Asphalt Tonnage by Thickness Chart
Tons of hot-mix asphalt for a 480 sq ft driveway at compacted thicknesses from 1 to 8 inches. The plant quotes by the ton, so the tonnage column is the one to read down the phone.
Source data and formula checked · How we check
Asphalt Tonnage by Thickness Chart reads tons to order straight off compacted thickness, for 11 values from 1 to 8. Every row is computed from the same formula the calculator uses, not measured or copied from another table, so a value between two rows can be worked out the same way. The formula is the one published by Asphalt Institute.
At 145 lb per cubic foot, the compacted density of ordinary hot mix. Porous mixes run lighter.
| Compacted thickness (inch) | Tons to order | Compacted volume | Weight before waste |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3.05 tons | 40 cu ft | 2.9 tons |
| 1.5 | 4.57 tons | 60 cu ft | 4.35 tons |
| 2 | 6.09 tons | 80 cu ft | 5.8 tons |
| 2.5 | 7.61 tons | 100 cu ft | 7.25 tons |
| 3 | 9.14 tons | 120 cu ft | 8.7 tons |
| 3.5 | 10.66 tons | 140 cu ft | 10.15 tons |
| 4 | 12.18 tons | 160 cu ft | 11.6 tons |
| 5 | 15.23 tons | 200 cu ft | 14.5 tons |
| 6 | 18.27 tons | 240 cu ft | 17.4 tons |
| 7 | 21.32 tons | 280 cu ft | 20.3 tons |
| 8 | 24.36 tons | 320 cu ft | 23.2 tons |
Questions people actually ask
- How do I read the Asphalt Tonnage by Thickness Chart?
- Find your compacted thickness in the first column and read across. At 1 inch the tons to order is 3.05 tons; at 8 inch it is 24.36 tons. The table runs from 1 inch to 8 inch in 11 rows.
- How much does the tons to order change per row?
- By 1.52 tons for every 0.5 inch of compacted thickness, and by the same amount everywhere in the table — the relationship is a straight line, so halfway between two rows is halfway between their two answers. That is what makes reading between the rows safe here.
- What if my compacted thickness is outside the table?
- The chart covers 1 inch to 8 inch, which is the range people actually look up. Anything above or below goes into the calculator, which takes any figure and shows each step of the working rather than only the result. Open the asphalt calculator.
- Where do these numbers come from?
- Every row is computed at build time from the formula published by Asphalt Institute, by the same code behind the calculator — not transcribed from another table, which is how a rounding error in one chart ends up in twenty.
Need a different number?
The chart covers the common values. For anything between the rows, the asphalt calculator takes any figure and shows the working.
Source: Asphalt Institute — mix design and density, FHWA — pavement design and construction