Asphalt
calculator.
Estimate how many tons of hot-mix asphalt a driveway, path or parking area needs from its area and finished thickness, using the pounds-per-square-yard-per-inch density that state transportation departments use. Add a waste allowance and a price per ton for the cost.
600 ft² (66.7 yd²) of hot-mix asphalt 3 in thick after compaction needs about 11.55 US tons (10.48 tonnes), including 5% waste.
- US tons
- 11.55 tons
- Metric tonnes
- 10.48 t
- Area
- 600 ft² (66.7 yd²)
- Compacted volume
- 150 ft³ (5.56 yd³)
- Spread rate
- 330 lb/yd²
- Density used
- 110 lb/SY·in (146.7 lb/ft³, 2,349 kg/m³)
tons = square yards × inches × lb per SY·in ÷ 2,000 = 66.67 × 3 × 110 × 1.05 ÷ 2,000 = 11.55 tonsArea, inches,
tons.
- Tons = square yards × compacted thickness (in) × density (lb per square yard per inch) ÷ 2,000, the method Tennessee DOT publishes for hot-mix quantities. Metric: tonnes = m² × thickness (m) × density (kg/m³) ÷ 1,000.
- The default density is 110 lb per square yard per inch, about 146.7 lb/ft³ or 2,349 kg/m³. Tennessee DOT's tables list 106 for its standard surface mixes and 110–115 for most base mixes; enter your supplier's figure when you have it.
- Thickness is the finished thickness after rolling. The waste allowance is added to the tonnage.
- Cost = tons × your price per ton (US tons of 2,000 lb) or tonnes × price per tonne. It covers the mix only, not base stone, tack coat, delivery or labor.
- This is a material estimate. It does not design pavement thickness or the base.
How do you calculate tons of asphalt?
Find the area in square yards (square feet ÷ 9), multiply by the compacted thickness in inches and by the mix weight per square yard per inch, then divide by 2,000 for US tons. A 50 × 12 ft driveway is 600 ft², or 66.67 yd². At 3 inches and 110 lb/SY·in it needs 66.67 × 3 × 110 ÷ 2,000 = 11 tons. With 5% waste, order about 11.55 tons.
square yards = length (ft) × width (ft) ÷ 9
tons = square yards × inches × lb per SY·in ÷ 2,000
order = tons × (1 + waste % ÷ 100)How much does asphalt weigh per square yard per inch?
Highway agencies usually express hot-mix density this way. A square yard one inch thick is 9 × 1/12 = 0.75 ft³, so 110 lb/SY·in equals 110 ÷ 0.75 = 146.7 lb/ft³. Tennessee DOT's design tables list 3,816 lb per cubic yard (106 lb/SY·in) for its Grading D surface mixes, 3,960–4,140 lb per cubic yard (110–115) for most base mixes, and 3,168 (88) for open-graded friction course, which is full of air voids. A North Carolina DOT plan sheet specifies a 1.5-inch surface course at 168 lb per square yard, or 112 per inch.
lb/ft³ = lb per SY·in ÷ 0.75
kg/m³ = lb per SY·in × 21.358
lb per SY·in = lb per cubic yard ÷ 36How many square feet does a ton of asphalt cover?
Divide 2,000 lb by the weight of one square foot. At 110 lb/SY·in a square foot 1 inch thick weighs 110 ÷ 9 = 12.22 lb. So a ton covers about 164 ft² at 1 inch, 82 ft² at 2 inches and 55 ft² at 3 inches. Our results show this as the spread rate in pounds per square yard. A 3-inch mat at 110 is 330 lb/yd², the figure a paving crew checks against the tons they actually laid.
Does the thickness mean before or after compaction?
After. Densities like 110 lb/SY·in describe compacted, in-place asphalt, so enter the finished thickness you want. The mix is spread thicker and rolled down, but its weight does not change in the process. The tonnage for a 2-inch finished mat is the same however thick the crew lays it loose.
How do you calculate asphalt in metric?
