Slope-Stake Cut and Fill

Cut or fill depth and the catch-point offset for a planar design slope.

Run the calculator

Example

You enter

Existing ground elevation (ft) 104.5
Design (finished grade) elevation (ft) 100
Slope ratio H (H:V, e.g. 2 for 2:1) 2

You get

Cut fill (ft) 4.5
Catch offset 9

Details, formula, and sources

cut/fill = existing - design (positive = cut, negative = fill); catch-point offset = offset_at_hinge + ratio * |cut/fill| for the planar approximation, with the slope-ratio convention (H:V) stated.

Slope-stake cut/fill and the catch-point (daylight) offset for a planar design slope per FM 5-233 Construction Surveying and the FHWA construction-survey guidance, by name; first-principles grading geometry.

FM 5-233 is public-domain US Government work. A field staking aid; the grading plan and the surveyor of record govern.

Estimate. Engineer of record governs the design and acceptance. Verify against the project structural drawings and the manufacturer's published capacity / chart.

Field names used by the API: existing_elev_ft, design_elev_ft, slope_ratio_h, cut_fill_ft, catch_offset_ft

Planar slope planar design slope to a single catch point; compound slopes out of scopemethod