Which statement describes the earthwork when cut and fill volumes match?

• A. Balanced
• B. Unbalanced
• C. Zeroed
• D. Equalized

Answer: (A)

When you cut earth and when you fill to bring the ground to grade, the key factor is whether those volumes match. If the amount of material removed (cut) equals the amount needed for embankment (fill), there’s no net earthwork left to move off-site or import in. That situation is described as balanced, meaning the project can meet grade without long material-haul logistics or trucking costs.

This is why balanced is the best answer: it directly signals that cut and fill volumes are the same, yielding zero net earthwork. If the volumes didn’t match, the project would be unbalanced—either excess cut that must be disposed of or excess fill that must be imported or created elsewhere. Terms like zeroed or equalized aren’t the standard way to describe this condition in practice.