estimating amount of dirt for berm

[treemover]

What percent extra should I add after figuring the area of the berm/


Thanks

[grandview (2006)]

Are you using raw topsoil or screened and shredded ?

[Dirt Digger2]

when you figure out the area for your berm that is the solid amount of dirt you will need, it all depends on the type of soil you are trucking in and what kind of compaction you are looking to achieve....for instance a clay is going to have a smaller multiplication factor then a loose loamy soil

if you let us know the type of dirt you will be using it would help out

[Junior M]

I am lost here, you want to know how much extra dirt you should add to the amount you already have figured?

[Dirt Digger2]

I am lost here, you want to know how much extra dirt you should add to the amount you already have figured?

Junior the amount of dirt figured is a fully compacted model...if you figure 100 yards of material then that is how much concrete you would need...however since dirt has voids in it that 100 cubic yards you need to fill might only require 75 actual yards of dirt...

normally they amount you calculate to fill is going to be a larger number then the amount of dirt that will actually be needed...that is where compaction comes into play...theoretically if you are working 100% compaction then you will need exactly 100 cubic yards...75% compaction would require less

Now its a tight balancing act because when dumped into trucks the soil will have much larger voids then being when it is placed and machines run over it....so that 20 yard truck may only be holding 15 actual yards of dirt

so if you need 100 yards of dirt you better order 120 yards with the "swelling" of the dirt after you dump it into a truck

[Junior M]

Junior the amount of dirt figured is a fully compacted model...if you figure 100 yards of material then that is how much concrete you would need...however since dirt has voids in it that 100 cubic yards you need to fill might only require 75 actual yards of dirt...

normally they amount you calculate to fill is going to be a larger number then the amount of dirt that will actually be needed...that is where compaction comes into play...theoretically if you are working 100% compaction then you will need exactly 100 cubic yards...75% compaction would require less

Now its a tight balancing act because when dumped into trucks the soil will have much larger voids then being when it is placed and machines run over it....so that 20 yard truck may only be holding 15 actual yards of dirt

so if you need 100 yards of dirt you better order 120 yards with the "swelling" of the dirt after you dump it into a truck
Ok, I've heard this before, but no one has ever taken the time to explain it to me..

Thanks..

Let me ask you this:

I've heard it thrown around at work that sand(thats mostly what we work with on backfills in gas stations) is already at so and so percent compaction when it comes out of the truck, is this true?

[Dirtman2007]

Junior the amount of dirt figured is a fully compacted model...if you figure 100 yards of material then that is how much concrete you would need...however since dirt has voids in it that 100 cubic yards you need to fill might only require 75 actual yards of dirt...

normally they amount you calculate to fill is going to be a larger number then the amount of dirt that will actually be needed...that is where compaction comes into play...theoretically if you are working 100% compaction then you will need exactly 100 cubic yards...75% compaction would require less

Now its a tight balancing act because when dumped into trucks the soil will have much larger voids then being when it is placed and machines run over it....so that 20 yard truck may only be holding 15 actual yards of dirt

so if you need 100 yards of dirt you better order 120 yards with the "swelling" of the dirt after you dump it into a truck

Kinda like when you dig 50 yards of hard packed clay out of a hole. Try to put it all back and you will never be able to fit it all back in the hole and will have extra. you have to figure out what % for dirt will increase when its loosened and the % decreased when its packed. correct me if I'm wrong Bryan but doesn't clay swell about 20% when dug up?

[Junior M]

Kinda like when you dig 50 yards of hard packed clay out of a hole. Try to put it all back and you will never be able to fit it all back in the hole and will have extra. you have to figure out what % for dirt will increase when its loosened and the % decreased when its packed. correct me if I'm wrong Bryan but doesn't clay swell about 20% when dug up?
Yeah, I've heard that also, how come on some holes you dont have enough? Because you are packing it better than what it was when it came out of the hole?

[Dirt Digger2]

Yea its something like that Chris...clay is a funny soil, there are massive ranges of swell with all different types of clay...some bentonite clay swells tremendously when water is added to it, it all depends on the different micro-structures in the clay

as far as sand out of a truck...you can't really compact sand...clean sand anyway, they way to get compaction is to have a mix of everything from dust to small particles to even larger aggregate...the dust when wet will really lock down the larger particles

[bobcatexc]

but doesn't clay swell about 20% when dug up?
Today 07:41 PM


Yes material around here I figure will usually swell 15-20%

[treemover]

The dirt is going to be anything great. the base fill will spoils left over from the mass grading of the project. and topsoil is ok. We have a little clay to sandy loam. Hope that helps.

Thanks

[treemover]

forgot... not much compaction, prolly just wheel it in with wheel loader and ctl. Just a small 6' tall x 10 wide at the top and roughly 445' long berm

Thanks again

[RockSet N' Grade]

treemover.......how wide at the bottom?