How this calculator works
The tool converts in both directions. In its default direction you know the tonnage a plant quoted and want the volume it occupies on site: it takes a weight in US short tons and a mix density in pounds per cubic foot, and returns cubic yards, which tells you how many truckloads are coming and whether your excavation or storage has room for them. Switch the toggle to Cubic yards → tons and it runs the other way, turning a volume from your plans into the weight an asphalt plant bills in. Either way it also shows the cubic feet and pounds in between.
The formula
Substitution: at 145 lb/ft³, 1 ton × 2,000 = 2,000 lb; 2,000 ÷ 145 = 13.79 cu ft; 13.79 ÷ 27 = 0.51 cu yd. In reverse, 1 cu yd × 27 = 27 cu ft; 27 × 145 = 3,915 lb; 3,915 ÷ 2,000 = 1.96 tons. The 2,000 (pounds per short ton) and the 27 (cubic feet per cubic yard) are exact, because a yard is exactly three feet; only the density is a mix-dependent assumption.
Worked examples
Example 1 — a 20 ton delivery
- Weight:
- 20 US tons
- Mix density:
- 145 lb/ft³ (hot mix)
- To pounds: 20 × 2,000 = 40,000 lb
- To cubic feet: 40,000 ÷ 145 = 275.9 cu ft
- To cubic yards: 275.9 ÷ 27 = 10.2 cu yd
Volume on site: ≈ 10.2 cubic yards
A full tri-axle load of about 20 tons is therefore close to 10 cubic yards of compacted asphalt.
Example 2 — a 10 cubic yard order, in reverse
- Volume:
- 10 cubic yards
- Mix density:
- 145 lb/ft³ (hot mix)
- To cubic feet: 10 × 27 = 270 cu ft
- To pounds: 270 × 145 = 39,150 lb
- To tons: 39,150 ÷ 2,000 = 19.58 tons
Order weight: ≈ 19.58 US tons
Add a waste allowance after converting, not before — trimming, spillage and compaction variance are not in the conversion.
Asphalt weight and volume at 145 lb/ft³
| Quantity | Equivalent | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| In-place unit weight | 142–148 lb/ft³ | Asphalt Institute; site default 145 |
| 1 US short ton | 13.79 ft³ = 0.51 cubic yards | 2,000 lb ÷ 145 lb/ft³ |
| 1 cubic yard | 3,915 lb = 1.96 tons | 27 ft³ × 145 lb/ft³ |
| 10 cubic yards | 39,150 lb = 19.58 tons | 270 ft³ × 145 lb/ft³ ÷ 2,000 |
| 1 ton at 2 in thick | ≈ 83 sq ft coverage | 13.79 ft³ ÷ (2 ÷ 12) ft |
| 1,000 sq ft at 2 in | ≈ 12.08 tons | 1,000 × 0.167 × 145 ÷ 2,000 |
| 1 in over 1,000 sq ft | ≈ 6.04 tons | 1,000 × 0.083 × 145 ÷ 2,000 |
Key facts
- One US short ton of compacted hot-mix asphalt occupies about 0.51 cubic yards, or 13.79 cubic feet, at 145 lb/ft³.
- One cubic yard of compacted hot-mix asphalt weighs about 3,915 lb, or roughly 1.96 US short tons; ten cubic yards weighs about 19.58 tons.
- The Asphalt Institute gives in-place asphalt mixture unit weight as 142–148 lb/ft³; this calculator defaults to 145 lb/ft³.
- The pounds-per-ton (2,000) and cubic-feet-per-cubic-yard (27) factors are exact; only the density is a mix-dependent assumption.
Who should use this and when
Anyone whose plan is in cubic yards but whose invoice is in tons needs one direction or the other. Site supervisors use tons to cubic yards to count truckloads against a quoted tonnage and to check that a stockpile or excavation has room for the load; estimators use cubic yards to tons to price a takeoff against a plant's per-ton rate; and homeowners use either to sanity-check a contractor's quote. If you have dimensions rather than a volume, start with the asphalt volume & weight calculator, and if you have a surface area and want the tonnage to order, the asphalt tonnage calculator takes an area or dimensions directly.
Tips and common pitfalls
- This is compacted volume, not loose truck volume. Loose mix in the bed takes up more space than the in-place figure this returns.
- Match the density to the mix. A lighter cold or porous mix yields more cubic yards per ton; do not assume 145 for every product. If your supplier quotes kg/m³, convert it with the density reference on the asphalt tonnage calculator first.
- Keep the steps in order. Going to cubic yards, divide by density first (pounds → cubic feet), then by 27. Going to tons, multiply by 27 before density; multiplying yards by density directly understates the weight 27-fold.
- Add waste after converting, not before. Convert to the theoretical tonnage first, then add a 5–10% allowance for trimming and irregular edges.
Logistic FAQs
How do I convert asphalt tons to cubic yards?
Multiply tons by 2,000 to get pounds, divide by the density in lb/ft³ (145 for hot mix) to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. So 1 ton is 2,000 ÷ 145 ÷ 27 ≈ 0.51 cubic yards.
How many cubic yards are in 1 ton of asphalt?
About 0.51 cubic yards at the standard 145 lb/ft³ hot-mix density. Put the other way round, one cubic yard is close to two tons, so tonnage is always the larger-looking number.
How do I convert cubic yards to asphalt tons?
Multiply the cubic yards by 27 to get cubic feet, multiply that by the mix density (145 lb/ft³ for standard hot mix), then divide by 2,000. So 10 cubic yards is 10 × 27 × 145 ÷ 2,000 ≈ 19.58 tons.
How much does one cubic yard of asphalt weigh?
At 145 lb per cubic foot, one cubic yard of compacted hot-mix asphalt weighs about 3,915 lb, which is roughly 1.96 US short tons. A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so 27 × 145 = 3,915 lb.
Why convert between tons and cubic yards?
Plants weigh every loaded truck and bill by the short ton, while site plans, excavation, trucking capacity and storage are worked out in cubic yards. Converting from yards to tons tells you what to order; converting back tells you how many truckloads it is and whether it fits the space or equipment you have.
What density should I enter?
Use 145 lb/ft³ for typical hot-mix asphalt — it sits inside the Asphalt Institute's 142–148 lb/ft³ in-place range. Cold-mix and porous mixtures can be lighter, which raises the cubic yards per ton slightly, so enter the compacted unit weight your supplier quotes rather than assuming one.
More asphalt calculators
Estimates & Assumptions
- The conversion uses cubic yards = (tons × 2,000 ÷ density) ÷ 27 and tons = cubic yards × 27 × density ÷ 2,000, with density defaulting to 145 lb/ft³.
- Volumes are compacted in-place volume, not the looser volume asphalt occupies in a truck bed, and results exclude any waste allowance.
- The 145 lb/ft³ default sits inside the Asphalt Institute's 142–148 lb/ft³ in-place range; lighter cold or porous mixes yield more volume per ton.
- Truck-capacity figures are typical ranges, not a standard, and do not account for local road-weight limits.
Estimates are for planning only. Confirm mix density and payloads with your supplier and hauler before scheduling deliveries.