Did you know that excavating involves much more than simply digging a hole?

There are actually multiple types of excavation services used at construction sites, each one with a specific name and purpose.

Some of the soil work done by excavation contractors is based on the purpose of the job, while other techniques are based on the material being moved.

Project owners enlisting the services of an excavation company should know the different types of excavation to better understand the scope of their projects and make planning easier.

Excavation Services By Work Purpose

The following types of excavation services are commonly used by contractors at different construction sites based on the project and the purpose of the digging:

• Cut and Fill or Borrow - The process of cutting dirt from one location, then relocating it to fill in at another location to level and shape the construction site as required by the development plan.
• Footing or Basement - Digging that involves excavation contractors clearing out the space where a foundation, footing, or basement for a structure will be built in the ground.
• Drainage or Channel - An excavation company will dig drainage ditches on land being developed to create new waterways and drainage paths before actual building on a project begins or even the relocation of an existing creek or stream.
• Trenching - The digging of smaller trenches to be used for drainage piping and utility installations.  
• Roadway - Stripping and excavating to prepare roadbeds for paving.
• Bridge - A complex excavation service category that involves removing multiple layers of earth when digging out spaces for the installation of bridge abutments and supports.
• Dredging - A type of muck excavation that involves the removal of sediment and earth from the bottoms of bodies of water to deepen them for the passage of boats.

Excavation Services By Material Type

The following types of earth handling performed by excavation contractors are based on the material being moved:

• Topsoil or Stripping - A type of excavation service that involves stripping away topsoil to reach the harder, more compacted, and solid earth layers.
• Earth - Another name for bridge excavation or any process that requires the removal of earth multiple layers deep to install footings, abutments, drainage ditches, and other deeper components.
• Rock - Removing rocks and rocky layers of soil from a construction site; rock work requires an excavation company with access to the specialty equipment needed to do this work.
• Muck - Excavation to remove muddy and wet material from a construction site.

Construction Projects May Involve Multiple Types of Excavation

Between the different techniques and different materials being removed, excavation services are actually a lot more specialized than many people realize.

For this reason, it is essential that project owners hire an excavation contractor with the right experience and equipment.

Always discuss projects in detail with an excavation company to identify any existing land development challenges and how skilled excavation work will play a part in the final site preparation.

In doing so, project owners and excavation contractors will understand what is required to complete the project and what expectations to have based on the physical attributes of the worksite.

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