What Is a Soil Transport Volume Management Tool? A Basic Guide for Beginners

Table of Contents

• What is soil transport volume?

• Why managing soil transport volume is important

• Traditional methods for managing soil volumes and their challenges

• Digitalization of construction sites and the emergence of soil volume management tools

• Types of soil transport volume management tools

• Soil volume measurement tools using smartphones

• Benefits of information sharing via cloud integration

• On-site effects of introducing soil volume management tools

• Simplified surveying with LRTK

• FAQ

What is soil transport volume?

On civil engineering and land development sites, large amounts of earth and soil are excavated, transported, and used as fill. "Soil transport volume" refers to the volume of soil removed from a site or transported to another location in such work. It broadly encompasses materials like excess soil produced by excavation (spoil) and fill used for reclamation. Soil volume is generally expressed in cubic meters (m^3), and it is an important indicator for understanding project scale, arranging disposal destinations, and calculating costs.

At the planning stage, sites estimate soil transport volume in terms such as "transport X cubic meters of soil." During construction, it is also necessary to track how much soil has actually been removed or brought in. Soil transport volume is directly linked to project progress and finished form (as-built shape) management; accurately understanding it helps avoid wasteful work and prevents problems.

Why managing soil transport volume is important

Why is managing soil transport volume so important? One major reason is cost control. Transporting soil requires heavy equipment such as dump trucks, labor costs, and disposal fees at disposal sites. If the actual amount of soil transported differs significantly from initial estimates, it can affect the overall project budget. Accurate soil volume management is essential to minimize unnecessary costs and complete the project within budget.

Another reason is schedule management and reporting obligations. Earthworks require reporting to the client (owner) on "how many cubic meters were excavated and where they were transported." Without proper management, discrepancies in understanding can arise with the client, or you may be disadvantaged in progress evaluations. Public projects in particular require strict as-built management including transported soil volumes, so site supervisors must keep accurate daily figures.

Furthermore, the proper management of spoil is increasingly emphasized from environmental and compliance perspectives. It may be necessary to confirm that construction-generated soil (so-called spoil) is transported to approved disposal sites and to report to local authorities or manage manifests. Thus, managing soil transport volume plays an important role not only economically but also for the reliability of works and legal compliance.

Traditional methods for managing soil volumes and their challenges

Traditionally, the following methods have mainly been used to determine and calculate soil transport volume on site. However, these methods have several challenges when it comes to obtaining rapid and accurate volumes on the spot.

• Measurement using surveying instruments (total station, etc.): This method uses optical surveying instruments (total stations) operated by specialist surveyors to measure positions and elevations at many points on site, create a terrain model, and calculate volumes. While precise, measuring many points on large sites takes time and requires personnel such as surveyors and assistants. There is also the effort of bringing measurement data back to the office for analysis and calculation, making it difficult to obtain immediate results.

• Volume calculation using the average cross-section method: A long-used method in roadworks. By creating cross-sections of the terrain at regular intervals and calculating the cut and fill volumes for each segment from section areas, overall volume is summed. This relies on manual calculations on drawings or CAD-based drawing computations and cannot fully reflect terrain changes between sections, so it is approximate. Because surveying and drawing take time, it is not suited for real-time understanding.

• Photogrammetry using drones: A more recent method involves using small unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to capture aerial photos and generate 3D models from multiple images to calculate volumes. While efficient for surveying wide areas at once, it is sensitive to weather and wind, and flight permission procedures are required. Processing acquired data with specialized software demands expertise and time, so it may be difficult to produce results immediately after capture.

• Visual estimation based on experience: In some cases, site personnel estimate volumes roughly based on experience—e.g., "about X truckloads." While quick, this depends on human judgment and can have large errors, potentially causing disputes with clients if actual quantities differ. It is only a rough reference and cannot be considered an accurate management method.

As described above, traditional methods had challenges such as being time-consuming, requiring specialist skills, and lacking immediacy. Even if you need to know the exact soil volume "right now," it was difficult to answer on the spot, and reports tended to be compiled and submitted afterward. Also, simply providing numbers makes it hard to form an intuitive image, so explaining with paper drawings or tables took time and effort to share information with clients or other departments.