Multiply the area in square metres by the thickness in metres and the density in kg/m³, then divide by 1,000 for tonnes. A 15 × 4 m drive at 75 mm and 2,350 kg/m³ is 60 × 0.075 × 2,350 = 10,575 kg. With 5% waste that is 11.1 tonnes. 2,350 kg/m³ is very close to 110 lb/SY·in.
tonnes = area (m²) × thickness (mm) ÷ 1,000 × density (kg/m³) ÷ 1,000Worked examples.
A two-car driveway
50 × 12 ft, 3 inches compacted, 110 lb/SY·in, 5% waste, at $95 a ton.
11.55 tons, costing about $1,097.25.
Load this exampleA small parking area
10,000 ft² at 4 inches, 110 lb/SY·in, 5% waste.
256.67 tons.
Load this exampleA large patch
12,960 ft² at 1.5 inches, 110 lb/SY·in, no waste.
118.8 tons.
Load this exampleA surface overlay at Tennessee's surface-mix value
A 500 × 20 ft lane overlaid 2 inches thick at 106 lb/SY·in, no waste.
117.78 tons.
Load this exampleA metric drive
15 × 4 m at 75 mm, 2,350 kg/m³, 5% waste, at $110 a tonne.
11.1 tonnes, costing about $1,221.41.
Load this exampleAt 145 lb/ft³
A 20 × 10 ft area at 3 inches using 145 lb/ft³, which is 145 × 0.75 = 108.75 lb/SY·in, no waste.
3.63 tons (3.625).
Load this exampleWhat this calculator
does not do.
- It estimates material only. It does not choose a pavement thickness or base depth for your soil, climate or traffic. That is a design question for a paving contractor or engineer.
- Density depends on the mix, its aggregate and how well it is compacted. The default is a common estimating value, not your supplier's mix design.
- It assumes a uniform thickness. Low spots, wedges and edge build-ups use more mix, so measure the real depths or raise the waste allowance.
- Cost covers the mix at your price only. Base stone, tack coat, delivery minimums and labor are extra.
Common questions.
How many tons of asphalt per square yard?
At 110 lb/SY·in, a square yard 1 inch thick is 0.055 tons, so 2 inches is 0.11 tons and 3 inches is 0.165 tons.
How much does a cubic yard of asphalt weigh?
About 3,960 lb (1.98 US tons) at 110 lb/SY·in, because a cubic yard is 36 square-yard-inches. Tennessee DOT's tables list 3,816 lb for its standard surface mix and up to 4,140 lb for base mixes.
What density should I use?
Your asphalt plant's figure for the mix, if you can get it. Otherwise 110 lb/SY·in (about 146.7 lb/ft³) is a widely used estimating value.
Is a ton here a US ton or a metric tonne?
In feet and inches, a US (short) ton of 2,000 lb. In metres, a metric tonne of 1,000 kg. Both are shown either way. One tonne is about 1.102 US tons.
- Tennessee DOT: Instructional Bulletin 16-11, computations for hot-mix asphalt base and surface (August 2016) — Area (S.Y.) × lb per S.Y. per inch ÷ 2,000 = tons; Tables 4-1 and 4-2 of mix densities
- North Carolina DOT: I-95 typical section plan sheet (project I-5724/I-5726) — surface course at an average rate of 168 lb per sq yd for 1.5 in
- NIST: The U.S. survey foot — 1 foot = 0.3048 meter exactly
Area is converted to square metres with exact unit definitions (1 ft = 0.3048 m, 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg), multiplied by the compacted thickness and density, and increased by the waste allowance. Imperial densities in lb per square yard per inch convert exactly to kg/m³, so imperial and metric entry give the same tonnage. Our tests check hand-worked vectors including Tennessee DOT's formula, imperial–metric agreement on 300 random cases, linearity in area, thickness and density, and every input's validation.
Built and reviewed by CalculatorLab against the sources above; every worked example on this page is re-checked by our automated test suite before each release. How we build and check calculators. Found a problem? Tell us.