Also in: Disaster Response and Recovery
Demolition Debris Weight
Tons of debris and recommended dumpster size by structure type.
Example
You enter
- Structure type wood_frame
- Volume (yd³) 25
You get
- Tons 6.1
- Volume (ft³) 675
- Dumpster (yd³) 30
- Debris density (pcf) 18
No published worked example is on file for this calculation. It is checked against a hand-worked derivation of its method and an independent reference test.
Details, formula, and sources
Formula or tableTonnage = volume × density (pcf) / 2000. Densities by structure type (wood-frame ~ 18 pcf, masonry ~ 110, mixed-use ~ 60). Dumpster sizing across 10 / 20 / 30 / 40 yd³ steps.
Source and editionEPA Construction and Demolition Debris Management guidance (EPA-530-K-16-002) by name; engineering-practice density values.
Free accessFree at epa.gov/smm/sustainable-management-construction-and-demolition-materials.
What governsEstimate. AHJ and licensed professional govern.
API field namesstructure_type, volume_yd3, tons, volume_ft3, dumpster_yd3, pcf
- Density per structure class engineering-practice consensusEPA / NDA