Digitalization of construction sites and the emergence of soil volume management tools

Recently, the construction industry faces serious labor shortages and needs to respond to work-style reforms, making efficiency in site management a major issue. Driven by initiatives such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s "i-Construction," the digitalization of construction sites using ICT technology (so-called site DX) is progressing rapidly. Within this trend, attention is being paid to digital tools that can measure and manage soil transport volumes accurately and in real time.

By leveraging the latest sensor technologies and cloud services, soil volume measurements that once relied on specialists and time-consuming procedures can now be performed by site personnel in a short time. For example, where work might previously have been paused while waiting for surveyors or results, new tools allow immediate verification of as-built conditions (cut and fill status) on-site, reducing rework and downtime. Site digitalization is expected not only to improve efficiency but also to reduce the burden on skilled technicians and support skill succession.

Types of soil transport volume management tools

So-called soil transport volume management tools vary by purpose and functionality. Broadly, they can be classified into tools for measuring soil volumes, tools for managing transport operations and records, and tools for estimating and simulating volumes and costs before construction. Representative types are summarized below.

• On-site measurement tools: Devices and apps for directly measuring soil volume on site. This includes the total stations and 3D laser scanners mentioned earlier, as well as high-precision GNSS equipment. Recently, products that attach external devices to smartphones enabling anyone to easily measure soil volumes have appeared. These tools scan the current terrain and piles of soil and can instantly calculate their volumes.

• Operation management and recording tools: Systems that manage the movement of vehicles, such as dump trucks, that transport soil and record actual volumes transported. GPS-equipped devices or smartphones in each vehicle track routes and loads, automatically aggregating transported soil volumes from trip counts and weights. Vehicle systems may propose optimal routes considering traffic congestion and allow real-time monitoring of each truck’s position and transport status from the site office. Another approach is to install truck scales at the site and digitally manage weighing data to obtain accurate haul quantities.

• Estimation and simulation tools: Software for calculating earthwork quantities and estimating disposal costs in the planning stage. These include estimation support tools that automatically calculate excavation and fill quantities from design terrain data, and web apps that compute processing costs when you input transport distances and number of truck trips. Using these before construction helps you quickly grasp disposal costs and the number of required vehicles, aiding plan optimization.

Soil volume measurement tools using smartphones

As mentioned above, one particularly notable trend is soil volume measurement tools that leverage smartphones. By attaching a small high-precision GNSS receiver (GPS terminal) to a smartphone and using a dedicated surveying app, precise 3D surveying of the site becomes possible with a pocket-sized device. Using the smartphone camera or LiDAR sensor to scan the terrain or soil piles, the app automatically calculates volumes from that data.

With such smartphone-integrated surveying tools, there is no need to carry heavy tripods or surveying instruments around the site. Simply walk around the soil or pile you want to measure while holding the smartphone, and the volume in cubic meters appears on the screen on the spot. Tasks that previously took several days for surveying results can be completed in minutes on site, enabling site personnel to immediately grasp soil volumes without waiting for a specialized surveying team. The ability to proceed without waiting for a survey team contributes significantly to shorter schedules and reduced staffing needs.

Measurements using a smartphone combined with a positioning device can also utilize national high-precision positioning services (e.g., satellite positioning augmentation services) to obtain position coordinates with an error range of several centimeters (a few inches). This allows soil volumes to be calculated with accuracy comparable to traditional surveying instruments. Although advanced technology is used, user interfaces are designed to be intuitive and easy to understand, so users with limited surveying experience can operate them with confidence.

Benefits of information sharing via cloud integration

Many of the latest soil transport volume management tools integrate with cloud services to leverage data. Measurement data captured on site can be stored not only on the smartphone or tablet but also uploaded to the cloud with a single tap for sharing within the company. Storing 3D point cloud data and measurement results in the cloud allows office PCs to check site conditions via a browser and share data with remote supervisors or clients.

Cloud integration facilitates real-time information sharing and remote support. For example, if the site person finds a decision difficult, they can ask head office technicians to view cloud data and provide advice. This enables less experienced staff to proceed with tasks confidently. Digitalized data stored in the cloud also makes it easy to save and search construction records, streamlining report preparation and as-built inspections. Compared with traditional paper-based methods, the ability to quickly share accurate and rich information among stakeholders is a major advantage.

On-site effects of introducing soil volume management tools

Introducing soil transport volume management tools on site can bring a variety of effects. Here are the main benefits summarized.

