Asphalt Tonnage Calculator

How to Calculate Asphalt Tonnage

Getting the right quantity of asphalt for your paving job is very important. Underordering can cause delays and cold joints, overordering causes cost. Our asphalt tonnage calculator translates your dimensions directly into tons, the UNITS used by asphalt suppliers.

The Asphalt Tonnage Formula

Here is the step-by-step formula for calculating asphalt tonnage:

1. Compute area: Length (ft) Width (ft) = Area sq. Ft
2. volume per section: Area (sq ft) Thickness (inches) 12 = Volume (ft 3)
3. Change it into cubic yards: Volume (cu ft) 27 = Volume in cubic yards
4. Find weight: Volume (cu ft) Density (lbs/cu ft)=Weight in pounds
5. Convert to tons: Weight (lbs) 2,000 = Weight in short tons
6. Add wastage: tomultiplied by 1.05 to 1.10for an additional 5-10%

Asphalt Weight Per Cubic Yard

Understanding the relationship between volume and weight is essential for ordering:

• Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA): ~2.025 tons per cubic yard (145 lbs/cu ft)
• Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA): ~1.89 tons per cubic yard (140 lbs/cu ft)
• Cold Mix Asphalt: ~1.89 tons per cubic yard (140 lbs/cu ft)
• Recycled Asphalt (RAP): ~1.82 tons per cubic yard (135 lbs/cu ft)
• Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA): ~2.10 tons per cubic yard (150 lbs/cu ft)

Quick Reference: Tons Per Square Foot by Thickness

This table shows how many tons of HMA (145 lbs/cu ft) are needed per 100 square feet at various thicknesses:

• 1 inch thick: 0.60 tons per 100 sq ft
• 1.5 inches thick: 0.91 tons per 100 sq ft
• 2 inches thick: 1.21 tons per 100 sq ft
• 2.5 inches thick: 1.51 tons per 100 sq ft
• 3 inches thick: 1.81 tons per 100 sq ft
• 4 inches thick: 2.42 tons per 100 sq ft
• 6 inches thick: 3.63 tons per 100 sq ft

Understanding Asphalt Density

Asphalt density is the weight of asphalt per unit of volume. It varies based on the mix design, aggregate type, and compaction level:

• Loose (before compaction): Approximately 110-120 lbs/cu ft
• Compacted (in place): Approximately 140-150 lbs/cu ft
• Lab density (maximum): Approximately 150-155 lbs/cu ft

Our calculator uses the compacted density, which is the standard for estimating the amount of material to order.

Planning Truckloads and Delivery

Once you know the total tonnage, you can plan deliveries:

• Standard dump truck: 15-20 tons capacity
• Tri-axle dump truck: 20-25 tons capacity
• Live-bottom trailer: 20-22 tons capacity (keeps material hot longer)

For big projects, coordinate with the paving crew on when material should be delivered. Hot Mix asphalt can only sit 1-2 hours after arriving at the jobsite before it needs to be paved. Deliveries will need to be scheduled accordingly so material is not sitting around cooling off.

Common Tonnage Calculation Mistakes

• Using the wrong density: Never use the density for all types of asphalt. Use the density of the asphalt you are working with.
• Forgetting to convert units: Tickness is in inch and should be converted into feet before it is multiplied by area.
• Avoiding to calculate the wastage factor: Any paving job should have oversights of 5-10%.
• Confusing short tons and metric tons: In the us 1 short ton = 2000lbs 1 metric ton = 2205 lbs.
• Not counting for compaction: 25% of the asphalt is gtting compressed in the rolling process. This calculator takes into account the required compacted density.

Metric Conversion for Tonnage

If you are working in metric units:

• 1 short ton = 0.907 metric tonnes
• 1 metric tonne = 1.102 short tons
• 1 cubic meter of HMA ≈ 2.322 metric tonnes
• 1 cubic meter of WMA ≈ 2.243 metric tonnes

Switch our calculator to metric mode for automatic conversion.