Calculating Bulk Volumes Using Simpson Rule
Simpsons Rule
Previously when we drew our sections we assumed that the ground was straight between the spot
heights. In the real world natural land will undulate between the spot heights you have taken.
Simpsons rule is a method that tries to estimate this undulation.
The formula is expressed as follows,
Area of the section = D 3 x (X1 + 4X2 + 2X3 + 4X4..+ 2Xn-2 + 4Xn-1 + Xn) Where,
D= Spacing between spot heights (Note this method will only work if an even grid method is used)
Xx = Cut/Fill value calculated
subscript is the grid position along the section
n = The number of spot heights along the grid The number of grids must be an odd number
Simpsons Rules uses the sections developed from either the longitudinal or cross sections.
The formula may also be expressed as
D 3 x ( First Cut/Fill + 4 x Second Cut/Fill + 2 x Third Cut/Fill + .4 x Even Numbered Cut/Fill + 2 x Odd
Numbered Cut/Fill + 4 x Second Last Cut/Fill + Last Cut/Fill)
From the previous grid layout
Step 1
Determine Formation Height = 100.500
Step2
1
Determine Cut/Fill for each spot height.
RL 100.500
Vertical Scale 1:20
Horizontal Scale 1:100
30.000
0.830
-0.330 100.500
100.830
25.000
0.680
-0.180 100.500
100.680
20.000
0.724
-0.224 100.500
100.724
15.000
0.735
-0.235 100.500
100.735
10.000
100.730
0.730
-0.230 100.500
5.000
100.800
0.800
Cut
-0.300 100.500
Design Level
100.950
+/- above Datum
0.950
Existing Ground Level
-0.450 100.500
Chainage
0.000
RL 100.000
Fill
Longitudinal Section Grid 1
= D 3 x (X0 + 4X1 + 2X2 + 4X3 + 2Xn4 + 4X5 + X6)
=5 3 x (-0.450 + 4 x -0.300 + 2 x -0.230 + 4 x -0.235 + 2 x -0.224 + 4 x -0.180 + -0.330)
= -7.580m2
To remove any doubt if this formula works lets substitutes the following example,
RL 100.500
Vertical Scale 1:20
Horizontal Scale 1:100
30.000
0.700
-0.200 100.500
100.700
25.000
0.700
-0.200 100.500
100.700
0.700
-0.200 100.500
100.700
20.000
15.000
0.700
-0.200 100.500
100.700
10.000
100.700
0.700
-0.200 100.500
5.000
100.700
0.700
Cut
-0.200 100.500
Design Level
100.700
+/- above Datum
0.700
Existing Ground Level
-0.200 100.500
Chainage
0.000
RL 100.000
Fill
Longitudinal Section Grid X
The example is a longitudinal section which shows a perfectly flat section with an RL 100.700.
To reduce it to its design level there is a constant cut of 0.200m.
This may be easily calculated as 30m x 0.200m = 6m2
Using Simpsons we can write the formula as follows
Area = D 3 x (X0 + 4X1 + 2X2 + 4X3 + 2Xn4 + 4X5 + X6)
=5 3 x (-0.200 + 4 x -0.200 + 2 x -0.200 + 4 x -0.200 + 2 x -0.200 + 4 x -0.200 + -0.200)
=- 6m2
= -7.580m2
RL 100.500
Vertical Scale 1:10
Horizontal Scale 1:100
30.000
0.600
-0.100
100.500
100.600
25.000
0.650
-0.150 100.500
100.650
20.000
0.650
-0.150 100.500
100.650
15.000
0.700
-0.200 100.500
100.700
10.000
100.720
0.720
-0.220 100.500
5.000
100.830
0.830
Cut
-0.330 100.500
Design Level
100.900
+/- above Datum
0.900
Existing Ground Level
-0.400 100.500
Chainage
0.000
RL 100.000
Fill
Longitudinal Section Grid 2
= D 3 x (X0 + 4X1 + 2X2 + 4X3 + 2Xn4 + 4X5 + X6)
