Landfill Airspace Consumption and In-Place Density

Converts tonnage and in-place density into waste and cover airspace, the airspace utilisation factor, and what a density improvement is worth. The worked site saves 100,000 cy a year, 20% of its airspace, from a 25% compaction gain for no capital and no permit. Density is an operating result, not a property of the waste.

waste airspace = tons / in-place density in tons per cubic yard; cover airspace = waste airspace x the cover ratio; airspace utilisation factor = tons placed / total airspace consumed.

Volumetric bookkeeping. In-place density is commonly 1,000 to 1,600 lb per cubic yard and cover commonly adds 15 to 25%. The site's own airspace survey and its permitted capacity govern.

Public arithmetic; the densities and cover ratios come from the site's own survey.

Estimate. AHJ and licensed professional govern.

Field names used by the API: annual_tons, in_place_density_lb_per_cy, cover_ratio_pct, airspace_value_per_cy, improved_density_lb_per_cy, waste_airspace_cy, cover_airspace_cy, total_airspace_cy, airspace_utilization_factor, cover_share_pct, improved_total_airspace_cy, improved_airspace_utilization_factor, airspace_saved_cy, airspace_saved_pct, airspace_saved_value

• Cover counted alongside the waste; reporting density on waste alone while measuring capacity on total volume mixes two basessite airspace survey
• Airspace value the committed construction, cover, closure, and post-care cost per cubic yardsite financial assurance