MASS HAUL DIAGRAM (MHD)

During construction of engineering projects such as on road construction schemes, railway construction
schemes, canal construction schemes, pipeline construction schemes, a considerable quantity of earth is
brought to site to form embankments and/or removed from the site during the formation of cuttings.
Movement of the earth is a costly affair and thus planning should be done meticulously. MHD is a graph
of volume against chainage which helps in planning the earth movement.
Definitions
i.

Haul: The total volume of material multiplied by the distance the material has been moved. It
may be expressed in 1m3 moved 100m. The unit of haul is the station meter. For example
when 30m3 is moved 2000m the haul becomes (30 X 2000)/100 = 600 station meter.

ii.

Station metre: the unit of haul 1m3 of material (earth) moved 100m.

iii.

Haul distance: The distance from the point of excavation to the point where the material is to be
tipped.

iv.

Average haul distance: The distance from the centre of gravity of the excavation to the centre of
gravity of tip.

v.

Free haul distance: Distance, usually specified in the contract, over which a charge is levied only
for the volume of earth excavated and not its movement.

vi.

Free haul volume: Volume of material moved through the free haul distance.

vii.

Overhaul distance: Distance, in excess of free haul distance, over which it may be necessary to
transport material.

viii.

Overhaul volume: Volume of material which is moved in excess of the free haul distance.

ix.

Free haul: Haul contained within the free haul distance

x.

Over haul: Haul remaining after the free haul distance has been removed. It is equal to the
product of overhaul volume and over haul distance.

xi.

Waste: Volume of material which must be exported from a section of the site owing to a surplus
or unsuitability.

xii.

Borrow: Volume of material which must be imported into a section of the site owing to a
deficiency of suitable material.

xiii.

Limit of economic haul: Maximum overhaul distance. When this limit is reached it becomes
more economical to waste and borrow material.

xiv.

Bulking and shrinkage

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Excavation of materials causes it to loosen and increase in volume. However, some excavated material
will have a greater volume than the in situ volume. For example, rocks will be more by approximately
about 20% to 30% after excavation. This property is called bulking. Some materials for example,
ordinary earth will have less volume by approximately about 10% after filling and compaction. This
tendency is called shrinkage. To allow for either bulking or shrinkage a correction factor is applied to cut
or fill volumes accordingly.

Construction of MHD
The mass haul diagram and the formation level are usually drawn together. The formation level should
be selected such that some areas of cut are balanced by some areas of fill. The x axis represents the
chainage along the project from the position of zero chainage. Y axis represents the aggregate volume of
material. It is constructed through the following steps:
i.

Calculate the cross sectional areas at given intervals along the project.

ii.

Calculate the volumes of cut and fills between the given areas relative to the proposed
formation. Volumes of cut are considered positives while those of fills are considered
negatives.

iii.

Calculate the aggregate algebraic volume for each section.

iv.

The longitudinal section along the proposed centerline is plotted, the proposed formation
level being included.

v.

The axes of the mass haul diagram are drawn underneath the longitudinal profile such that
chainage zero on the profile coincides with chainage zero on the MHD.

vi.

The mass haul curve with the aggregated volumes as ordinates is plotted. The points are
then joined by curves to obtain the finished mass haul diagram.

Characteristic of mass haul diagram

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i.

A rising curve indicates cutting as the aggregate volume is increasing for example ebg.

ii.

A maximum point on the curve indicates end of a section in cut, for example g.

iii.

The end of a section in fill is shown by a minimum point on the curve, for example j.

iv.

A falling curve indicates filling as the aggregate volume is decreasing for example gcj.

v.

The vertical difference between a maximum point and the next forward minimum point
represent the volume an embankment, for example (gh+kj)

vi.

The vertical difference between a minimum point and the next forward maximum point
represent the volume a cutting, for example (ef+gh)

vii.

Any horizontal line drawn cutting the mass haul curve balances cut and fill between those
points i.e. the volume of cut equals the volume of fill between these points. This line is
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therefore known as a balancing line. The volumes between chainages a and b, b and c, c and
d are balanced out i.e. cut material between a and d can be used to provide the exact
amount of fill required between a and d.
viii.

When the horizontal balance line cuts the curve, the area above the line indicates that the
earthwork volume must be moved forward (to the right). Whereas any area lying below the
balancing line signifies the earthwork must be moved backwards (to the left).

ix.

The length of the balancing line between intersection points represents the maximum haul
distance in that section for example; maximum haulage distance between section b and c is
chainage c-chainage b.

x.

The area of mass haul diagram contained between the curve and the balancing line
represents the haul in that section. For example afbea, bgchb, ckdjc.

xi.

If the horizontal scale is 1mm = R m and the vertical scale is 1mm = S m3 and the area is
Tmm2, then the haul will be given by TRS m3 m or (TRS m3/100) station meters.

xii.

Average haul distance in each section is given by dividing the haul in that section by the
volume in that section.
=

xiii.

