Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
taking away material. This material could then be placed as shown in
the shaded areas in the figure. Contours 55, 60, and 65 have been reposi-
tioned downslope, creating three shaded areas: areas requiring fill from
some source on-site or trucked in from an off-site source. The areas of
fill required can be measured to determine the volume required. Con-
sidering the contour interval is 5 feet (five feet between each pair of
contours), you would multiply each contour area by 5 feet to determine
the volume of fill material. The steps for calculating the volume of fill are
outlined as follows:
1.
Measure the shaded area created by each contour. Since grading plans are
done at a specified scale, the shaded area measured would be in square
inches. If the scale of the grading plan is 20 scale, then each square inch is
equal to 400 square feet. A one-inch square is the equivalent of 20 feet to
each side. If the scale is 1 inch = 50 feet, then each measured inch covers an
area of 50' × 50' or 2500 square feet.
2.
To calculate the volume on a grading plan at 20 scale, measure the number
of square inches represented by the shaded area created by each contour.
Referring to Figure 15.4, assume we measure the number of square inches
for contour 55 (the measurement would be made directly off the grading
plan, not the photograph). Let's say the number of inches of shaded area for
contour 55 is 12 square inches:
12 square inches at 20 scale: 20' × 20' × 12 = 4800 square feet
3.
To calculate the cubic volume in cubic feet, first multiply the number of
square feet by the contour interval, in this case 5 feet:
4,800 square feet × 5 = 24,000 cubic feet.
The standard unit of measurement for earthwork and soil is cubic yards.
Earth material and soil are bought and sold in cubic yards.
4.
To calculate the volume in cubic yards, first consider the following:
