Nothing can be built without some excavation and transfer of soil (or rock) from one part of a site to another and this makes earthworks the most common product of civil engineering operations. Although normally seen as major structures, such as earth fill dams or large highways or railway embankments, the majority of earthworks are connected with minor civil works and building construction. Whatever the type of work, the principles are the same. Earthworks: a guide accumulates information on topics that are essential to earthworks engineering.

After a brief historical review, Earthworks: a guide establishes the essential theoretical background to the compaction process and describes some commonly available fills, including industrial materials, both from the construction and the in-service viewpoints. The guide continues with a description of design construction control and monitoring procedures for earth fills, noting that design and control in earthworks are intimately linked.

This second edition is updated for changes to standards, legislation and specifications, as well as technological advances.