Soil Haulage Calculator
Natural to loose volume, tonnes and truck loads without overloading.
Quick answer
With the default inputs: Natural volume 100 m³ · Soil type Ordinary soil · Initial bulking Ks 1.2 etc.Total mass 190.00 t
Edit the inputs below to recalculate.Inputs
Result
Total mass
190.00t
| Loose volume | 120.00m³ |
| Natural density | 1.90t/m³ |
| Loose density | 1.583t/m³ |
| Truck loads | 8loads |
| Mass per load | 23.75t |
| Loose volume per load | 15.00m³ |
| Body volume at 1.1 fill | 16.50m³ |
| Loads in a 20 m³ body | 6loads |
Always count loads by weight, never by loose volume. At 1.9 t/m³ with Ks 1.2, one cubic metre of soil becomes 1.2 m³ loose weighing 1.9 t; filling a 20 m³ body gives 38 t, a 52% overload. Most tipper accidents and fines come from exactly this mistake.
Reverse: known result, work out one input
Enter a target result; the other inputs stay fixed and this one is worked out.
Formula
| Loose volume | natural volume × Ks |
| Total mass | natural volume × natural density |
| Loose density | natural density ÷ Ks |
| Loads | ceil(mass ÷ payload) |
| Loose volume per load | total loose ÷ loads |
| Body volume | per-load loose × 1.1 |
100 m³ of ordinary soil at Ks 1.2 with 25 t trucks: 120.00 m³ loose, 190.00 t, eight loads at 23.75 t and 15.00 m³ loose each — a 16.50 m³ body.
How to work it out
- Separate the three volumes: in-situ (intact, for excavation quantities), loose (loaded, for truck counts) and compacted (after backfill).
- Mass = in-situ volume × in-situ density. Mass does not change whether the soil is loose or compact.
- Loose volume = in-situ volume × initial bulking factor Ks, typically 1.1-1.3, from 1.1 for class 1 soil to 1.3 for class 4.
- Loads: by weight = total mass ÷ payload; by volume = loose volume ÷ body volume. Take the greater, since both overload and overfill are illegal.
- Backfill is measured compacted: compacted volume = in-situ volume ÷ final bulking Ks' (1.02-1.05), so slightly more soil is needed than is dug.
Where it goes wrong
- Multiplying loose volume by in-situ density — loose is already 20% bulked, so the mass comes out 20% high and 20% too many trucks are booked.
- Counting loads on payload alone — soil is heavy and a 25 t truck takes about 13 m³, so volume-based counting overloads and attracts fines.
- Ignoring Ks' and assuming cut equals fill — compacted soil occupies slightly less than in situ, so a one-for-one balance leaves surplus.
- One density for all soils — fill 1.7-1.8, clay 1.8-2.0, sand 1.6-1.9, gravelly soil 2.0-2.2, a 20% spread.
Material and cost
Disposal 15-40 CNY/m³ including tip fees, tipper hire 300-800 CNY per load by distance, loading 3-8 CNY/m³. Night working in cities carries a premium.
On site
- Urban spoil removal needs a permit with prescribed routes and hours; fines run 2000-20000 CNY per offence, far more than the haulage.
- Add 5-10% to the truck count for part loads, weight restrictions and turnaround time.
- Balance cut and fill locally: stockpiling and reusing on site beats hauling out and buying back, since the haulage costs more than the soil.
Basis
- GB 50854-2013 Code for measurement of building works, Appendix A
- GB 50202-2018 Code for acceptance of foundation construction, Chapter 9
- CJJ/T 134-2019 Technical standard for construction and demolition waste treatment
FAQ
Why not dispatch by volume?
Because excavation bulks the soil — more volume, same mass — so loading by volume overloads. One cubic metre of soil becomes 1.2 m³ loose at the same 1.9 t: dispatch a truck per 1.2 m³ and each carries only 1.9 t, which is wasteful; fill the 20 m³ body and it is 38 t. Payload is the only measure that works both ways.
Ks or Ks′?
For carting away and loading, use the initial factor Ks — loose over natural — because that is the freshly dug state. For how much soil backfill needs, use Ks′ — compacted over natural. Ks is typically 1.1-1.3 and Ks′ 1.02-1.08; swapping them overstates haulage by 20%, which is a fifth of the carting cost.
Why is construction waste so light?
Because it is full of voids — broken brick, concrete lumps, mortar, timber and packaging mixed together can be 50% air. Waste bulks at 1.4-1.7 t/m³ against 2.4 for solid concrete. Carting is often priced by volume but weighed in tonnes, and that mismatch is a common source of disputes.
Cite this page
Use this format in reports, method statements or coursework. The link is permanent.
Building Calculator. Soil Haulage Calculator. 2026-10-25. https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/soil-ton
Results are estimating aids only and are not a design basis. Construction and final accounts must follow the drawings, the applicable standards and an approved method statement. Anything affecting structural safety, shoring or falsework must be checked by a suitably qualified engineer.