Estimating Practice Exam

What must be increased to fill a certain volume with compacted material?

1. The density of the material

2. The volume of loose material

3. The weight of the material

4. The number of equipment units needed

The correct answer is: The volume of loose material

To effectively fill a certain volume with compacted material, it is essential to consider the relationship between the loose material and the final compacted state. Compacted material occupies a smaller volume compared to the loose form, which means that to achieve the desired fill, you need to start with a larger volume of loose material. When loose material is compacted, the air pockets within it are reduced, and this decreases the overall volume it occupies. Therefore, to ensure that a certain volume is filled after compaction, the volume of the loose material must be increased prior to compaction. This ensures that once compacted, the material will fully occupy the required space, accounting for any loss in volume that occurs during the compaction process. While increasing the density, weight, or the number of equipment units can play a role in the overall efficiency of the process, they do not directly address the need to initially supply a greater volume of loose material to achieve the final desired compaction result.