Trench Excavation Calculator
Estimate trench excavation volume based on bottom width, depth, slope ratio, and soil swell. Calculates bank volume and loose volume after excavation.
[CROSS_SECTION]
[INPUT_PARAMETERS]
[NOTE]
The slope ratio defines horizontal run per unit of vertical depth. For hard solid soil, use 0.75:1. For soft sandy loose soil, use 1.5:1 or greater. Volumes are calculated as standard trapezoidal prisms and converted to cubic yards for standard haulage estimation.
[CALCULATION_OUTPUT]
Excavated Volume (Loose)
0.00
yd³
Bank Volume (In-situ)
0.00
yd³
Top Width
0.00
ft
Slope Angle
0.0
°
Cross Area
0.00
sq ft
Formula Applied
Vbank = [ (b + (b + 2·s·d)) / 2 ] · d · L
- Vbank : in-situ volume (converted to yd³)CALC
- Vloose : Vbank · (1 + SW/100)CALC
- b : bottom width (ft)INPUT
- d : trench depth (ft)INPUT
- s : slope ratio (horiz:vert)INPUT
- SW : soil swell factor (%)INPUT
Densities of Typical Pipe-Trench Fill
| Material Type | Density (lb/ft³) | Density (kg/m³) | Typical Swell (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common Sand (dry) | 100 - 110 | 1600 - 1760 | 10 - 15 |
| Common Sand (wet) | 120 - 130 | 1920 - 2080 | 10 - 15 |
| Sandy Clay | 110 - 120 | 1760 - 1920 | 15 - 20 |
| Clay (dry) | 100 - 110 | 1600 - 1760 | 20 - 30 |
| Clay (wet) | 120 - 130 | 1920 - 2080 | 25 - 35 |
| Gravel (loose) | 95 - 105 | 1520 - 1680 | 10 - 15 |
| Crushed Stone | 100 - 110 | 1600 - 1760 | 10 - 12 |