Question
We're covering an area with gravel. Need the square footage (inches).
the width is 58 inches at both ends.
one length is 126 inches, the other is 108 inches. We're doing two plots, the next is larger but similar in shape. Can you give us a simple formula? Thanks
Answer
I assume the two long sides are parallel to each other, so that the shape looks like the side view of a pie plate. I also assume the 58" is the length of the short side, not the straightline distance between the long sides.<BR>If you measure the straightline distance between the two long sides, it is probably a bit shorter than 58"; probably about 57.3". Using this distance, the formula is a little simpler:<BR> Area = 1/2 * (126 + 108) * 57.3 = 6704 square inches.<BR>To convert to square feet, divide this by 144 = 46.55 sq. feet.<BR><BR>As an aside, if you want to know how many cubic feet of gravel you need, muliply by the depth (in inches), and divide by 12. Divide this again by 27 to find cubic yards. For 2" deep, this area would need 7.75 cubic feet, or 0.3 cubic yards. See the link I attached.<BR>Hope this helps!
http://www.csgnetwork.com/areatrapezoid.html
http://vrd.askvrd.org/services/answerschema.xml
