Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
You'll receive a particle-size-distribution, or PSD, report. Using a series of stacked
graduated sieves, an analysis is made to determine the percentage of very coarse, coarse,
medium, fine, and very fine soil particles in the sample. Fine and very fine soils tend either
to pack or be dusty or blow away. Medium-to coarse-size particles are most desirable for
the footing of arenas. While the PSD of your native soil will likely indicate that it is unsuit-
able as footing by itself, it will guide you in choosing the appropriate soil amendments.
How much footing do you need?
Footing is ordered in cubic yards of material. To determine how many cubic yards you
will need, measure the length and width of your arena in feet; determine how deep in
inches you want the footing to be; and convert that to a fraction of a foot. Then use
this formula:
cubic yards of material needed = (length of arena in feet x width of arena in feet x
depth of footing in feet) ÷ 27
EXAMPLE:
200′ x 100′ x 0.33′ (4″ of footing) = 6600 cubic feet ÷ 27 = 244 cubic yards
Note:
1 dump-truck load = 5-10 cubic yards, so 25-50 truckloads would be needed to
deliver 244 cubic yards of sand; also 1 cubic yard of sand = 1.5 tons, so 244 cubic
yards of sand = 366 tons.
