What is the amount of screenings (in pounds) needed for a 15' by 30' patio with screenings 2" deep?

To calculate the amount of screenings needed for a patio, you first need to determine the volume of screenings required. The formula to calculate the volume is:

Volume = Length × Width × Depth.

In this case, the dimensions of the patio are 15 feet by 30 feet, and the depth of the screenings is 2 inches. Since depth needs to be in feet for consistency with the other measurements, you can convert 2 inches into feet by dividing by 12 (since there are 12 inches in a foot), which gives you approximately 0.167 feet.

Now, plugging the values into the formula gives:

Volume = 15 ft × 30 ft × 0.167 ft = 75 cubic feet.

Next, to convert cubic feet to pounds, you need to know the weight of screenings per cubic foot. The general weight of screenings can vary, but a common estimate is about 100 pounds per cubic foot.

Thus, to find the total weight of screenings needed:

Weight = Volume × Weight per cubic foot,

Weight = 75 cubic feet × 100 lbs/cubic foot = 7500 lbs.

This calculation correctly arrives at 7500 pounds of screenings required for a patio of the given size and depth,