Excavated material can occupy more space after it is disturbed. Start with a measured in-place volume and a project-specific loose swell percentage to see the expected loose volume; add bank density only if you know it.

Worked example

For 10 bank yd³ at a user-supplied 25% loose swell, the arithmetic gives 12.5 loose yd³. With 3,000 lb per bank yd³, the same material is 30,000 lb and 2,400 lb per loose yd³.

Bank, loose and compacted are different states

Bank volume describes material in place. This page applies a loose-state increase after excavation; it does not calculate the compacted fill volume. FHWA earthwork guidance notes that material expands in a hauling vehicle and changes again when compacted. A university construction-methods lecture gives the bank-to-loose volume relationship used here. Do not substitute a compacted factor for the loose swell percentage.

Volume changes; estimated mass does not

Under the simplified model, the same dry material mass is distributed through a larger loose volume. The optional weight uses your bank bulk density times bank volume. Dividing that weight by the estimated loose volume gives an implied loose density. Moisture changes, loss, added material and measured density uncertainty are outside this arithmetic.

Using the estimate

Ask the supplier or site specialist for the material and state-specific factor. For delivery planning, compare a separate vehicle volume and payload limit using the delivery-load calculator. This page does not determine legal load limits or engineering quantities.

Explore the related calculation

For a different starting point, try the delivery load calculator or return to the main calculator. Browse the complete tool directory for this site.

Reference and corrections

The definitions and assumptions above follow these sources; the examples and calculator arithmetic are original to this page.

Found a problem? Email contact@cubicyardstotons.org.

Excavation swell calculator

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