Nothing can be built without some excavation and transfer of soil (or
rock) from one part of a site to another and this makes earthworks the
most common product of civil engineering operations. Although normally
seen as major structures, such as earth fill dams or large highways or
railway embankments, the majority of earthworks are connected with minor
civil works and building construction. Whatever the type of work, the
principles are the same. Earthworks: a guide accumulates information on
topics that are essential to earthworks engineering. After a brief
historical review, Earthworks: a guide establishes the essential
theoretical background to the compaction process and describes some
commonly available fills, including industrial materials, both from the
construction and the in-service viewpoints. The guide continues with a
description of design construction control and monitoring procedures for
earth fills, noting that design and control in earthworks are intimately
linked. This second edition is updated for changes to standards,
legislation and specifications, as well as technological advances.