Define the base.
State the reference surface, pile boundary and how they were established. Use a consistent basis for comparisons between visits.
The stockpile explainer
One pile.
Five ways to measure it.
Compare how a surface is captured — and the questions that turn a measurement programme into a useful volume record.
Illustrative sampling diagram
Point counts are illustrative. The diagram does not rank accuracy or show a client measurement.
Ground profiles
Selected dimensions or cross-sections are used to estimate a pile’s shape. This can provide a simple approximation, but the assumptions become important when the actual surface is irregular.
Ask your field team
Ask which parts of the shape were observed and which were assumed.
Total station
A total station measures selected points. Their distribution, available sight lines and the way they are joined influence the resulting surface. Moving the instrument can help address occluded areas.
Ask your field team
Ask how field capture covers the pile perimeter, sides and changes in shape.
Photogrammetry
Overlapping images are processed into a three-dimensional surface. Image quality, visible texture, coverage, ground control and independent checks all affect the result.
Ask your field team
Ask for the capture plan, quality checks and treatment of gaps or low-confidence areas.
Airborne LiDAR
Laser range observations form a point cloud. Positioning, calibration, flight geometry, coverage and surface conditions determine what can be reconstructed and accepted.
Ask your field team
Ask how line-of-sight gaps, control and classification are checked. A sensor name is not an accuracy guarantee.
Fixed LiDAR
A fixed scanner can support repeated observations where its location and field of view suit the yard. Occlusion, changing pile geometry, installation and maintenance still require a site-specific design.
Ask your field team
Ask what the system can see, what it cannot see and how changed conditions are handled. This is a method concept, not a claim of an available Flybi deployment.
The part every method shares
A surface is only
half the calculation.
Volume depends on the difference between the measured top and the chosen base. Tonnage needs one more input.
Measure volume.
Express the result in cubic metres. Keep its date, method, checks and limitations available alongside the number.
Document density.
Estimated tonnes equal volume in m³ multiplied by applicable bulk density in t/m³. Material and moisture assumptions matter.
Method reference: Esri’s guide to volume measurements and base surfaces.
Choose the method around the question
What does your yard need?
Access, visibility, material, capture cadence and the required checks determine the scope. An advertised accuracy percentage cannot choose it for you.