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 4
For the West Basin retaining wall replacement, a project engineer preparing an agency resubmittal package converts 2320 bank cubic yards of soil using a compacted yield factor of 0.95. What compacted volume is expected?
- A2204.0 CCY
- B1480.2 CCY
- C1786.4 CCY
- D1984.9 CCY
Show the answer and worked solution
Answer: A — 2204.0 CCY
Worked solution
- Step 1. Apply compacted yield factor
compacted volume = bank volume x yield factor
V = 2320(0.95) = 2204 CCY
Why the other choices are wrong
- Choice B
- No single clean substitution in multiplying 2320 bank cubic yards by the 0.95 yield factor produces this moderately high figure; the direct multiplication returns a smaller compacted volume that matches the stated yield factor.
- Choice C
- No isolated slip in the bank-volume-times-yield-factor calculation accounts for a total this low; carrying out 2320 * 0.95 directly returns a larger compacted volume that matches the stated bank quantity.
- Choice D
- Multiplying the 2320 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.