An earthwork contractor encountered a location within the borrow area where the geological conditions changed.  Instead of encountering 100 cubic yards of wet clay, the contractor excavates 100 cubic yards of loose sand and clay having a bank density of 3,400 pounds per cubic yard and a loose density of 2,700 pounds per cubic yard. A ton of this material will occupy nearly how many cubic yards in the ground? and, in the truck?

Solution:

Two-thousand pounds of this material would occupy 0.59 (2000 / 3400 = 0.59) cubic yard in the ground and 0.74 (2000 / 2700 = .74) cubic yard in the truck. This results in a swell factor of 26%. The contractor will have to haul 126 cubic yards of this material for every 100 cubic yards in the ground.