Excavator or crawler dozer moving earth, wide view with dust giving scale

What we do · Service

Earthworks that become the base for the whole project

We prepare the ground for heavy infrastructure: large-volume earthmoving, cuts, fills, compaction and grading, down to the firm platform where the project will happen.

High volume
of earth moved per year
Large areas
of terrain graded
Own fleet
dedicated to earthworks

Cut and fill

Before and after: terrain becomes platform

Drag the handle to reveal what earthworks do: remove the excess where the terrain is high (cut) and fill where it is low (fill), down to the design grade.

Natural terrain
Design grade
Fill
Cut
Drag to compare

Own fleet

The machines that move the project

Pick an equipment type to see what it handles on site.

Dump truck from the FX Minas fleet, side view
SANY SY750 hydraulic excavator from the FX Minas fleet
SANY off-highway truck from the FX Minas fleet
D6T crawler dozer with a guarded cab for clearing work
Wheeled tractor on support duty
Caterpillar 140M motor grader from the FX Minas fleet
D6N crawler dozer pushing soil
Grapple saw handling logs
Caterpillar wheel loader with the bucket resting on the ground
Sheepsfoot roller compacting a fill layer
Caterpillar D8T crawler dozer at a cut face
Forwarder hauling logs
Large hydraulic excavator from the FX Minas fleet
Pneumatic roller sealing the surface
Feller buncher cutting trees
SDH-700 drill rig from the FX Minas fleet
Material haulage
Dump truck
112unitsRoad and on-site haulageFast tipping on dischargeFrom cut to fill

Process

How we work, from raw terrain to handover

01
Survey and topography
Terrain survey, elevations and volumes to move.
02
Site clearing
Removal of vegetation, roots and topsoil.
03
Cut and excavation
Removal of material above design grade.
04
Haulage and disposal
Surplus removal and reuse.
05
Fill and compaction
Layered filling with controlled compaction.
06
Grading and handover
Grade finishing and platform ready.

Where we apply it

Earthworks for every type of project

Highway or railway earthworks

Highways and railways

Platforms and sub-bases for linear infrastructure.

Industrial yard / plant

Industrial platforms

Graded plant yards and industrial sites.

Dam or dike under construction

Dams and dikes

Embankments and slopes with controlled compaction.

Land development / construction site

Land developments and sites

Earthworks for plots, accesses and job sites.

Frequently asked questions

Questions about earthworks

What does earthworks service include?

Earthworks include ground survey and topographic mapping, cutting material above design grade, hauling the surplus, filling in compacted layers and final grading, down to a platform ready to receive the project. It's the service that prepares the ground before foundations, paving or the assembly of any structure.

Does earthworks follow a technical standard?

Yes: in Brazil, DNIT's service specifications are the technical reference. Standard 106/2009-ES classifies cut materials by category, and 108/2009-ES defines how fill is placed and compacted, in layers of up to 0.30 m in the body and 0.20 m in the final layers, with compaction testing at every stretch. That's the engineering we apply on every project, whether a highway or an industrial site.

What's the difference between a cut and a fill?

A cut removes material above the grade set in the design, while a fill adds material below it, in compacted layers until it reaches the required density. Most projects combine both, balancing the cut volume against the fill volume to reduce haulage and spoil disposal.

What types of projects does FX Minas do earthworks for?

We prepare ground for highways and railways, like the Tupiratins Railway in Tocantins, and hydroelectric plants, like UHE Serra do Facão and UHE Sinop. We also work on energy parks, like the Nova Olinda solar plant in Piauí, plus industrial platforms, dams and land developments. The volume of earth and the project deadline define the fleet that goes into the field.

How long has FX Minas been doing earthworks?

FX Minas Group has worked in heavy construction since 1991, for more than 35 years, doing earthworks for clients like Vale, Alcoa, Cemig and Sigma Lithium. Every project starts with a ground survey and volume calculations, before defining the fleet and schedule.

Earthworks site at dusk, fleet at work

Talk to us

Let's talk.

Our engineers assess the terrain, the volume to move and the schedule, and assemble the right fleet for your project.