Original question written by FE Exam AI Prep from the public FE Civil exam specification. Before release, a solver model re-derived the answer twice from the question alone, without its answer key, and a critic model checked the result, and the arithmetic was re-run as an executable calculation. No licensed engineer reviews these questions. It is not an NCEES question and does not come from any NCEES practice exam. FE Exam AI Prep is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NCEES.
Earthwork Volume and Unit Conversion: FE Civil practice problem 7
During a bid package audit for the Westport sewer siphon utility relocation project, the resident engineer converts 1000 bank cubic yards of soil using a compacted yield factor of 0.85. What compacted volume is expected?
- A511.8 CCY
- B850.0 CCY
- C625.7 CCY
- D771.5 CCY
Show the answer and worked solution
Answer: B — 850.0 CCY
Worked solution
- Step 1. Apply compacted yield factor
compacted volume = bank volume x yield factor
V = 1000(0.85) = 850 CCY
Why the other choices are wrong
- Choice A
- This figure lands roughly 40% below the true result and cannot be traced to one clean computational misstep in the values given. The dependable calculation evaluates 1000 * 0.85 to arrive at 850.0 CCY.
- Choice C
- This total runs roughly 26% under the true result without matching any specific arithmetic slip that can be traced through the stated numbers. Working the calculation directly means evaluating 1000 * 0.85, which yields 850.0 CCY.
- Choice D
- This total sits roughly 9% under the true result, and no single unit slip, sign flip, or misapplied factor in the given data reproduces it cleanly. The reliable path computes 1000 * 0.85 = 850.0 CCY directly from the stated values.