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 2
For the East Valley retaining wall replacement, a project engineer preparing a quality-control closeout converts 1600 bank cubic yards of soil using a compacted yield factor of 0.95. What compacted volume is expected?
- A955.5 CCY
- B1520.0 CCY
- C1152.8 CCY
- D1341.4 CCY
Show the answer and worked solution
Answer: B — 1520.0 CCY
Worked solution
- Step 1. Apply compacted yield factor
compacted volume = bank volume x yield factor
V = 1600(0.95) = 1520 CCY
Why the other choices are wrong
- Choice A
- Multiplying the 1600 bank cubic yard quantity by the stated 0.95 yield factor gives a compacted volume well below this total, and the jump is not explained by one obvious dropped step, so the smaller value is the one to rely on.
- Choice C
- This total runs somewhat above 1600 * 0.95, and the difference does not follow from one traceable misstep in the yield-factor multiplication, so the smaller compacted volume from that direct calculation is the one to trust.
- Choice D
- This total falls short of 1600 * 0.95, and the shortfall is not traceable to one clean misapplication of the yield factor, so the larger compacted volume from that direct multiplication is the one the data supports.