Concrete, Brick and Prairie Clay: Why Heavy Debris Needs a 10 Yard
Concrete, brick and the wet prairie clay are governed by physics, not preference. They're dense enough that a small container reaches legal weight while it still looks nearly empty.
In this guide
- The two-tons-per-yard problem
- Why not just a bigger box
- Freeze-thaw and prairie clay
- Keeping concrete clean for CCDD
- Pricing a heavy job
Of all the material we haul in Danville, the heavy stuff is the most misunderstood. People assume a big job needs a big box, and for concrete, brick and clay the opposite is true. Here's why heavy debris always goes in a small, dedicated 10 yard - and how to get a heavy job priced right.
The two-tons-per-yard problem
Concrete runs to roughly two tons per cubic yard. That number is the whole reason heavy debris behaves the way it does: a 10 yard container filled level with concrete is already at the legal road weight for the truck that carries it. The box looks modest and is doing the heaviest work on the site.
Why not just a bigger box
Customers regularly ask for a 20 or 30 yard for a driveway or foundation tear-out, and we decline for a simple reason: a large container filled with masonry could not be legally moved. It would sit on the property until someone removed material by hand. For bigger demolition we run multiple 10 yards or stage them across the job - more deliveries, but the only lawful way.
Freeze-thaw and prairie clay
The other heavy material here is the ground itself. The deep, dark eastern-Illinois prairie soil and clay holds water and is heavy per yard, and the hard Midwest freeze-thaw cycle heaves it and brings up plenty of it. Foundation and basement work is common here precisely because the ground moves with the frost. Spoil from a footing, slab or drainage job belongs in its own dedicated container, never mixed into general debris, where it will max out the truck while the box looks half full. Let it dry where the schedule allows and keep the container covered, since rain and snowmelt add weight fast.
Keeping concrete clean for CCDD
Clean concrete, block, brick and asphalt - no timber, no tangled rebar, no rubbish - can go to a CCDD clean-fill operation under Illinois rules rather than the landfill, often at lower cost. Keep it separate from the first load and it routes the cheaper way. Tell us when a load is clean concrete and we'll set up a dedicated box for it.
Pricing a heavy job
Because heavy debris weighs far more than its volume suggests, the tonnage in even a modest slab or foundation usually surprises the owner - and with the frost heave here, foundation work is common. If you're demolishing a driveway, walkway or foundation, tell us the square footage and rough thickness and we'll work out the number of 10 yards rather than guess. Every load leaves tarped for the short haul to Brickyard Disposal & Recycling.
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(217) 920-0201Questions readers ask about this
Why does heavy debris go in a small dumpster?
Because dense material like concrete reaches the truck's legal road weight while a small box still looks half empty. A 10 yard filled level with concrete is already at that limit - a bigger container couldn't be legally hauled.
Can old concrete be recycled?
Yes - clean concrete, block, brick and asphalt can go to a CCDD clean-fill operation under Illinois rules, often at lower cost than landfilling. Keep it clean - masonry only - and tell us so we set up a dedicated box.
Does prairie clay need its own container?
For any real quantity, yes. The wet eastern-Illinois clay is heavy, and the freeze-thaw brings up plenty. Keep spoil in its own 10 yard, and let it dry first if you can - rain and snowmelt add weight fast.
How many containers will my concrete job need?
It depends on the square footage and thickness. Tell us those and we'll work out the number of 10 yards - for a typical driveway or walkway tear-out it's often more than one, filled to level loads.