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Excavation Volume Calculator and Soil Swell Estimate
Calculate bank excavation volume and estimate loose soil after digging with a visible planning range for sand, topsoil, clay, and gravel.
Enter the current dimensions of the cut, choose the closest soil profile, and use the two results for excavation planning and material handling.
How to use it. The first number describes the hole. The range describes the extra space the disturbed soil may occupy.
Planning estimate only. Moisture, density, excavation method, and site conditions can change the actual loose volume. It does not replace a geotechnical measurement.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between bank volume and loose volume?
Bank volume is the volume of soil before it is disturbed, calculated from length, width, and depth. Loose volume is the expected space occupied after excavation, including an estimated expansion allowance for the selected soil profile.
How is excavation volume calculated?
Multiply excavation length by width and depth. For example, a 4 metre by 3 metre excavation that is 0.5 metres deep has a bank volume of 6 cubic metres before soil expansion is considered.
Why does clay need a wider soil swell range?
Clay behavior depends strongly on mineralogy, moisture, density, and stress history. This calculator uses a wider planning band for clay because its volume response is more variable than a simple geometric cut suggests.
Can this calculator replace a geotechnical measurement?
No. The result is a planning estimate for material handling and storage. Ask a qualified professional for a site specific measurement when the excavation affects foundations, groundwater, retaining structures, contaminated ground, or regulated disposal.
Excavation planning has two different questions. How much ground is removed from the cut, and how much room will that disturbed material occupy when it is loaded or stored? This calculator keeps those answers separate.
Bank volume is the geometry of the cut
Multiply length by width by depth to get the bank volume in undisturbed ground. Use this figure when describing the excavation, comparing it with a foundation layout, or checking the amount of material that must leave the cut.
Loose volume is the handling allowance
Digging breaks the original packing arrangement. The soil then occupies more space, so the tool applies a visible expansion band to the bank volume. Use the lower and upper loose figures when choosing skips, truck capacity, stockpile space, or a temporary staging area.
The band is a planning assumption, not a laboratory result. Moisture, density, clay mineralogy, groundwater, excavation method, and later compaction can move the real volume. A site measurement is still needed for a foundation, retaining structure, disposal record, contaminated ground, or expansive clay.
Bibliographic References
- [1] FHWA Geotechnical Aspects of Pavements Reference Manual Chapter 5
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/geotech/pubs/05037/05a.cfm
- [2] FHWA Technical Manual for Design and Construction of Road Tunnels Civil Elements
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/tunnel/pubs/nhi09010/tunnel_manual.pdf
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