What is the purpose of sloping and benching in earthwork during construction?

The purpose of sloping and benching in earthwork during construction is fundamentally linked to the safety and stability of excavated areas. When earth is removed from a site, sloping involves cutting the sides of the excavation at an angle instead of vertically, which helps distribute the weight of the soil above and reduces the likelihood of a collapse. Benching, on the other hand, involves creating flat steps or ledges in the excavation to further provide support and minimize the risk of the surrounding material falling into the excavation.

These practices are vital for preventing accidents and ensuring that workers and equipment can safely operate near or within excavated sections. Properly designed slopes and benches help maintain the integrity of the earth surrounding the excavation, thereby reducing the hazards associated with sudden soil falls and collapses. They are essential considerations in construction safety regulations and geotechnical analysis.

The other options, while potentially related to construction in different contexts, do not directly address the critical safety concern that sloping and benching aim to solve in earthwork. Enhanced aesthetics, speeding up construction, and improving drainage may be beneficial outcomes of various techniques but are not the primary focus of these specific earthwork methods.