What is the expansion and compaction unit value used for sand in the material?

• A. .98
• B. .92
• C. 1.00
• D. 1.02

Answer: (A)

In material quantity calculations, the expansion/compaction unit value shows how much a material changes volume when it is compacted. Sand tends to pack down a bit, so its volume after compaction is slightly less than its loose volume.

A value of 0.98 means the compacted volume is about 98% of the loose volume—roughly a 2% reduction. This small reduction accounts for how sand settles under compaction without implying large volume shrinkage. The other options imply no change (1.00), a much larger reduction (0.92), or expansion (1.02), which doesn’t match how sand behaves under typical compaction. Therefore, 0.98 is the appropriate factor to use.