You dig 16 tons... what do you get?

[AndyM]

Around here, topsoil and fill dirt are sold by the cubic yard. Someone I know wants to sell topsoil and fill dirt to me by the ton.

I know there are variances in the moisture content in dirt, but GENERALLY, how many yards are in one ton of topsoil or fill dirt?

 

[GeneD14]

Dirt weighs 125 pounds per cubic foot. A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so a yard of "earth" would weigh 3375 pounds.

So 1 ton of dirt is about 2000 lbs divided by 3375 lbs = .59 yds to a ton

*125 lbs/cubic ft. is based on a table, not the soil that you will be using. I have looked at several tables and they all vary quite a bit.

 

[MikePA]

You dig 16 tons... what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
In addition to water, if the topsoil and fill has a lot of clay in it, it's gonna weigh quite a bit more and also be lower quality.

 

[Doc_Bob]

Dirt weighs 125 pounds per cubic foot. A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so a yard of "earth" would weigh 3375 pounds.

So 1 ton of dirt is about 2000 lbs divided by 3375 lbs = .59 yds to a ton

*125 lbs/cubic ft. is based on a table, not the soil that you will be using. I have looked at several tables and they all vary quite a bit.

Great info.
Bob

 

[bugstruck]

Top soil comes in many flavors. If it's amended or blended (typically screened topsoil) it will have organics that will decay and reduce volume over time as you may know. Generally it's better planting material. I prefer plain old clean (not screened) topsoil for most applications. I presume that's what you are looking at. Topsoil can be rather loamy, so if you buy it very dry it's probably under 100 lbs/CF as it fluffs more when handled. If it's wetter it still fluffs but re-compresses more when loaded and would aproach 125 lbs/CF. Most places around here tally up the load volume by the bucket size on the loader that fills the truck. I don't like that method generally. I prefer the loaded volume be tallied on the axles (re-compresses some during loading) but you need full loads to get that accurate. So your probably better on top soil to buy by weight than volume. Similar holds true for fill but it doesn't fluff as much and one method of purchase should be reasonably equivalent to the other on fill, presuming it's not too wet. If buying by weight you sure don't want to be able to wring water out of either procuct as your buying water at that point. Best to make the seller aware you know something of these things unless you've had good sucess in prior orders. In summary (probably not needed), when purchasing by weight dryer is to your advantage, by volume wetter (not excessively so of course) is to your advantage.

 

[Egon]

Andy:

As Bugstruck said there are variables. Buy by the yard. If the fellow is insiting on weight go elsewhere.

 

[bugstruck]

Egon, You always get right to it. In construction, as we know, this is how it's done:
Soils are always by the yard. Excavation, Borrow, or Overburden
Purchase (quarry) rock is always by the ton.
Rock overburden disposal and rock excavation is always by the yard.

 

[goodoleboy]

Alot of topsoil in my area comes from the creeks and rivers. And it is wetter than heck when you get it. Cmpare prices If you Buy by truckload you can see a truckload.

If you buy by the ton than you dont know exactly what you are getting.

 

[dsgsr]

As has been said. Buy by weight after a dry spell, buy loam by the yard after a rain, you'll get more. It all depends on what you're going to use the matieral for.

David

 

[LBrown59]

I like the free stuff <> That way it don't matter if it's by the pound or by the yard.