Weight per cubic yard
A cubic yard of loose gravel weighs about 2,700 lb (1.35 tons), a yard of topsoil about 2,400 lb, a yard of wood mulch about 500 lb, and a yard of concrete about 3,900 lb. The table gives every material the calculators use, loose and compacted, with the published range behind each figure.
Weights used on this site
| Material | Loose, lb per cu yd | Loose, tons | Published range (loose), lb | Compacted, lb per cu yd | Compacted, tons | kg per m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel (mixed sizes) | 2,700 | 1.35 | 2,565 to 2,700 | – | – | 1,602 |
| Pea gravel | 2,700 | 1.35 | 2,565 to 2,700 | – | – | 1,602 |
| Crushed stone (#57 and other clean stone) | 2,700 | 1.35 | 2,410 to 2,780 | 3,200 | 1.60 | 1,602 |
| Crusher run (road base with fines) | 2,800 | 1.40 | 2,430 to 3,000 | 3,800 | 1.90 | 1,661 |
| Stone dust (screenings) | 2,400 | 1.20 | 2,400 | – | – | 1,424 |
| River rock | 2,600 | 1.30 | 2,570 to 2,700 | – | – | 1,543 |
| Sand | 2,700 | 1.35 | 2,400 to 2,960 | 3,000 | 1.50 | 1,602 |
| Topsoil | 2,400 | 1.20 | 2,160 to 2,400 | – | – | 1,424 |
| Wood mulch | 500 | 0.25 | 500 to 810 | – | – | 297 |
| Asphalt millings (recycled asphalt) | 2,400 | 1.20 | 2,270 to 2,480 | 3,400 | 1.70 | 1,424 |
| Crushed concrete (recycled) | 2,300 | 1.15 | 2,190 to 2,400 | 3,400 | 1.70 | 1,365 |
| Hot mix asphalt | – | – | – | 3,915 | 1.96 | 2,323 |
| Concrete | – | – | – | 3,915 | 1.96 | 2,323 |
"Loose" is material in a pile or a truck bed, the way it is sold. "Compacted" is material rolled or tamped into a base; the same cubic yard then holds much more stone, so it weighs more. The metric column is the loose figure, or the compacted one for asphalt and concrete. To convert, 1 lb per cubic yard is 0.593 kg per cubic meter.
Convert yards to tons
Where each figure comes from
| Material | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Gravel (mixed sizes) | EPA lists loose gravel at 2,565 lb per cubic yard and dry gravel at 100 lb per cubic foot (2,700 lb per cubic yard). Wet gravel runs 100 to 120 lb per cubic foot. |
| Pea gravel | Pea gravel is small rounded gravel, so it weighs about the same per yard as other loose gravel: 2,565 to 2,700 lb dry. |
| Crushed stone (#57 and other clean stone) | Caltrans lists loose crushed limestone at 2,550, crushed granite at 2,600 and crushed gravel at 2,700 lb per cubic yard. MoDOT lists loose granite or limestone at 2,410 to 2,590 and trap rock at 2,590 to 2,780; compacted granite or limestone at 3,060 to 3,300. |
| Crusher run (road base with fines) | Wisconsin measured loose dense-graded base at 90 to 104 lb per cubic foot dry (2,430 to 2,810 lb per yard); Caltrans plans 1.5 tons per loose yard. Compacted, WisDOT uses 1.75 to 2.1 tons per cubic yard and Caltrans 2.0. |
| Stone dust (screenings) | Caltrans lists loose screenings at 2,400 lb per cubic yard. |
| River rock | EPA lists loose rock at 2,570 lb per cubic yard and large stone at 100 lb per cubic foot (2,700 lb per cubic yard). |
| Sand | Caltrans lists sand at 2,400 to 2,600 lb per cubic yard, EPA at 2,441 loose, and MoDOT at 2,630 to 2,960 loose and 2,830 to 3,180 compacted. Wet sand can reach 130 lb per cubic foot (3,510 lb per yard). |
| Topsoil | EPA lists loose sandy loam at 2,392 lb per cubic yard and Caltrans lists dry, loose clay soil at 2,160. Damp soil weighs more. |
| Wood mulch | EPA lists shredded wood chips at 500 lb per cubic yard and bark at about 30 lb per cubic foot (810 lb per yard). Wet mulch weighs more. |
| Asphalt millings (recycled asphalt) | Wisconsin measured loose recycled asphalt at 84 to 92 lb per cubic foot dry and 1.64 to 1.71 tons per compacted cubic yard. |
| Crushed concrete (recycled) | Wisconsin measured loose recycled concrete base at 81 to 89 lb per cubic foot dry and 1.65 to 1.75 tons per compacted cubic yard. |
| Hot mix asphalt | MoDOT lists compacted asphalt concrete at about 145 lb per cubic foot (3,910 lb per yard). Caltrans plans 111 lb of mix per square yard per inch, which is about 4,000 lb per cubic yard. |
| Concrete | MoDOT lists concrete at about 145 lb per cubic foot (3,915 lb per yard). QUIKRETE gives its bagged Concrete Mix as about 140 lb per cubic foot (3,780 lb per yard). |
MoDOT's loose and compacted weights
The Missouri Department of Transportation's maintenance tables give weights for several stones in both states. They show how much compaction adds: about 27 percent for granite or limestone.
| Material | Loose, lb per cu ft | Loose, lb per cu yd | Compacted, lb per cu ft | Compacted, lb per cu yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trap rock | 96 to 103 | 2,590 to 2,780 | 122 to 131 | 3,300 to 3,540 |
| Granite or limestone | 89 to 96 | 2,410 to 2,590 | 113 to 122 | 3,060 to 3,300 |
| Sandstone | 82 to 93 | 2,220 to 2,500 | 105 to 118 | 2,830 to 3,180 |
| Sand | 97 to 110 | 2,630 to 2,960 | 105 to 118 | 2,830 to 3,180 |
Why your supplier's figure may differ
The weight of a yard depends on the rock, the mix of sizes, and above all the water in it. Sand and soil can weigh 20 percent or more extra when wet. Stone from a quarry with dense rock, such as trap rock, weighs more than limestone of the same size. Suppliers weigh each load on a scale, so ask what their material weighs per yard and use that number in the calculators where it differs.
Sources
- Highway Maintenance Tables and Conversion Factors (Engineering Policy Guide appendix), Missouri Department of Transportation, current guide. Loose and compacted weights of crushed stone, sand, asphalt and concrete in pounds per cubic foot and per cubic yard.
- Maintenance Manual Volume 1, Appendix: Useful Information, California Department of Transportation, July 2014. Loose weights of crushed gravel, limestone, granite, screenings, sand and soil; 111 lb of asphalt mix per square yard per inch; 2.0 tons per compacted cubic yard of base.
- Standard Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, March 2016. Loose weights of gravel, rock, sand, sandy loam soil and shredded wood chips.
- Weight-Volume Relationships and Conversion Factors for Soils and Aggregates of Wisconsin (WHRP 0092-22-05), Wisconsin Highway Research Program, Michigan State University, December 2023. Measured loose and compacted weights of base aggregates, recycled asphalt and recycled concrete; tons per compacted cubic yard.
- QUIKRETE Concrete Mix (No. 1101) data sheet, The QUIKRETE Companies, revised October 2022. Bag yields: 40 lb 0.30 cu ft, 50 lb 0.375, 60 lb 0.45, 80 lb 0.60, 90 lb 0.675; about 140 lb per cubic foot.