Excavation Volume Calculator

How the excavation volume calculator works

Geometric bank volume = length × width × depth, all in metres. Planned bank volume multiplies that result by 1 + additional allowance percentage / 100. Bank volume means the material’s in-place volume before excavation; no swell or compaction conversion is applied.

Volume charge is planned bank cubic metres × entered price per bank cubic metre, rounded half-up to cents. A separately rounded mobilization charge applies once when planned volume is positive. Zero length, width or depth produces no modeled volume or charge.

The model is rectangular quantity arithmetic. Irregular sections, side slopes, benches, obstructions, groundwater and actual surveyed profiles need another takeoff. Entered dimensions do not establish safe excavation geometry, shoring, utility clearance or ground stability. Caterpillar supplies material-state context; it does not validate these entered dimensions or prices.

Worked example

20 × 1.2 × 1.5 m gives 36 m³ bank volume. A 10% quantity allowance gives 39.6 m³. At an illustrative 12 per bank m³, the volume charge is 475.20; adding 100 mobilization totals 575.20. Changing depth to 1 m gives 26.4 m³ after allowance and a total of 416.80.

Sources and assumptions

The source material explains the underlying calculation or pricing structure. Entered prices, costs, schedules and scenario choices are your assumptions; this tool does not obtain supplier quotes or predict actual results.

• Caterpillar: bank, loose and material volume factors