| Description of Materials | Approximate Pounds/Cubic Yard | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Burn Dump Debris/Ash | 800-1000 1500-1800 2300 | Dry Loose Wet for Dust Suppression Wet mixed with soil |
| Construction Debris, Asphalt or Concrete: Loose | 2400 | |
| Construction Debris, Wood ; Uncompacted | 400 | Increase up to 100% if compacted using heavy equipment |
| Earth | 2100 3000 | Loose/Dry. Plus 30% when compacted. Excavated/Wet |
| Gravel or Crushed Stone Loose/Dry | 2600 | Increase 20% if wet |
| Household Trash | 800 | |
| Liquid Waste | 1600 | 202 gal./cubic yard ~ 7 Lbs./Gal. E.g. Antifreeze, Waste Oil, Solvent |
| Metals, Un-compacted | 600 | e.g. Appliances, Metal Siding |
| Sand, Loose/Dry | 2400 | Increase 20% if damp and 30% if wet/compacted |
| Stone, Graded 8” max. Loose | 2700 | e.g. Gabion Construction. Increase 10% consolidated in place |
| Tire Burn Ash | 500-800 | |
| Tires, Auto and Pickup | 220 | Average 10 tires per cubic yard |
| Tires, OTR | See Remarks | Average 500 pounds per tire |
| Tires, Truck | 480 | Average 4 tires per cubic yard |
| Vehicles, Auto and Pickup | See Remarks | Use 3000 Pounds/Vehicle |
| Wood Chips, Shredded/Dry Wood Chips/Bark w/30% Soil | 300 800 | |
| Yard Waste (Vegetation) Loose | 600 |
Determination of Weights and Volumes of Onsite Materials
Volume
Pile volume can best be estimated by determining the area of the base and then multiplying by the average height of the pile. In many cases the base of a pile will resemble a rectangle where area is length times width (L x W). In other cases the pile may more closely resemble a triangle or other polygon. Use the appropriate geometry to calculate the base area. For average height, this usually must be estimated since often it is not prudent to climb a pile to get more exact height measurements. The height may be estimated by using a known reference (e.g., fellow inspector) for reference. Cubic yards can be determined by dividing cubic feet by 27. Depending upon the accuracy of the assumed measurements, the estimated volume could be within 10-15 percent of the actual volume.
Weight
The weight (tonnage) of a pile is determined by multiplying the volume by the density. CalRecycle’s Solid Waste Cleanup Program has developed approximate pounds per cubic yard (lbs/cu yd) estimates for various materials. The actual density depends on the homogeneous nature (uniformity) of the pile in both void space and material type. Unless the entire pile can be visualized, it will be difficult to determine an accurate tonnage estimate. Please note that density values in the table are general (rough) estimates only and the actual density could be up to (or exceed) a factor of three (either larger or smaller) depending upon the actual density of the material.
Determination of maximum weights and volumes that can be received:
Tons permitted to be received per day x 30 days = Maximum amount on site at any one time
Helpful formulas:
___ feet high X ___ feet wide X ___ feet long = ___ cubic feet/27 cubic feet per cubic yard = ___ cubic yards
___ cubic yards X 27 cubic feet per cubic yard = ___ cubic feet = height X width X length
Example:
The pile is 20 feet high X 40 feet wide X 253.1 feet long. This equates to about 202,479 cubic feet/27 cubic feet per cubic yard = approximately 7500 cubic yards.
___ cubic yards X ___ pounds per cubic yard (waste conversion factor) = ____ pounds/2000 pounds per ton = ____ tons
___ tons X 2000 pounds per ton/pounds per cubic yard = ___ cubic yards X 27 cubic feet per cubic yard = height X width X length
Example:
7500 cubic yards of wood X 400 pounds per yard (unchipped wood debris) = 3,000,000 pounds/2000 pounds per ton = 1500 tons