Question

Because of the shrinkage, the cut fill ratio should be greater than

• A. 2
• B. 3
• C. 1
• D. 5

Hint:

Always design earthwork operations with a cut-fill ratio greater than 1.0 (usually 1.1 to 1.5) to compensate for settlement, compaction, and wind-drift losses during transport.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
In agricultural land grading, soil excavated from higher spots (cut) is transported to fill low-lying pockets (fill).
Excavated soil placed in fill areas settles and is compacted, which reduces its volume.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
When soil is disturbed and compacted during the grading process, its void ratio decreases, resulting in volume shrinkage of the fill material.
To ensure that there is enough excavated soil to completely fill all low-lying areas after compaction, the total volume of cut must exceed the total volume of fill.
Therefore, the design cut-to-fill ratio is:
\[ \text{Cut-Fill Ratio} = \frac{\text{Volume of Cut}}{\text{Volume of Fill}} \] Because \(\text{Volume of Cut} \gt \text{Volume of Fill}\), this ratio must always be

greater than 1 (typical design values range between \(1.1\) and \(1.5\)).

Step 4: Final Answer:
The correct option is 3, which corresponds to 1.