earthwork

noun

1. Any structure made from earth, especially an embankment used for fortification or flood control.

   “At the moment only some 35 miles of earthwork have been completed from Qum, and no permanent way has been laid.”

   “The line was built by navvies using little more than wheelbarrows and shovels, with whatever material was close at hand, and the railway suffered from earthworks problems right from the start.”