Calculate trench excavation volume for utilities, footings, and drainage with soil swell factors and OSHA depth warnings.
This trench volume calculator helps you determine the volume of earth to remove for utility trenches, foundation footings, drainage lines, and other linear excavations. It accounts for soil expansion (swell) when excavated and soil compaction (shrink) when backfilled.
Weight is calculated from bank volume multiplied by the soil's bank density (kg/m³). This is important for determining whether your truck will hit its weight limit before its volume limit, especially with heavy soils like clay (1,900 kg/m³) or rock (2,700 kg/m³).
Vertical-sided trench with uniform width
Total trench length
Trench width
Trench depth from ground surface
Swell: 35% | Shrink: 15% | Density: 1900 kg/m³
Volume of earth in the ground before excavation
Excavated volume for hauling
Volume after compaction
Bank volume weight based on soil density
Swell: +35% (loose = bank × 1.35)
Shrink: −15% (compacted = bank × 0.85)
2 trips
Using Small Tipper (5 m³ / 8 t) truck