If surplus remains, this is waste and must be removed for the site for example lm.

Economics of mass haul diagram

When costing the earth moving, there are four basic costs which are usually included in the contract
for the project.
i.

Cost of free haul: Any earth moved over distance not greater than the free haul distance is
charged only on the excavation of its volume.

ii.

Cost of overhaul: Any earth moved over distances greater than the free haul distance is
charged both for its volume and for the distance in excess of the free haul distance over
which it is moved.

iii.

Cost of waste: Any surplus or unsuitable material which must be removed from the site and
deposited in a tip is usually charged on units of volume. The charges vary depending on the
nearness of the tip.

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iv.

Cost of borrow: Any extra material which must be brought on to the site to make up a
deficiency is also usually charged on units of volume. The charges depend on the nearness
of the borrow pit.

Costing using Mass Haul Diagrams

Free haul distance is marked off parallel to the balance line on any haulage area for example bd.
The free haul volume is given by cc2
Any cut within ABB1A1 has to be transported through the free haul distance to be deposited in
D1E1ED.

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The overhaul volume is given by bb1 and is moved from centroid (COG) G1 of the cut to the centroid
G2 of the fill.
The overhaul distance is given by average haul distance less the free haul distance i.e. (G1G2)-bd
Overhaul is given by overhaul volume multiply by the overhaul distance i.e. bb1*the overhaul
distance OR dd1* the overhaul distance

Example
The volumes of cut and fill along a length of a proposed road are as follows:

Cut +ve (m3)

Chainage

Fill ve (m3)

100

290

200

760

300

1680

400

620

480

120

500

600

700

20

110

350

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800

600

900

780

100

690

1100

400

1200

i.

120

Draw a mass haul diagram excluding the surplus excavated material along this length.

ii. Determine the free haul and overhaul if the free haul distance is 300m.
iii. Calculate the cost of earth moving if the charge for excavating, cart and fill of the free haul
distance is $ 1.20 per m3 and that for excavating, cart and fill of the overhaul is $ 1.70 per m3.
Chainage

Cut(m3)

Fill(m3)

Aggregate volume (m3)

100

290

200

760

300

1680

400

620

480

120

+290

+1050

+2730

+3350

+3470

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500

600

700

800

900

100

1100

1200

3470

20

+3450

110

+3340

350

+2990

600

+2390

780

+1610

690

+920

400

+520

120

+400

3070

3070

(check)400

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A: Graphical method
As the surplus is to be neglected, the balancing line is drawn from the end of the mass haul curve
parallel to base line. The new balancing line is drawn at 400m3 i.e. ab.
The free haul distance, 300m, is drawn as cd.
A line is drawn from c and d to cut the balancing line ab at c1 and d1
cc1 is bisected to give cc2 and a line parallel to the baseline drawn through c2 to intersect the curve at e
and f. Points e and f represent the centroids of cut mass acc1 and fill mass dbd1.
The average haul distance from acc1 in excavation to bdd1 which will make the fill is (f-e)
The overhaul distance= average haul distance- free haul distance = (f-e)-(d-c)
From the scale of the graph, the overhaul distance = 640-300=340m
Free haul =free haul volume*free haul distance = (3470-3150)*(300) =96000m3
Over haul =over haul volume*over haul distance= (3150-400)*(340) = 935000m3
(Also 935000/100 = 9350 station meters)

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Cost of free haul =1.20*96000= $ 115,200

Cost of overhaul = 1.70*935000=$ 1,589,500
Total cost = $ 1,704,700

Uses of mass haul diagrams

MHD can be used in several ways:
i.

In design due to connection between formation level and MHD, various MHD can be produced for
a site and the one meeting optimum criteria picked. Computer programs produce MHD faster
thereby reducing the design and selection process.

ii. In financing once the formation level has been designed, MHD can be used to indicate the most
economical method of moving the earth around the project and a good estimate of the overall cost
of the earth-moving can be calculated.
iii. In construction the required volumes of the material are known before the construction begins,
enabling suitable plants and machinery to be chosen, sites for spoil heaps and borrow pits to be
located and direction of haul to be established.
iv. In planning ahead the MHD can be used to indicate the effect that other engineering works, for
example tunnels and bridge, within the overall project will have on the earth-moving. Such
construction upset the pattern of mass haul diagram by restricting the direction of haul but, since
the volumes and hence the quantities of any waste and borrow will be known, suitable areas for
spoil heaps and borrow pits can be located in advance of construction, enabling work to proceed
smoothly
In summary, with MHD it is possible to;
i.

Find the distance over which cut and fill will balance.

ii.

Find quantities of earthworks to be moved and the direction in which such quantities are to be
moved.

iii.

Find the locations/areas where its appropriate to borrow or waste and the amount of earth
involved in this process.

iv.

Find the best policy that will achieve the most economical way of undertaking the construction.

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