Lecture 19

Land grading –
Land levelling design methods -
plane method
Land grading is reshaping of the field
surface to a planned grade
• To make a suitable field surface to
control flow of water
• To check soil erosion and
• To provide for surface drainage.

Irrigated areas benefit greatly from land

grading since the ground in its natural
state is seldom suited for the efficient
application of water
In low rainfall areas, land grading
• Produces a smooth uniform land surface,
• Reduces runoff and induces infiltration of
rain fall
• Assures even moisture distribution.

On sloping ground, levelling eliminates small

depressions, cuts and furrows which leads
to concentration of runoff.

Proper land grading, coupled with surface

drainage measures, reclaim unproductive
poorly drained areas.
Phases of Land levelling operations
1. Rough grading
2. Land levelling
3. Land smoothing.
Criteria for land grading are influenced by
1.The characteristics of the soil profile,
2.Prevailing land slope,
3.Rainfall characteristics,
4.Cropping pattern,
5.Methods of irrigation,
6.Other special features of the site
7.The preferences of the farmer.
LAND CLEARING
Prior to making the land grading
survey, it is advantageous to remove
heavy vegetative growth from the land.
Land clearing consists of removing
some or all of the trees, bush,
vegetation, trash and boulders and all
roots.
A well-designed irrigation system delivers the
required amount of water to all parts of the
area to be irrigated at the required rate
without damage to the soil or excessive loss
of water.

The topography is a major factor in selecting

• The method of irrigation
• Estimating the number and kind of water
control structures needed
• Determining the need for land levelling
• The relative elevations of the source and the
area to be irrigated
• The drainage outlets
Land levelling design methods
1.Plane method
2.Profile method
3.Plan inspection method
4.Contour adjustment method
Plane method Procedure:
1.Determine the centroid of the field
2.Determine the average elevation of
the field
3.Compute the slope of the plane of
best fit
4.Compute the formation levels, cuts
and fills
5.Determine the cut-fill ratio
Mark grid points in the field
Survey the elevations and draw contour map
Determining the centroid of the field
The centroid of a rectangular field is located
at the point of intersection of its diagonals.
The centroid of a triangular field is located at
the intersection of the lines drawn from its
corners to the midpoints of the opposite
sides. To determine the centroid of irregular
fields, the area is divided into rectangles and
right-angled triangles. The centroid is located
by computing moments about two reference
lines at right angles o each other.
Determine the average elevation of
the field
Adding the elevations of all grid points in
the field and dividing the sum by the
number of point give the average
elevation.
Locate the centroid and fix its elevation
as mean of the field
 Compute the slope of the plane of best fit. The slope of any
line in the x or y direction on the plane which fits the natural
ground surface, can be determined by the least squares method.

S
 ( DH )  {( D)( H )} / n
 ( D )  {( D) } / n
2 2

in which
S=slope of line in a p1ane, dimensionless*
D= distance from the reference line, m
H= elevation of the grid point, m
n = number of grid points
Compute the formation levels, cuts and fills:
With the elevation of the centroid determined, the
formation level of any point (the elevation which
the point should attain after land grading
operation) may be determined, using the
computed or assumed values of Sx and Sy.
Mark the existing and computed elevation on
grid points and compute cut/ fill
 Computation of earthwork volumes of field :
L² ∑ C²
Vc = ----------------------
4(∑ C + ∑ F)

L² ∑ F²
Vf = --------------------------
4 (∑ C + ∑ F)
In which,
Vc = Volume of cut, m³
Vf = Volume of fill, m³
L = Grid spacing, m
∑ C = Sum of cuts on four corners of a grid
square, m
∑ F = Sum of fills on four corners of a grid
square, m
PROFILE METHOD,
Essentially it consists of a trail and
error method of adjusting grades on
plotted profiles until the irrigation
criteria are met with and the
earthwork balance is attained.
PLAN INSPECTION METHOD
The grid point elevations are noted on the plan,
and the design grade elevations are determined by
inspection after the careful study of the topography.
It is largely a trial and error procedure.
In selecting the elevations formation level the
designer must simultaneously consider the down
field slope, cross slope, earth work balance and
haul distance. The desired cut fill ratio and volumes
of earthwork are estimated from the summation of
cuts and fills.
The grades are frequently adjusted to obtain
favourable earthwork balance and to maintain the
down field and cross slopes within safe limits.
CONTOUR ADJUSTMENT METHOD
The contour adjustment method of land levelling
designs consists of trial and error adjustments of
the contour lines on a plan map. The method is
specially adapted to the smoothening of steep lands
that have to be irrigated.

A contour map is drawn and the proposed ground

surface is shown on the same map by drawing new
contour lines. The uniformity of downfield slope is
controlled by the uniformity of the horizontal
spacing between contours, and the cross slopes
can be examined by scaling the distance between
contours at right angles to the direction of irrigation.