How to Calculate Paving

Dump trucks will deliver paving material directly to your job site.

If you are building a driveway or parking lot, you may be having a load of pavement or asphalt delivered and spread to form the driving surface. To determine the proper thickness and/or size, it is important to calculate the paving tonnage you will need to cover the appropriate area. Calculating the paving tonnage is actually quite simple and is nothing more than a conversion. Anyone with a bit of time and a calculator can determine the required paving tonnage for a specific job.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure Calculator Pencil Paper

Instructions

1. Measure the area to be covered with the tape measure. You will need a length, width and thickness in feet to determine the tonnage.

2. Determine the total cubic feet (CF) of pavement you will need by multiplying the length by the width by the thickness. Example: 20-foot driveway that is 8 feet wide and 6 inches thick  20 feet x 8 feet x 0.5 feet = 80 cubic feet.

3. Multiply the cubic feet by the density of a cubic foot of paving (about 145 lbs.) and then divide that number by 2,000 lbs. to get the total number of tons of pavement needed. Back to our example: 80 cubic feet x 145 lbs. = 11,600 lbs./2,000 lbs. = 5.8 tons of pavement. Rounded up to the whole ton, that would mean you need to order 6 tons of pavement to complete the job.

Tips & Warnings

• It is advisable to add about 10 percent to your initial estimate as a buffer in case there is a bit more pavement used than anticipated come the day of the project.

Resources

• Use this online calculator to determine your specific needs