How many tons in a cubic yard of Asphalt?

Saad Iqbal | 🗓️Modified: September 4, 2023 | ⏳Time to read:6 min

So, you’ve probably seen asphalt everywhere, right? It’s like the stuff that makes our roads, highways, parking lots, and even driveways. People usually call it “Asphalt” or “black top” because, well, it’s mostly black.

Now, here’s the cool part: asphalt is kind of like a mix of tiny rocks, sand, and this sticky stuff called bitumen. Bitumen acts like a cementitious material that holds everything together, just like cement for roads.

But why’s it color is black, you ask? Well, that’s because bitumen is this thick, black gooey stuff. In the United States, they usually use something called “hot mix asphalt” to make smooth surfaces.

Now, when we talk about how heavy asphalt is, we use this fancy term called “unit weight.”

For asphalt, the unit weight varies between 2,200 kg/m3 to 2,400 kg/m3. That’s like 138 to 150 pounds for every cubic foot. As you increases the density of asphalt, the tougher and longer-lasting it becomes. But let’s just say it’s around 2,400 kg/m³ to keep things simple.

Okay, now the big question: how much asphalt is in one cubic yard?

Asphalt is roughly 2 tons in weight per cubic yard. To break it down, a cubic yard of asphalt weighs about 4,050 pounds, and one ton of asphalt is roughly 2,000 pounds. So, if you want to change cubic yards into tons, just double it!

So, while you’re doing some pavement work for driveway or a walkway, you might want to know how much asphalt to get, you can measure it in cubic yards or tons. And if you’re wondering, “how many tons are in a cubic yard of asphalt?”

Easy peasy, just multiply by 2. This way, you’ll grab exactly what you need for your project, no more, no less.

How many tons in a cubic yard of Asphalt?

How many tons in a cubic yard of Asphalt?

The weight of asphalt per cubic yard or unit weight can vary depending on factors like how tightly it’s packed, the size of the rocks and sand mixed in, and some other factors. But as a rough estimate, contractors and builders use as 3915 pounds per cubic yard, which is roughly 1.95 short tons.

For making things more easy and simple you can say that one cubic yard of asphalt equals around 1.95 short tons.

Now, if you need more asphalt for a bigger project, you can calculate it like this:

  • 2 cubic yards yield about 3.9 short tons
  • 3 cubic yards yield about 5.85 short tons
  • 5 cubic yards yield about 9.75 short tons

And if you’re really going big with 10 cubic yards, you’re looking at approximately 19.5 short tons.

This is all based on the Imperial or US customary measurement system, and it’s the standard weight used for billing purposes. So, when someone asks, “how many tons in a cubic yard of asphalt?” you can confidently say it’s about 1.95 short tons, give or take. Hope that helps!

Also Read: How much will a ton of asphalt cover? (with Calculator)

How much does a cubic Yard of asphalt weigh

Let’s talk about a cubic yard of hot asphalt mix – that’s like a big box of asphalt, visually about 3 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet tall. Now, this hefty cube can weigh quite a bit, around 4050 pounds, which is roughly 2.025 tons. That’s approximately 145 pounds for every cubic foot inside that cubic yard. And if we’re talking metric, that’s about 2.4 tons, which equals 4800 pounds per cubic meter (m3).

How much does a cubic metre of asphalt weigh

Let’s talk about a cubic meter of hot asphalt mix – that’s like a big box of asphalt, visually about 1 meter long, 1 meter wide, and 1 meter tall. Now, this hefty cube can weigh quite a bit, around 4800 pounds, which is roughly 2.025 tons. That’s approximately 145 pounds for every cubic foot inside that cubic yard. And if we’re talking metric, that’s about 2.4 tons, which equals 0.0725 tons per cubic foot.

How much does a cubic yard of asphalt cover

It covers around 108 square feet if you consider 4 inches as standard depth. Considering the cubic yard of hot mix asphalt; visually it appears as 3 feet in length by 3 feet in width and 3 feet in height; that’s around 82 square feet. With 3 inches depth, you can cover even more like 108 square feet. But if you increase depth to 5 inches, you can only cover around 65 square feet.

How much does a ton of asphalt cover

A ton of asphalt covers 40 square feet, if the depth is 4 inches. But if reduce the depth to 3 inches depth, you can cover more around 54 square feet but for 5 inches depth the coverage is further reduced to 32 square feet only.

Also Read: How can I make my home maintenance easier? – List of Home Maintenance Services

How many square feet in a cubic yard of asphalt

In a cubic yard of asphalt, there are 82 square feet with the depth of 4 inches. But with 3 inches deep layer, you can have 108 square feet of asphalt while for 5 inches depth you can have 65 square feet of asphalt coverage.

How many square yards in a cubic yard of asphalt

In a cubic yard of asphalt there are 9 square yards with 4 inches depth layer. You can have 12 square yards with 3 inches depth and 7 square yard with 5 inches depth.

How many square feet in a ton of asphalt

In a ton of asphalt, you can have 40 square feet with 4 inches deep layer. You can have 54 square feet with 3 inches depth and 32 square feet with 5 inches deep layer.

How many tons in a cubic yard of asphalt

In a cubic yard of asphalt, there are approximately 2 tons of asphalt. That’s like 1 cubic yard of asphalt has a weight of 4,050 pounds while 1 ton of asphalt weighs 2,000 pounds. So, that means to get number of yards in a ton all you need is divide 2000 by 4050 to get 0.5 yards approximately.

Saad Iqbal is a professional civil engineering and freelance write. He's passionate about structures, construction management, and home improvement topics. He's been working as a Senior Engineer in a consultant firm for over 8 years. Besides he loves writing informative and in-depth content focused on construction and home-related topics. You can catch him at his linkedin page or reach out via our contact us page.

Read all his articles

Leave a Comment