If you aren’t involved in the construction business, you probably haven’t given a great deal of thought as to what happens prior to the actual construction of any building, road, bridge or other construction project. Sitework and sitework estimating, however, is a crucial component of all construction projects and includes some of the following tasks.

Clearing The Land
These clearing tasks include removing all trees, shrubbery and plants, as well as tree stumps and other natural materials. Additionally, the site might already feature structures that need to be removed as well as pavement or asphalt. Obviously, nothing can proceed until the land has been cleared completely.

Excavation & Embankment
Of course, sitework is not just about clearing the land; one also needs to deal with the elevation of the lot. A lot needs to be level, and in order to ensure a perfectly level, we typically have to excavate some of the land and then add fill to other areas. We typically refer to this as cut and fill or, alternatively, as excavation and embankment. When it comes to sitework estimating, this is one of our areas of expertise, as engineers will hire us to complete dirt estimates either during the design process, the bidding process or perhaps during the grading phase of a construction project.

Subgrade Stabilization
Another aspect of sitework and sitework estimating includes the task of subgrade stabilization. This process is crucial when one plans to complete a construction project over soft soils. Before a contractor pours the concrete slab, the soil must be stable and most construction sites don’t magically offer the perfect conditions. There are countless examples of foundation and pavement issues that occur if the support system below the slab or substructure is minimal.

Erosion Control
Erosion is a natural process that occurs all over the earth, even under the sea. However, erosion occurring near buildings, bridges and roads can pose disastrous consequences. Fortunately, there are many methods that can be employed to control erosion. For instance, you’ll want to develop a construction plan that controls run-off water and you also must ensure that there is erosion and sediment control on any slope areas. That’s just the tip of the iceberg for this crucial component that falls under the guise of sitework and sitework estimating.

Utilities
Before a foundation is laid, the groundwork for utilities must be completed, such as installing water lines, sewer lines, drainage systems and other similar tasks. Electrical and gas systems also need to addressed before construction of the actual structure itself begins. All of these tasks and many more must be completed as part of sitework and sitework estimating.

At EarthCalc, in addition to providing dirt estimates as part of the sitework estimating process, we also create 3D files for machine control-enabled equipment. For both dirt estimates and machine control projects, we can work with just about any type of information including CAD (2D or 3D), TIFF, ASCI, PDF, hard copy plans and more. Turnaround times for dirt estimates tend to run about three days, while machine control projects tend to take about five days to complete on average. If you need dirt estimates or machine control files, we’ve been providing quality services for 35 years, and look forward to helping you with your latest project.