How many 7-cy dump truck loads are required to remove 350 Bcy of soil with a swell factor of 15%?

To determine how many 7-cubic yard (cy) dump truck loads are necessary to remove 350 bank cubic yards (Bcy) of soil with a swell factor of 15%, it is essential to understand how swell affects the volume of soil when it is excavated and transported.

The swell factor indicates how much the soil expands when it is excavated from its original state (bank cubic yards) and placed into a loose or transported state (loose cubic yards). A swell factor of 15% means that for every 100 Bcy of soil, it expands to 115 loose cubic yards.

First, calculate the equivalent volume of loose soil:

1. Calculate the total loose cubic yards:

Loose Cubic Yards = Bcy × (1 + Swell Factor)

Loose Cubic Yards = 350 Bcy × (1 + 0.15) = 350 Bcy × 1.15 = 402.5 loose cubic yards.

Now, we need to find out how many truckloads are required to haul 402.5 loose cubic yards using a truck capacity of 7 cubic yards:

2. Calculate the number of truckloads:

Number of Truckloads = Total Loose Cubic Yards