Sorry in advance, because I guess this is an unanswerable question. I
need some topsoil, and have managed to get a good deal, but I have to
buy a minimum of 20 tons. Trouble is, I really can't visualise what 20
tons looks like!

The space is pretty big - about 90 feet by 50 feet, though I want to
fill only half of that if possible - perhaps to a depth of up to about
3 or 4 inches.

I know this is a vague question, but do people think this is way over
the top for my needs? I don't want to end up with a massive hill in my
garden!

Thanks

Will

wrote in message
oups.com...
Sorry in advance, because I guess this is an unanswerable question. I
need some topsoil, and have managed to get a good deal, but I have to
buy a minimum of 20 tons. Trouble is, I really can't visualise what 20
tons looks like!

The space is pretty big - about 90 feet by 50 feet, though I want to
fill only half of that if possible - perhaps to a depth of up to about
3 or 4 inches.

I know this is a vague question, but do people think this is way over
the top for my needs? I don't want to end up with a massive hill in my
garden!

Thanks

Will

Hope my calculation is somewhere in the right zone....a ton of soild varies
in weight according to its moisture content...believe it ranges from around
80 pounds to around 115 pounds per cubice ft.....so you are talking about a
range of 550 to 400 (approx) cubic feet of soil with 20 tons....or about 4
square feet at 3inches per cubic ft....the rest of the calculation is
easy..HW.

wrote:
Sorry in advance, because I guess this is an unanswerable question. I
need some topsoil, and have managed to get a good deal, but I have to
buy a minimum of 20 tons. Trouble is, I really can't visualise what 20
tons looks like!

Hm. 20 ton(ne)s? Say 1 1/2 tonnes per cubic metre, so you will
have about 13 cubic metres.

The space is pretty big - about 90 feet by 50 feet, though I want to
fill only half of that if possible - perhaps to a depth of up to about
3 or 4 inches.

Say 27m by 16m, or 432 sq. metres.

I know this is a vague question, but do people think this is way over
the top for my needs? I don't want to end up with a massive hill in my
garden!

which will cover the surface to 0.03m depth, so for half the area
0.06m, or 2 1/3".

wrote in message
oups.com...
Sorry in advance, because I guess this is an unanswerable question. I
need some topsoil, and have managed to get a good deal, but I have to
buy a minimum of 20 tons. Trouble is, I really can't visualise what 20
tons looks like!

The space is pretty big - about 90 feet by 50 feet, though I want to
fill only half of that if possible - perhaps to a depth of up to about
3 or 4 inches.

I know this is a vague question, but do people think this is way over
the top for my needs? I don't want to end up with a massive hill in my
garden!

Thanks

Will

Make the calculator do the work.

http://www.millergroup.ca/compost/lme.html

Regards,
Emrys Davies.

On 12 May 2005 01:35:25 -0700, wrote:

Sorry in advance, because I guess this is an unanswerable question. I
need some topsoil, and have managed to get a good deal, but I have to
buy a minimum of 20 tons. Trouble is, I really can't visualise what 20
tons looks like!

The space is pretty big - about 90 feet by 50 feet, though I want to
fill only half of that if possible - perhaps to a depth of up to about
3 or 4 inches.

I know this is a vague question, but do people think this is way over
the top for my needs? I don't want to end up with a massive hill in my
garden!

20 tons looks like about 10 cubic yards depending greatly on soil type
and moisture content.

=================================================

Rod

Weed my email address to reply.
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

wrote:
:: Sorry in advance, because I guess this is an unanswerable
:: question. I need some topsoil, and have managed to get a good
:: deal, but I have to buy a minimum of 20 tons. Trouble is, I really
:: can't visualise what 20 tons looks like!
::
:: The space is pretty big - about 90 feet by 50 feet, though I want
:: to fill only half of that if possible - perhaps to a depth of up
:: to about 3 or 4 inches.
::
:: I know this is a vague question, but do people think this is way
:: over the top for my needs? I don't want to end up with a massive
:: hill in my garden!

Right....90X50 = 4500 sq ft

4500sq ft = approx 418 sq metres.

1 tonne is a cubic metre (depending on soggyness etc) but take it from me
that it doesn't get weighed, the bucket holds a tonne or half a tonne and
they get counted during loading, the weight doesn't enter into it.

1 cubic metre will give you 10 metres at 100mm (4 inch)...so it's safe to
say that 20 tonnes will cover approx 200 sq metres, just less than half of
your garden at a depth of 100mm, obviously if you spread it thinner it will
cover a larger area.


--
If God had intended us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs.

"Phil L" wrote in message
. uk...
wrote:
:: Sorry in advance, because I guess this is an unanswerable
:: question. I need some topsoil, and have managed to get a good
:: deal, but I have to buy a minimum of 20 tons. Trouble is, I really
:: can't visualise what 20 tons looks like!
::
:: The space is pretty big - about 90 feet by 50 feet, though I want
:: to fill only half of that if possible - perhaps to a depth of up
:: to about 3 or 4 inches.
::
:: I know this is a vague question, but do people think this is way
:: over the top for my needs? I don't want to end up with a massive
:: hill in my garden!

Right....90X50 = 4500 sq ft

4500sq ft = approx 418 sq metres.

1 tonne is a cubic metre (depending on soggyness etc) but take it from me
that it doesn't get weighed, the bucket holds a tonne or half a tonne and
they get counted during loading, the weight doesn't enter into it.

Oh yes it does. All sand, gravel, soil etc is sold by the tonne, and is
weighed either by weighing equipment fitted to the loading shovel, or by the
vehicle being weighed on the weighbridge going in and coming out. The
difference between the two weights is what you pay for.

If you check your local yellow ads paper, you will find loads of adverts
from people who will deliver these materials to your home or site, at £xxx
per tonne.

Steve

On Fri, 13 May 2005 16:26:04 +0100, "shazzbat"
wrote:

but take it from me
that it doesn't get weighed, the bucket holds a tonne or half a tonne and
they get counted during loading, the weight doesn't enter into it.

Oh yes it does. All sand, gravel, soil etc is sold by the tonne, and is
weighed either by weighing equipment fitted to the loading shovel, or by the
vehicle being weighed on the weighbridge going in and coming out. The
difference between the two weights is what you pay for.

If you check your local yellow ads paper, you will find loads of adverts
from people who will deliver these materials to your home or site, at £xxx
per tonne.

Took the words right out of my mouth. The guys who deliver to us have
a weighing device on the wagon.

=================================================

Rod

Weed my email address to reply.
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html