A excavator with a 2.5 cubic yard bucket is loading trucks for a site cut operation. If the bucket has an 80% fill factor and the soil has a 25% swell factor, what is the actual volume of in-place soil moved per bucket load?
Correct Answer
B) 1.6 cubic yards
Bucket capacity: 2.5 × 0.80 = 2.0 cubic yards loose. Converting to in-place volume: 2.0 ÷ 1.25 = 1.6 cubic yards of in-place soil per load.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
The correct answer is A because we must account for both the fill factor and swell factor when calculating in-place soil volume. First, we calculate the actual loose volume moved: 2.5 × 0.80 = 2.0 cubic yards. Then we convert from loose volume to in-place volume by dividing by the swell factor: 2.0 ÷ 1.25 = 1.6 cubic yards. This represents the actual volume of undisturbed soil that was excavated.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option C: 3.1 cubic yards
This answer (3.1 cubic yards) incorrectly multiplies by the swell factor instead of dividing, and represents an impossible scenario where more in-place soil exists than the bucket's rated capacity.
Option D: 2.0 cubic yards
This answer (2.5 cubic yards) is the bucket's rated capacity and ignores both the fill factor (bucket doesn't fill completely) and the swell factor (soil expands when excavated).
Memory Technique
Remember 'FIST': Fill factor First (multiply), then Swell factor conversion (divide by 1 + swell %). Soil 'swells' when dug up, so divide to get back to original size.
Reference Hint
Look up earthwork calculations and soil volume conversions in the construction management or site work chapters of your reference manual.
More Project Mgmt Questions
What is the minimum R-value required for wall insulation in Florida Climate Zone 2?
A subcontractor brings a new chemical product to your jobsite. Under the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), what information must be immediately available to workers?
A construction site has a trench that is 8 feet deep in Type B soil. What is the maximum allowable slope ratio for the trench walls without protective systems?
What is the maximum recommended spacing between drywall screws when attaching to wood studs?
Your crew discovers suspected asbestos-containing materials during a renovation project. What is the first action you should take?
A scaffold platform is 12 feet long and 5 feet wide. If the maximum load capacity is 25 pounds per square foot, what is the total weight capacity of this platform?
Which CSI MasterFormat Division would contain specifications for fire-stopping and firesafing materials?
In tilt-up concrete construction, what is the primary advantage of this method over conventional cast-in-place construction?
Which OSHA standard specifically addresses construction industry safety and health regulations?
A structural drawing shows a beam labeled 'W12x26'. What does the '26' represent?
People Also Study
Business & Financial Management
120 questions · 70% to pass
Contract Administration
60 questions · 70% to pass
Related Study Resources
Previous Question
On architectural drawings, what does the symbol of a circle with a diagonal line through it typically represent?
Next Question
You are calculating the load capacity for a mobile crane. The crane chart shows a capacity of 15,000 pounds at a 20-foot radius. If you need to lift a load weighing 12,000 pounds including rigging, what is the safety factor being applied?