When digging in firm soil, there is a tendency to make the trench too _______

• A. deep
• B. wide
• C. steep
• D. long

Answer: (C)

When soil is firm and cohesive, it feels stable enough for sidewalls to stand up with less support, so crews often cut the trench with steeper, more vertical walls. That tendency can create unsafe conditions because steeper walls are more prone to cave-ins, especially if moisture changes or the trench is disturbed. The safe approach is to slope the trench walls to the appropriate angle for the soil type or use protective systems like shoring or trench boxes. So the tendency described is toward making the trench walls too steep.