Asphalt Volume Calculator — Cubic Feet, Cubic Yards and Cubic Metres
Volume is the step between your site dimensions and the tonnage you order. This calculator returns cubic feet, cubic yards and cubic metres together, handles rectangles, circles, triangles and trapezoids, and shows the difference between loose and compacted volume.
Asphalt volume calculator
Outputs cubic feet, cubic yards and cubic metres together, plus the tonnage that volume represents at your selected mix density.
Volume formulas by shape
| Shape | Area formula | Volume | What to measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rectangle | L × W | Area × thickness | Length and width |
| Square | S² | Area × thickness | One side |
| Circle | π × r² | Area × thickness | Diameter across the widest point |
| Half circle | π × r² ÷ 2 | Area × thickness | Diameter of the full circle |
| Ring / annulus | π × (R² − r²) | Area × thickness | Outer and inner diameter |
| Triangle | ½ × base × height | Area × thickness | Base and perpendicular height |
| Trapezoid | ½ × (a + b) × h | Area × thickness | Both parallel sides, perpendicular distance |
| Irregular | sum of the pieces | Sum of piece volumes | Split into the shapes above |
Cubic feet, cubic yards and cubic metres
| Unit | Equals | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cubic foot | 0.0370 cu yd / 0.0283 m³ | Intermediate calculation step |
| 1 cubic yard | 27 ft³ / 0.7646 m³ | US suppliers of millings, cold mix and base stone |
| 1 cubic metre | 35.31 ft³ / 1.308 cu yd | Metric volume quotes worldwide |
| 1 US ton of HMA | 13.79 ft³ / 0.511 cu yd / 0.391 m³ | At 145 lb/ft³ |
| 1 tonne of HMA | 15.20 ft³ / 0.563 cu yd / 0.4305 m³ | At 2,322.7 kg/m³ |
Loose versus compacted volume
Two volumes exist for the same material and they differ by 15–25%.
| Mix | Compaction factor | Loose volume for 100 ft³ compacted |
|---|---|---|
| Dense-graded HMA | 1.20 | 120 ft³ |
| SMA | 1.18 | 118 ft³ |
| Warm mix | 1.20 | 120 ft³ |
| Open-graded friction course | 1.12 | 112 ft³ |
| Porous asphalt | 1.10 | 110 ft³ |
| Cold mix | 1.15 | 115 ft³ |
| RAP millings | 1.25 | 125 ft³ |
| Crushed stone base | 1.20 – 1.25 | 120–125 ft³ |
Always calculate against the compacted volume — that is what the finished pavement occupies and what the design thickness refers to. The extra material needed to get there is what the waste buffer covers. There is a dedicated compaction calculator if you need to convert between the two directly.
Turning volume into tonnage
Tonnes = Volume (m³) × Density (kg/m³) ÷ 1,000
| Volume | Dense HMA (145) | RAP millings (125) | Porous (100) | SMA (150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 ft³ | 7.25 tons | 6.25 tons | 5.00 tons | 7.50 tons |
| 10 cu yd | 19.58 tons | 16.88 tons | 13.50 tons | 20.25 tons |
| 100 cu yd | 195.8 tons | 168.8 tons | 135.0 tons | 202.5 tons |
| 10 m³ | 23.23 t | 20.02 t | 16.02 t | 24.03 t |
| 100 m³ | 232.3 t | 200.2 t | 160.2 t | 240.3 t |
When volume actually matters
- Buying millings or cold mix by the cubic yard. Compare against per-ton quotes by converting.
- Excavation volume. How much material has to come out and be hauled away, priced per cubic yard at the tip.
- Aggregate base ordering. Stone is frequently quoted by the yard.
- Stockpile estimating. Working out what is in a pile on site.
- Truck capacity checks. Whether a load physically fits in the bed as well as whether it is within the axle limit.
- Structural dead load. Converting a surfacing thickness into a load per square metre for an engineer.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate asphalt volume?
Multiply area by compacted thickness with both in the same unit. 1,000 sq ft at 3 inches is 1,000 × 0.25 = 250 cubic feet, which is 9.26 cubic yards or 7.08 cubic metres.
How many cubic feet in a ton of asphalt?
13.79 cubic feet of dense-graded hot mix, because 2,000 lb divided by 145 lb/ft³ is 13.79. In cubic yards that is 0.511.
How many cubic metres in a tonne of asphalt?
0.4305 m³ at 2,322.7 kg/m³. For porous asphalt at 1,602 kg/m³ a tonne occupies 0.62 m³.
What is the difference between loose and compacted volume?
Loose mix behind the paver occupies about 20% more volume than the compacted pavement. Always calculate against compacted thickness and let the waste buffer cover the difference.
Do suppliers sell asphalt by volume?
Rarely for hot mix — that is sold by weight. Millings, cold mix and aggregate base are often sold by the cubic yard from a stockpile, which is why this calculator outputs both.
How do I calculate volume for an irregular shape?
Split it into rectangles, circles, triangles and trapezoids, calculate each volume separately and add them. The calculator takes unlimited areas so you can enter each piece directly.
How much volume does a truck load hold?
A 20-ton tri-axle load of dense-graded hot mix is about 276 cubic feet, or 10.2 cubic yards. Because it is loaded hot and loose, the volume in the bed is greater than the volume it will occupy in the finished pavement.
Sources and further reading
Related calculators and guides
Tonnage calculator
Volume converted to an order quantity.
Weight calculator
Weight in four units.
How to calculate
The full method.
Density guide
Density for every mix type.