Last Updated: 03 March 2015          For: OptiSurface Designer V1.4 and higher


Issue

We have started landforming but we believe that the cuts are not enough for the fills. After doing landforming on grade, it seems there are still some low areas to be filled.

Solution

When you start on a new field, here are the steps we recommend:

1. Re-bench at your Master Benchmark.
2. Drive around the field in the areas (green areas) where there's very little cut or fill (less than 10mm) and adjust the blade offset until you are just skimming the surface.
3. There is always some minor vertical adjustments (e.g. 10mm) that need to be done in the field to get the earthworks to balance.  The operator needs to be always aware of this and ensuring it balances by the end of the job. They can do the vertical adjustment on part of the field as long as it doesn't affect drainage.  It is best to start earthworks a little higher (eg 20mm or 1 inch) and work down to the design so you don't over cut and need to double shift earth.
4. If there are any other known benchmarks around the field, check the blade against them.

If you continue to have misbalances, on new designs try:

1. Calculating on a smaller grid for more accurate earthworks e.g. 5m or 15ft.
2. Adjusting Cut/Fill Ratio  e.g. 1.4 to create more cut compared to fill.