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← Glossary·Earthwork

Loose Volume

also called LCY, loose cubic yards, hauled volume

Loose volume is the soil volume after excavation, when the soil has expanded from its in-place bank state. Trucks haul loose volume; bid hauling line items against LCY.

Loose volume = bank volume × (1 + swell factor). For a 20% swell, 100 BCY becomes 120 LCY in the truck bed. The two are not interchangeable, and mixing them in a bid causes serious pricing errors.

If your unit-price line for hauling is per loose cubic yard ($X per LCY hauled), use LCY. If your unit price is per bank cubic yard ($X per BCY excavated), use BCY. Always bid each line in its native unit.

Trucks measure loose volume at the scale or by counted loads × known truck capacity. A typical tandem-axle dump holds 10-14 LCY; a tri-axle holds 14-18 LCY.

Related terms
  • Bank Volume
  • Swell Factor
  • Compacted Volume
Use the math
  • Earthwork volume calculator
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