What are the three terms used to describe soil volumes in undisturbed, disturbed with air, and compressed states?

• A. BCY, LCY, CCY
• B. CCY, BCY, LCY
• C. LCY, CCY, BCY
• D. BCY, CCY, LCY

Answer: (A)

The main idea is how soil volume changes as the soil state shifts from natural and undisturbed to disturbed with air and then to compacted. In the field, soil sits in its natural arrangement with its original porosity, so the appropriate term describes the bulk, undisturbed volume. When soil is dug up and disturbed, the pores open up and air fills them, so the volume increases and we describe this as a loose volume. When soil is compacted, those air spaces collapse and the volume decreases, which is described as a compacted volume. Putting these together, the terms Bulk Cubic Yards, Loose Cubic Yards, and Compacted Cubic Yards correctly encode undisturbed, disturbed with air, and compressed states in that order. This matches the intended sequence because it reflects the natural progression of soil density from in-situ to loosened to compacted. Other sequences would mix up the states and don’t align with how volume changes with disturbance and compaction.