Construction Engineering Formula Sheet

Earthwork Construction and Layout

Basic Conversions

1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet

Basic must know properties

Density of Water = 62.42 pounds per CF (pcf), 1,000 g/liter = 1,000kg/m 3

Economic Haul Distance; Large Dozer up to 3000 ft; Scraper 3000 – 5000 ft; Trucks > 5000 ft

lbs of concrete/sack of cement = 94 lbs

One gallon of water = 8.34 lbs

Density = Weight (lbs) / Volume(cf)

Specific gravity = Density of material / Density of water

Density of Water = 62.4 lbs/cf or 1000 kg/cubic meter

1 liter = 1 kg

Excavation and embankment

General Trapezoidal Formula: Area = (h0/2 + h1 + h2 + …+ h(n-1) + hn/2) x w

Average end area Method = V = ((A1+A2)/2) * L

Prismoidal Method = Vp = L*(A1+4AM+A2) / 6

Pyramid Method = V = AL / 3

Borrow Pit Volumes

Conical Spoil Pile = Vol = (Ab x H) / 3; D = (7.64V / tan )1/3; H = (D/2) tan  ;where Ab=base area;

H=pile height;D=diameter;  = angle of repose (deg)

Triangular Spoil Bank = Vol = Cross section Area x L ; B = (4V/(L x tan )1/3 ; H = (B x tan ) / 2 ; V=

pile volume; B= base width ; H = pile ht; L = pile length ;  = angle of repose (deg)

Density of Water = γwater = Mw/Vw

Moisture Content (w) = Mw/Ms

Degree of Saturation (S) = Vw/Vv

Total or Wet Density of Soil (γwet) = M/V where M = Mw + Ms ;

Density of Solids = Ms/Vs

Specific Gravity = Gs = γsolids /γwater ; or = Ms/(Vs * γwater )

Porosity (n) = Vv/Vt ; Vv = Volume of Voids = Vw + Va ; Vt = Total Volume = Vs +Vw + Va

Void Ratio (e) = Vv/Vs

Dry Density of Soil (γdry) = Ms /V

Dry Density of Soil (γdry) = γwet / (1+w); (γdry) = (γwater*Gs) / (1+(w/S)*Gs)

(γdry)=(γwater * Gs)/(1+e)

Specific Gravity = S * e = Gs * w

Porosity (n) = e/(1+e)

Void Ratio (e) = n/(1-n)

VCompacted = VBanked (1 – SHRINKAGE)

VLoose = VBanked (1+SWELL)

Swell % = ((DB – DL) / DL) x 100 ; Swell = (DB – DL)/DL

Shrinkage % = ((DC – DB) / DL) x 100 ; Shrinkage = (DC – DB)/DL

DL = Dry Loose unit wt (pcf) ; DB = Dry Bank unit wt (pcf) ; DC = Dry compacted unit wt(pcf)

Vloose = Vc (1+Swll)/(1- Shrinkage) ; Vbank = Vc / (1-Shrinkage)

Site Layout and Control

Height of Instrument (HI) = Known elevation + Backsight (BS)

Turning Point (TP) = Height of Instrument (HI) – Foresight (FS)

Trigonometric Leveling  Elevation at unknown location = elevation at known + HI + (slope distance sin

(angle of slope)) – distance from known to unknown location

Traverse Area: Method of Coordinates; The area is A = ½ (Sum of full line products – Sum of broken line

products)

Earthwork Mass Diagrams

Rising section = cut; Falling section = fill; zero slope = moving from cut to fill or vice versa
 Estimating Quantities and Cost

Quantity take-off methods

Trenching: Be careful to fully understand what the dimensions represent, Use horizontal In-In and Vertical

Out-Out

Estimating # bricks in wall : net wall (sf) = Gross surface Area of Wall (sf) – Area of open surface (sf)

 then find surface area of brick with mortar (sf)  (net wall / SA of one brick) x # rows = bricks in

wall

Volume of mortar per brick = (mortar thickness)(brick width)(length + height + mortar thickness)

Board feet = Thickness(in) x Width (in) x Length (in) / 144

Rebar = When finding the number of rebar bars in wall = # rebar = (the length of wall / spacing of bars) +

Engineering economics

Present/Future Value: F= P(1+i)n or P = F/ (1+i)n ; i= (F/P)1/n – 1

Series Payment : P=A[(1+i)n- 1]/[I (1+i)n] ; F=A[(1+i)n- 1]/[i]

Future/Present Value and Arithmetic gradient: F=G/i[((1+i)n- 1)/i)-n] ; P=G(i(1+i)n- iN - 1)/(i2(1+i)n]

Depreciation:

Straight Line Method : Dn = (Initial Cost – Salvage Value)/ N

Sum of the years Digit Method: Dn = (n2 + n)/ 2

Declining balance Method: Dn = 2 x (1/n)

Construction Operations and Methods

Lifting and Rigging

Solve for Center of Gravity: Ax = (A1)(x1) + (A2)(x2) + … + (An)(xn) ; where A= Total Area

x = distance to the CoG in the x direction, A1 and A2 = Area/Volume or Mass; x1 and x2 = distance to the CoG
 Crane selection erection and stability

Crane Stability: Factor of Safety against toppling = Resisting moment / Toppling moment

Toppling Moment = (Weight of Load(WL)) x (Distance from toppling pt to Load)(LL) + Weight of

boom(WB) x Distance to Center of Boom(LB)

Resisting Moment = = (Weight of Counter Weight (WC)) x (Distance from toppling pt to Counterweight)

(LC) + Weight of Crane Body(WG) x Distance to Center of Crane Body(LG)

