Earthwork
Shrinkage Factor
The reduction in volume when excavated soil is recompacted as fill, compared to its bank (in-place) volume.
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In the Field
Shrinkage means you need more cut material than fill volume suggests. If a fill requires 1,000 cubic yards compacted, you may need to excavate 1,100–1,150 bank cubic yards to get there.
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Rule of Thumb
Most cohesive soils shrink 10–15% when recompacted. Granular soils shrink less — approximately 5–10%. Use geotechnical report data for accurate estimates.