Excavation / Earthwork Calculator
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Updated
Enter the pit or trench size and get the earthwork volume — in m³, cft and brass — plus the loose volume and how many truck loads it is to cart away. Battered (sloped) sides are handled too.
Excavation / Earthwork Calculator
Pit or trench volume in m³, cft and brass · loose volume & truck loads
Pit / trench
160 m³ dug · 200 m³ loose
0 for vertical sides; 0.5 for loose soil
Tipper ~4.5; larger ~7
Excavation volume
160 m³
5,650 cft · 56.5 brass · 45 truck loads
Bank volume
160 m³
In cft
5,650 cft
In brass
56.5
Loose (×1.25)
200 m³
Every unit
m³ (bank)
160
cft
5,650
brass
56.50
truck loads
45
Cost estimate — edit to your local rates
| Material | Quantity | Rate (₹) | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excavation | 160 m³ (bank) | /m³ | ₹32,000 |
| Cartage / disposal | 45 loads | /load | ₹67,500 |
| Total (materials) | ₹99,500 | ||
Indicative — type today's local rates. Labour is separate: see the material price lists and labour rates.
Dug earth swells ~25%, so the loose volume you cart away is more than the hole. Order disposal against the loose figure, and keep the sides battered or shored in loose soil — a vertical cut over ~1.5 m deep is a collapse risk.
How it works
- Volume = length × width × depth for vertical sides. With battered sides it is the average of the top and bottom areas × depth (average-end-area method).
- cft = m³ × 35.3147; brass = cft ÷ 100.
- Loose volume = bank volume × 1.25, because dug earth swells about 25%.
- Truck loads = loose volume ÷ the tipper capacity (≈ 4.5 m³ for a small tipper).
Worked example
A 10 × 8 × 2 m pit with vertical sides:
- Volume = 10 × 8 × 2 = 160 m³ = 5,650 cft = 56.5 brass
- Loosened it swells ~25% to 200 m³ — about 45 tipper loads at 4.5 m³ each
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate excavation volume? Multiply length × width × depth for a pit with vertical sides. For sloped sides, average the top and bottom areas and multiply by the depth. A 10 × 8 × 2 m pit is 160 m³.
Why is the loose volume more than the pit? Excavated soil bulks up about 25% as it is loosened, so the volume you cart away and pay disposal on is larger than the hole — 160 m³ dug becomes about 200 m³ loose.
How many truck loads for 160 m³ of soil? About 45 loads for a small 4.5 m³ tipper (using the loose volume of 200 m³), or fewer with a larger truck.
Do the sides need to be sloped? In loose or wet soil, yes — batter the sides or shore them. A vertical cut deeper than about 1.5 m is a collapse risk.
Related
CivilSite Editorial Team✓ Engineer reviewed
Written and reviewed by practising civil engineers with 10+ years of Indian residential construction experience.