Sand needed

I need to buy enough 50 lb bags of dry sand to cover 175yds with 1 inch of sand. How many will I need? (Sounds like a high school math question...)

[Robert Fogt]

When you say 175 yards do you mean square yards? Or is that the length.

length * width * height = volume

Though all units need to be the same base unit. Length = 175 yards, Width = ?? yards, height = (1 inch / 36) yards

Boy, did I screw up. Actually, it is 175 square feet of sand needed to a depth of 1 inch. The store here only sells 50 lb. bags so I need to figure how many bags I'll need...

[Robert Fogt]

175 square feet * (1 inch / 12) feet = 14.583 cubic feet

Dry sand has a density of about 100 pounds/cubic foot

14.583 cubic feet * 100 pounds/cubic foot = 1458.3 pounds

1458.3 pounds / 50 pounds/bag = 29.166 bags

You will need about 30 bags.

I have a large project: a 20 by 20 foot area (400 sq feet) that I need to cover to a depth of 12 inches. Each bag holds about .5 cubic foot of sand (50 lb bag) which by my math equals 6 bags/cubic yard and 72 bags total. Does that match your figures?
Regards, Jim

[JohnS]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I have a large project: a 20 by 20 foot area (400 sq feet) that I need to cover to a depth of 12 inches. Each bag holds about .5 cubic foot of sand (50 lb bag) which by my math equals 6 bags/cubic yard and 72 bags total. Does that match your figures?
Regards, Jim

No, I'm afraid not. It is true that 3 feet = 1 yard
However, in cubic measure, it is 3' x 3' x 3' = 27 ft³ = 1 yd³.

You need 400 ft³ or 14.8 yd³ (use 15). 800 bags of 0.5 ft³ will cost more than truckload delivery of 15 yd³.