In civil engineering, clearing is the name given to the excavation of earth that is carried out in a certain environment in order to lower the ground level, thus reducing its elevation and managing to form a plane "Plan (geometry)") of adequate support to execute a work.

There are several constructive means to carry out clearing, which generally depends on the geological-geotechnical nature of the terrain. Thus, for example, in sandy, clayey-silty soils, or loose materials, it is usually sufficient to carry out the excavation using a backhoe or a front loader. However, in those terrains whose nature is rocky, it may be necessary to use explosives to carry out clearing. In intermediate cases, it may be enough to use backhoes with pneumatic hammers.

The angle of the slope "Slope (engineering)") with which the clearing is intended to be carried out also depends on the geotechnical factor. Loose soils will require steeper slopes (less steep), generally approaching the angle of internal friction of the excavation material. For its part, rock geologies will generally allow vertical or sub-vertical slopes, as long as it is healthy rock, since otherwise it would depend on the dip of the joint.

The objective of any work is to reduce construction costs as much as possible, which is why it is generally interesting for the clearings to be as vertical as possible. The aim of this is to minimize the volumes of excavation and earthworks, factors that are usually associated with high economic costs, as well as to reduce as much as possible the occupation of the works, and therefore, the expropriation surfaces.

Given that, as previously indicated, the construction objective in the execution of slopes is to achieve a slope that is as vertical as possible, there are various means to improve said slope, improving the stability of the executed slope.