• Immediate access to accurate soil volume data: Because volumes can be calculated on site, decisions and instructions can be made immediately. Reduced waiting time speeds up the entire construction process.

• Labor savings and mitigation of labor shortages: Site staff can perform necessary measurements without a specialist surveyor on site. This helps cover staff shortages and reduce workload.

• Prevention of rework and mistakes: Real-time confirmation of as-built conditions allows early detection and correction of excesses or shortages of soil. This prevents rework after completion and reduces losses from errors.

• Shared understanding with clients: Visualizable data makes explanations to clients and stakeholders easier. Site conditions that are hard to convey with numbers alone can be shared via 3D models and visualized information, facilitating consensus building.

• Improved safety and quality: Managing construction based on accurate survey data reduces mistakes such as over-excavation or over-filling. This helps ensure quality and safe construction according to design. In addition, DX of the site enables systematic inspections and recordkeeping, raising overall safety management levels.

Simplified surveying with LRTK

One example of the innovative soil volume management tools introduced above is simplified surveying using LRTK. LRTK is a smartphone-integrated high-precision GNSS measurement system developed by Lefixea Inc., used by attaching it to iPhone or Android smartphones. Using the dedicated LRTK app, you can walk around the site with your smartphone to 3D-scan the terrain and anyone can perform precise soil volume calculations on the spot.

With LRTK, surveying tasks that used to require heavy equipment are completed with a palm-sized device. For example, if you want to measure the volume of spoil produced by excavation or fill before backfilling, you can walk around the area with a smartphone equipped with LRTK and obtain the cubic meters in a matter of minutes. Measurement results can be checked immediately on the smartphone screen and synchronized to the cloud with one tap for sharing within the company. The ability for site personnel to obtain and use required data without arranging a specialized surveying team is a major strength.

LRTK is designed to be easy to operate even for first-time users. The app is displayed in Japanese and is intuitive to use, with guidance shown for each measurement mode so even those not good with machinery can feel confident. If you are unsure on site, you can also have remote supervisors or technicians view uploaded cloud data and provide advice, so the support system is robust.

If you are looking for a handy soil transport volume management tool for on-site use, simplified surveying with LRTK is a strong option. Smartphone surveying using the latest technology will greatly contribute to productivity improvement and labor savings in earthworks. If interested, please check the [LRTK official site](https://www.lefixea.com/lrtk).

FAQ

Q: What exactly is a soil transport volume management tool? A: One example is a system that attaches a small high-precision GPS receiver to a smartphone and uses a dedicated app to measure soil volumes. It dramatically improves the smartphone’s positioning accuracy and automatically calculates volumes from 3D data of the site captured by the camera or LiDAR. In short, it turns a smartphone into a precision surveying instrument. The term "soil transport volume management tool" refers broadly to such digital tools.

Q: Can people without surveying expertise use it? A: Yes—these tools are designed so that, once you learn the basic operations, people without specialized knowledge can use them. Measurements are completed simply by following on-screen prompts and tapping buttons, so even those with little experience need not worry. Complex settings and calculations are handled automatically by the tool; the user just needs to review the results. You can start using it intuitively without long pre-training.

Q: What level of measurement accuracy can be ensured? A: By using GNSS RTK methods, under ideal conditions, planar positioning accuracy of about ±2–3 cm (±0.8–1.2 in) and vertical accuracy on the order of a few centimeters can be expected. In actual sites, soil volumes can be grasped within a centimeter-level error range (half-inch accuracy), so measurements can achieve high precision comparable to traditional surveying instruments. However, note that accuracy can be affected by satellite reception conditions and the surrounding environment.

Q: What advantages does it have over drone surveying? A: Smartphone-integrated tools are more convenient than drones and can be used immediately by personnel on site. They do not require flight permissions, are less affected by weather, and can be operated routinely even on small sites. Most importantly, they provide real-time results that can be applied immediately to construction. On the other hand, for very large-scale surveys covering hundreds of thousands of square meters, drones may still be more efficient, so it is desirable to choose the method according to the application.

Q: How are measurement data saved and shared? A: Measurement data are stored on the smartphone and can also be uploaded to the cloud as needed. Data saved in the cloud can be accessed from office PCs via the internet to view 3D point clouds and volume figures, and shared with stakeholders via shareable links. Data can also be exported as 3D models or CSV files, enabling use in internal reporting or analysis with other design software.