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Surveying 2
By Dr. Khamis Naba Sayl
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‫المحاضرة‬
‫الرابعة‬
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AVERAGE-END-AREA FORMULA
Figure 26.3 illustrates the concept of computing volumes by the average-end area method. In the
figure A1 and A2, and are end areas at two stations separated by a horizontal distance L. The
volume between the two stations is equal to the average of the end areas multiplied by the
horizontal distance L between them.

Thus:

In Equation (26.1), A1and A2 are in m2 L is in m, and VC is in m3. Equations (26.1) is

approximate and give answers that generally are slightly larger than the true prismoidal volumes.
They are used in practice because of their simplicity, and contractors are satisfied because pay
quantities are generally slightly greater than true values. Increased accuracy is obtained by
decreasing the distance L between sections. When the ground is irregular, cross sections must be
taken closer together.
Example: Compute the volume of excavation between station 24+00 with an end area of 711 m 2
and 25+00 station with an end area of 515 m2.
Solution

VC= (

VC= )100=61300 m3

End Areas by Coordinates

The coordinate method for computing end areas can be used for any type of section, and has
many engineering applications. The procedure was described to determine the area contained
within a closed polygon traverse.
For example
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Answer = 710 m2

PRISMOIDAL FORMULA
The prismoidal formula applies to volumes of all geometric solids that can be considered
prismoids. A prismoid, illustrated in Figure 26.6, is a solid having ends that are parallel but not
similar and trapezoidal sides that are also not congruent. Most earthwork solids obtained from
cross-section data fit this classification.

However, from a practical standpoint, the differences in volumes computed by the average-end-
area method and the prismoidal formula are usually so small as to be negligible. Where extreme
accuracy is needed, such as in expensive rock cuts, the prismoidal method can be used. One
arrangement of the prismoidal formula is:
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Where VP is the prismoidal volume in cubic meter, A1 and A2 are areas of successive cross
sections taken in the field, Am is the area of a “computed” section midway between A1 and A2,
and L is the horizontal distance between A1 and A2.
To use the prismoidal formula, it is necessary to know area Am of the section halfway between
the stations of A1 and A2. This is found by the usual computation after averaging the heights and
widths of the two end sections. Obviously, the middle area is not the average of the end areas,
since there would then be no difference between the results of the end-area formula and the
prismoidal formula.
The prismoidal formula generally gives a volume smaller than that found by the average-end-
area formula. For example, the volume of a pyramid by the prismoidal formula is Ah/3 (the exact
value), whereas by the average-end-area method it is Ah/2. An exception occurs when the center
height is great but the width narrow at one station, and the center height small but the width large
at the adjacent station.

Example: Compute the volume using the prismoidal formula and by average end areas for the
following three-level sections of a roadbed having a base of 24 m and side slopes of 1.5/1.

=
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Volume computations
Volume calculations for route construction projects are usually done and arranged in tabular
form. To illustrate this procedure, assume that end areas listed in columns (2) and (3) of Table
26.3 apply to the section of roadway illustrated in Figure 26.1. By using Equation (26.1), cut and
fill volumes are computed and tabulated in columns (4) and (5).

The volume computations illustrated in Table 26.3 include the transition sections of Figure 26.1.
This is normally not done when preliminary earthwork volumes are being estimated (during
design and prior to construction) because the exact locations of the transition sections and their
configurations are usually unknown until slope staking occurs. Thus, for calculating preliminary
earthwork quantities, an end area of zero would be used at the station of the centerline grade
point (station 11+40 of Figure 26.1), and transition sections (stations 11+21and 11+64 of Figure
26.1) would not appear in the computations. After slope staking the locations and end areas of
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transition sections are known, and they should be included in final volume computations,
especially if they significantly affect the quantities for which payment is made.

Table 26.3
Stations Area Cut(m2) Area Fill(m2) Volume Volume
Cut(m3) Fill (m3)
10+00 992
70650
11+00 421
5134.5
11+21 0 68
215.3 940.5
11+40 34 31
2136 248
11+64 144 0
14940
12+00 686
80200
13+00 918
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VOLUME USING SPOT HEIGHT METHOD

This method is generally used for calculating the volumes of excavations for basements or tanks,
i.e. any volume where the sides and base are planes, whilst the surface is broken naturally
(Figure 11.22(a)). Figure 11.22(b) shows the limits of the excavation with surface levels in
metres at A, B, C and D. The sides are vertical to a formation level of 20 m. If the area ABCD
was a plane, then the volume of excavation would be:
V = plan area ABCD × mean height

However, as the illustration shows, the surface is very broken and so must be covered with a grid
such that the area within each 10-m grid square is approximately a plane. It is therefore the
ruggedness of the ground that controls the grid size. If, for instance, the surface Aaed was not a
plane, it could be split into two triangles by a diagonal (Ae) if this would produce better surface
planes. Considering square Aaed only:
V = plan area × mean height

If the grid squares are all equal in area, then the data is easily tabulated and worked as follows:
Considering AEFG only, instead of taking each grid square separately, one can treat it as a
whole.
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If one took each grid separately it would be seen that the heights of AEFG occur only once,
whilst the heights of abcd occur twice and he occurs four times; one still divides by four to get
the mean

VOLUME USING CONTOUR AREA METHOD

Volumes based on contours can be obtained from contour maps by using a planimeter to
determine the area enclosed by each contour. Alternatively, CAD software can be used to
determine these areas. Then the average area of the adjacent contours is obtained using Equation
(26.1) and the volume obtained by multiplying by the contour spacing (i.e., contour interval).
Use of the prismoidal formula is seldom, if ever, justified in this type of computation. This
procedure is the basis for volume computations in CAD software.
The contour-area method is suitable for determining volumes over large areas, for example,
computing the amounts and locations of cut and fill in the grading for a proposed airport runway
to be constructed at a given elevation. Another useful application of the contour-area method is
in determining the volume of water that will be impounded in the reservoir created by a proposed
dam.
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Example 2
A reservoir is to be formed in a river valley by building a dam across it. The entire area that will
be covered by the reservoir has been contoured and contours drawn at 1.5-m intervals. The
lowest point in the reservoir is at a reduced level of 249 m above datum, whilst the top water
level will not be above a reduced level of 264.5 m. The area enclosed by each contour and the
upstream face of the dam is shown in the table below.
Contour (m) Area enclosed (m2)
250.0 1 874
251.5 6 355
253.0 11 070
254.5 14 152
256.0 19 310
257.5 22 605
259.0 24 781
260.5 26 349
262.0 29 830
263.5 33 728
265.0 37 800

Estimate by the use of the trapezoidal rule the capacity of the reservoir when full. What will be
the reduced level of the water surface if, in a time of drought, this volume is reduced by 25%?
SOLUTION

( )

( )

( )

( )
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( )

( )

V total =Σ vi
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H.W
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