PROGRAM FEATURES
EARTH is a quick and simple quantity calculation tool for excavation, paving, and grading.  EARTH is unique in the industry in its simplicity.  It has a short learning curve, and does not require use of a CAD program.  EARTH is ideal for use at field offices. 


KEY FEATURES

•	Runs in Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP.
•	Input cross section data by station by typing into text editor, or import from field collector (data logger).
•	Calculates earthwork quantities using Average End Area method or a modified Prismatic Method.
•	Accounts for soil shrinkage and swell factors -- can change factors at any station.
•	Computes multi-layered earthwork jobs -- ideal for progress payments.
•	Automatic template feature ideal for roadway work
•	Print cross-sections, profiles, and quantities tables directly to your windows printer, or paste into other Windows applications, or output cross-sections or profiles to a DXF for plotting in AutoCAD or other CAD program.
•	For easy data input to EARTH, you can create an ASCII file in the form of station, offset, and elevation using Trimble Geomatics Office
•	Works in USA or Metric Units

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS

Data Input
You begin a project by entering the survey coordinates.  Most of the input is the distance and elevation points for each station.  You can type the data from your survey into a simple text editor within the EARTH program.  If you use a data collector which creates a HDS or SEC file, you can import that data for existing ground levels automatically.  Here is a simple example with cross sections at Stations 0 and 100 for both existing ground (GRO) and the proposed ground surface (TEM or template). 

Once you have learned to enter ground and template data (probably just a few minutes), you have learned 90% of the program.

Next, you account for changes in soil shrinkage and expansion, and slopes for calculating catch points.  These factors may change at any point throughout the project. 

For roadway design, you can use the Automatic Template feature to apply the same template repeatedly at any station.  You can align them on a vertical curve, and specify offset distance and elevation for certain stations.   See example input file

EARTH has a layering feature which allows you to do calculations for a multi-phased project or any number of layers of matterial.  This is useful for excavation of unsuitable soils. 

The program's flexibility is derived from its structure.  Rather than a rigid type of input, EARTH lets you dictate how the calculations are to be made at any point.  For this reason, you will find that EARTH will allow you to compute volumetric quantities for nearly any situation.

Data Output
EARTH takes your cross-section data for both existing and proposed ground levels and calculates the volume of earth to be removed and added.  Cross-sections and profiles are plotted and station and total quantities are calculated instantaneously.  Catch points are calculated based on your preferences. 

You can print plots directly to your printer, use Windows cut and paste features to use plots in Windows applications, and export to AutoDesk's AutoCAD as well as other CAD programs which use the drawing exchange (DXF) file format.

Volume quantity and area for cut and fill are calculated by station, and job total.  Output table also includes distance and elevations for catch points, template and ground elevations, and mass volume.  You can paste quantity values into Windows applications, or print directly to your Windows printer.