
– Example 1—The House Project
 Takeoff Shown as Figure 5.6a
– Example 2—The Office/Warehouse
Project
 Takeoff Shown in Figure 5.15a
– Site work Takeoff Using ICE Software

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Summary
• The estimator has to make an
assessment of site work requirements
– Based on plans and specifications
 Site visit
 Soils report
– Efficiency can be increased using a
digitizer
– Site work takeoffs can be done manually
or via computer

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