=5 3 x (-0.400 + 4 x -0.330 + 2 x -0.220 + 4 x -0.200 + 2 x -0.150 + 4 x -0.150 + -0.100)
= -6.600m2
RL 100.500
Vertical Scale 1:20
Horizontal Scale 1:100
30.000
100.400
100.500
+0.100
0.400
25.000
100.450
0.450
100.500
Fill
+0.050
20.000
0.530
-0.030 100.500
100.530
15.000
0.550
-0.050 100.500
100.550
10.000
100.690
0.690
-0.190 100.500
5.000
100.730
Cut
0.730
Design Level
-0.230 100.500
+/- above Datum
100.750
Existing Ground Level
0.750
Chainage
-0.250 100.500
0.000
RL 100.000
Longitudinal Section Grid 3
= D 3 x (X0 + 4X1 + 2X2 + 4X3 + 2Xn4 + 4X5 + X6)
=5 3 x (-0.250 + 4 x -0.230 + 2 x -0.190 + 4 x -0.050 + 2 x -0.030 + 4 x 0.050 + 0.100)
= -2.517m2
RL 100.500
Vertical Scale 1:20
Horizontal Scale 1:100
30.000
100.290
0.290
100.500
+0.210
25.000
0.600
-0.100 100.500
100.600
20.000
0.350
100.500
+0.150
100.350
15.000
0.320
100.500
+0.180
100.320
10.000
100.330
0.330
100.500
5.000
100.470
0.470
Fill
+0.170
Cut
+0.030
Design Level
-0.050 100.500
+/- above Datum
100.500
Existing Ground Level
100.550
Chainage
0.550
0.000
RL 100.000
Longitudinal Section Grid 4
= D 3 x (X0 + 4X1 + 2X2 + 4X3 + 2Xn4 + 4X5 + X6)
=5 3 x (-0.050 + 4 x 0.030 + 2 x 0.170 + 4 x 0.180 + 2 x 0.150 + 4 x -0.100 + 0.210)
= 2.067m2
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RL 100.500
Vertical Scale 1:20
Horizontal Scale 1:100
30.000
100.040
100.500
+0.460
0.040
25.000
100.140
100.500
+0.360
0.140
20.000
100.190
100.500
+0310
0.200
100.500
+0.300
0.190
15.000
100.200
10.000
100.300
0.300
100.500
5.000
100.330
0.330
100.500
+0.170
Design Level
100.394
+/- above Datum
100.500
Existing Ground Level
+0.106
Chainage
0.394
0.000
RL 100.000
Fill
+0.200
Cut
Longitudinal Section Grid 5
= D 3 x (X0 + 4X1 + 2X2 + 4X3 + 2Xn4 + 4X5 + X6)
=5 3 x (0.106 + 4 x 0.170 + 2 x 0.200 + 4 x 0.300 + 2 x 0.310+ 4 x 0.360 + 0.460)
= 8.177m2
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Longitudinal Section Grid 1
Longitudinal Section Grid 2
Longitudinal Section Grid 3
Longitudinal Section Grid 4
Longitudinal Section Grid 5
So far we have calculated the cross sectional area for each Longitudinal Sections 1 to 5.
This is represented by the following table.
A
1
2
3
4
5
B
-0.450
-0.400
-0.250
-0.050
0.106
C
-0.300
-0.330
-0.230
0.030
0.170
D
-0.230
-0.220
-0.190
0.170
0.200
E
-0.235
-0.200
-0.050
0.180
0.300
F
-0.224
-0.150
-0.030
0.150
0.310
G
-0.180
-0.150
0.050
-0.100
0.360
-0.330
-0.100
0.100
0.210
0.460
We now need to calculate the volume.
We could represent our answers as a polygon as displayed on the following page
8
Cross Sectional Area
-7.580
-6.600
-2.517
2.067
8.177
As there are an odd number of cross sections we again can use Simpsons Rule to determine the
volume.
= D 3 x (X0 + 4X1 + 2X2 + 4X3 + 2Xn4 + 4X5 + X6)
=5 3 x (-7.580 + 4 x -6.600 + 2 x -2.517 + 4 x 2.067 + 8.177)
= -37.615m2
If there were an even amount of spot heights the next best options would be to use the Trapezoid
rule to finish of the calculation as shown on the next page.
9
= D x ((X1 x 0.5) + X2 + X3..+ Xn-1 + (Xn x 0.5))
=5 x ((-7.780 x 0.5) + -6.600 + -2.517 + 2.067 + (8.177 x 0.5)
= -34.258
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