01
Formula
Bank yards = length × width × depth in feet ÷ 27.
Loose yards = bank yards × bulking factor. A trench uses width and depth in inches. Compaction percent = field density ÷ lab maximum × 100.
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Excavation calculator for bank yards and swell
This excavation calculator turns a cut into bank cubic yards, then multiplies by a bulking factor for the loose haul volume. The trench calculator and trench volume calculator use the same swell on a trench. The earthwork calculator is that pair of volumes. The bulking factor calculator is the factor you type. The soil compaction calculator and compaction calculator compare a field density with a lab maximum.
Job
Bank volume
29.63cu yd
Loose haul volume37.04 cu yd
Bulking factor1.25
Cut40 × 20 ft
Planning estimate from the numbers you enter. Coverage, density, waste and price are assumptions, not a supplier quote or an engineering specification.
How it works
Bank yards are the hole. Loose yards are what the trucks carry.
A 40 by 20 foot cut, 12 inches deep, is 29.63 bank cubic yards. At a bulking factor of 1.25 the loose volume is 37.04 cubic yards. An 80 foot trench, 24 inches wide and 48 inches deep, is 23.70 bank cubic yards and 29.63 loose cubic yards at the same factor. Compaction percent is field dry density divided by the lab maximum. One hundred ten pounds per cubic foot against a 120 pound maximum is 91.67 percent. The factor 1.25 is a placeholder for swell, not a soils report. A bulking factor calculator result is only as good as the factor you measured or were given.
02
Example
40 by 20 feet, 12 inches deep, bulking 1.25.
Bank volume is 29.63 cubic yards. Loose haul volume is 37.04 cubic yards. The compaction example, 110 against 120, is 91.67 percent.
03
Tips
Do not haul bank yards if the soil swells.
The earthwork calculator shows both so you can order trucks for the loose number and pay the cut for the bank number. Say which one the contract uses.
04
Equipment
The excavator moves the bank yards.
Dengaro arranges financing for an excavator. Volumes are not a loan amount.
Important questions
Know what to expect.
What is a bulking factor?+
Loose volume divided by bank volume. A factor of 1.25 means the dug soil takes 25 percent more space in the truck. The bulking factor calculator is the field where you type that number.
How is the trench volume calculator different?+
The trench mode takes width and depth in inches. The cut mode takes width in feet. The cubic-yard math is the same.
What does the soil compaction calculator compare?+
A field dry density with the lab maximum you enter. It does not run a Proctor test. It divides the two densities.
Is this a cut and fill balance?+
No. It is one cut or one trench. Add a second pass for a fill, and remember fill compacts instead of swells.
Financing built into the sale