Earthworks operations involve the removal of overburden to strike structurally capable earth or soil, excavation for basements and other underground structures, and to compact fill materials to support structures. For example, buildings with large footprints or constructed on sloping sites require ‘cut and fill’ earthworks to provide level working platforms. Some examples of earthworks are road construction, railway beds, causeways, dams, levees, canals and berms. Other common earthworks are land grading to reconfigure the topography of a site, or to stabilize slopes.