Equipment Production
Dozer: Total Time = Q / (P x N) : Q = Quantity of material to be moved; P = hourly production rate per

dozer; N = Number of Dozers

Grader: Total Time = (P x D) / (S x E): P= number of passes required; D = distance traveled in each pass,

in miles or feet; S = speed of grader, in mph or fpm (multiply mph by 88 to convert to fpm; E = efficiency

factor

Scraper: Total time (hours) = Q / P x N  Q = total volume to move(BCY), P = hourly production rate

(BCY/hr), N = number of scrapers

Loader: Maximum production rate (LCY per hour) = heaped bucket capacity x bucket fill factor x 60

minutes/ loader cycle time (min)

Net production rate (LCY per hour) = maximum production rate (LCY per hour) x efficiency factor

Excavator: q = ((3600 sec/hour x B x E x P)/ C) x Volume Correction  q = Volume of soil excavated and

dumped in a truck by the excavator (CY/hr), B = Bucket struck capacity (CY), E = Bucket efficiency factor, P

= Productivity factor, C = Cycle time for 90 degree angle and optimum depth

Compactor: Production (CCY per hour) = (16.3 x W x S x L x E) / N  W = compacted width per pass (in

feet), S = compactor speed(mph), L= compacted lift thickness(in), E = efficiency, N = number of passes

required

Compactor: Compactors required = FD x SCF / CP  FD = amount of fill delivered (LCY per hour), SCF =

soil conversion factor (LCY:BCY), CP = compactor production (CCY per hour)

Dump Truck: Number of trucks required = 1 + truck cycle time (minutes) / loader cycle time (minutes)

Scheduling
CPM Network Analysis

Total Float(TF) = Late Finish(LF) – Early Finish(EF) ;

TF = LF – (Early Start(ES)) + Duration(D)) = LF – ES – D

Total Float (TF) = Late Start (LS) – Early Start (ES)

TF = LS – ES = LS – (EF – D) = LS – EF + D

Total Float (TF) = Free Float (FF) + Independent Float (IF)

Free Float = Early Start of successor – Early Finish of Activity

Independent Float = Early start of successor – Late finish of predecessor – duration of Activity

Forward pass  Early start + Duration = Early Finish :

Backward pass  Late Finish – Duration = Late Start

Early Finish = Early Start + Duration ; Early Start = Early Finish – Duration

Activity Time Analysis

c = pessimistic estimate

Time Cost Trade off

Cost Slope = (crash cost – normal cost) / (normal time – crash time)

Material Quality Control and Production

Concrete Mix Design

Water / Cement Ratio = Weight of Water (lbs) / Weight of Cement (lbs)

Air Content (%) = Volume of Air (cf) / Total Volume of Concrete (cf)

Volume of material (cf) = Weight of material (lbs) / ( 62.4 x specific gravity of material)

Volume = Weight of material (lbs) / density of material (lbs/cf)

Temporary Structures

Construction Loads

As per ASCE 37-02,

Cp = Lo (.25 + 15/sqrt(AI))  Cp = reduced design uniformly distributed Personnel and Equipment load per

sf, Lo = is the unreduced uniformly distributed P&E per sf; A I = is the influence area, sf

P&E on slope roof; R = 1.2 –0.5F  where F = slope of the roof (in/ft); R = Reduction Factor (.6 < R < 1.0)

Formwork

Lateral pressure of concrete(p) = wh or ρgh  p = lateral pressure, lb/ft2 ; w = unit weight of concrete,

lb/ft3; ρ = density of concrete (kg/m3); g = gravitational constant, 9.81 N/kg ; h = depth of fluid or plastic

concrete from top of placement to point of consideration in form, ft(m).

ACI Lateral pressure equations:

Columns: For slump 7in or less to depth of 4ft or less: pmax = CwCc[150 + 9000 R/T]

Walls: rate of placement (R) less than 7ft/h and height not exceeding 14 ft: pmax = CwCc[150 + 9000 R/T]

Walls: R is 7ft/hr to 15ft/hr and height not exceeding 14 ft: pmax = CwCc[150 + 43,400/T +2800R/T]

R = rate of placement(ft/hr), T = temperature of concrete during placing, oF, Cw = unit weight coefficient, Cc

= chemistry coefficient
 Shoring and Reshoring

Use ACI SP-4 Formwork for concrete

Concrete maturity and early strength evaluation

Bracing

P = (H x h1 x L1) / (h2 x L2)  P = strut load per foot of form (lb/ft)(kN/m) ;

H = lateral load at top of form ( lb/ft ) (kN/m) ; h1 = height of form (ft)(m) ;

H2 = height of top of strut (ft)(m) ; L1 = length of strut (ft) (m) ;

L2 = horizontal distance from form to bottom of strut (ft) (m)

Pressure applied to wall due to wind ; P = .00256 Vc2  Vc = Wind Velocity

Anchorage

The force required to pull the concrete apart = Force (lbs) = material cohesion (lbs/in2) x Surface Area of

failure

Surface Area of a Cone = pi x r x sqrt (r2 + h2)

Volume of the Cone = 1/3 (pi x r2 x h)

Cofferdam (systems for temporary excavation support)

F1 = wh12 / 2 ; F2 = wh22 / 2 ; w = unit weight of water ; h1 = outside water height ; h2 = inside water

height

F1 = outside hydrostatic force ; F2 = inside hydrostatic force ; F3 = water

buoyancy force

If h1 = 2 h2, then F1 = 4 F2 and F3 = ¾ F1

Safety Statistics (e.g., incident rate, EMR)

OSHA Incident Rate = (# of Injuries & Illness * 200,000) / Total hrs all employees

Fatal Accident Rate = (# of Fatalities * 108) / Total hrs all employees

Fatality Rate = (# of Fatalities / yr) / (Total # people exposed)