# Sand Required for a Sandbag Dike

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KurtHeckman.Sand Required for a Sandbag Dike
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The Amount of Sand Required for a Sandbag Dike calculator computes the volume of sand needed for sandbag dike (3x1) based to height (H) and length (L) of the dike.

INSTRUCTIONS: Choose the preferred units and enter the following:

• (H)  This is the height of the dike needed to protect from flooding.
• (L)  This is the length of the dike needed to protect from flooding.

Volume of Sand (V): The calculator returns the volume of sand needed for the dike in cubic yards.  However, this can be automatically converted to other volume units (e.g. cubic meters, cubic feet) via the pull-down menu.

### The Math / Science

The recommended dimensions for the cross section of a sandbag dike is three to one (3x1) for the base verses the height respectively.  This equation returns the approximate volume of material (e.g. sand in bags) needed based on the ratio assumption and the height(H) and length (L) of the dike.  Note: the height should be at least one foot above the expected level of water.

The Sand Required for a Sandbag Dike calculator helps you estimate the amount of sand you will need on site to build a sandbag dike.  It's based on the paper Sandbagging for Flood Protection by Dr. Hellevang captured in the Sandbag Wall Calculator

To be prepared for a flood with a sandbag dike, you need: