Cubic yards per acre by depth
Bank cubic yards; an acre is 43,560 square feet.
| Depth | Per acre | Per 1,000 sf |
|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 269 | 6.2 |
| 3 in | 403 | 9.3 |
| 4 in | 538 | 12.3 |
| 6 in | 807 | 18.5 |
| 8 in | 1,076 | 24.7 |
| 10 in | 1,344 | 30.9 |
| 12 in | 1,613 | 37.0 |
How the calculator works
- Stripped = area × depth, in bank yards. In the pile it's loose: bank × the bank-to-loose factor (1.25 for common earth in the US Army's tables).
- Respread = area × depth at its settled depth, counted at about the density it lay at. Topsoil isn't compacted like fill; if the plans call for it compacted, it takes more.
- Left over = stripped − respread, in bank yards. Negative means topsoil has to come in.
- Stockpile. A square pile with a flat top and sloped sides holds height ÷ 3 × (base area + top area + √(base × top)). The calculator finds the base that holds the loose volume at your height and slope.
The leftover goes to the haul calculator, the fence around the pile to the erosion control takeoff, and Site Bid prices topsoil stripping from the site's surfaces.
A worked example
3 acres stripped 6 inches deep, 1½ acres of lawn and islands respread 4 inches deep, stockpiled 8 feet high at 2:1:
- Stripped: 3 × 43,560 × 0.5 ÷ 27 = 2,420 bank yards, 3,025 loose.
- Respread: 1.5 × 43,560 × 4/12 ÷ 27 = 807 bank yards.
- Left over: 1,613 bank yards, 2,017 loose to haul or keep.
- The pile: about 117 feet square at the base (13,600 sf), about 31% of an acre.
Sources
- Swell and weights: US Army FM 5-434, Earthmoving Operations (2000), Tables 1-1 and 1-2. Read the manual. The soil converter explains the factors.
Found a figure that's wrong? Tell us at support@aggrado.com.
From the makers of Aggrado Site, sitework estimating and job management software: takeoff and crew-based bids, the won bid as the job's budget, and the crew's phone app on one record.