How do I convert cubic yards of asphalt to tons?

Multiply by 1.96 for compacted hot mix — one cubic yard is 27 ft³ at 145 lb/ft³, which is 3,915 lb or 1.96 US short tons. Going the other way, divide tons by 1.96, or remember that one ton occupies 13.8 ft³, about half a yard, compacted.

How do I convert cubic meters of asphalt to tonnes?

Multiply by 2.32. That is the metric twin of the 1.96 rule: 145 lb/ft³ equals about 2,320 kg/m³ compacted, so one cubic meter of finished hot-mix pavement weighs 2.32 metric tonnes. For loose material use roughly 1.87 tonnes per cubic meter instead.

What is the 110 rule for asphalt?

Pounds = square yards × inches of thickness × 110. It works because one square yard one inch thick is 0.75 ft³, and 0.75 × 145 = 108.75 ≈ 110. Highway agencies have specified overlay quantities in lb/yd²-in for decades, and the rule inverts a spec into an order in one line.

How many US tons is a metric tonne?

1.102 US short tons — a tonne is 1,000 kg (2,204.6 lb) against the short ton's 2,000 lb. The 10% gap is large enough to blow a budget if a metric spec is read as US tons, so label every weight in a mixed-unit job explicitly.

Why does 1 yd³ equal 0.765 m³ and not something rounder?

Because a yard is exactly 0.9144 m, and 0.9144 cubed is 0.7646. The reverse factor is 1.308 yd³ per m³. Volume conversions cube the length error, which is why eyeballed length factors produce volume answers that are off by several percent.

Which conversion mistakes actually cause failed orders?

Three dominate: reading tonnes as tons (10% short), multiplying feet by inches without dividing by 12 (12× error, usually caught), and applying the compacted 1.96 tons/yd³ factor to a loose stockpile volume (24% heavy). Every one is prevented by writing units beside every number.

Asphalt · Volume Guide

Asphalt unit conversion

Takeoffs die in the conversions, not the multiplication. These three tables and one rule of thumb carry any asphalt quantity between US and metric, and between volume and weight, without a wrong turn.

Contents

1.Length and area conversions
2.Volume conversions
3.Asphalt-specific conversions
4.The 110 rule
5.Worked example: metric spec to US order

Length and area conversions

Length and area factors. Convert dimensions before multiplying, never after.
From	To	Factor
Inches	Feet	÷ 124 in = 0.333 ft — the takeoff conversion
Feet	Meters	× 0.3048Reverse: × 3.281
Square feet	Square meters	× 0.0929Reverse: × 10.76
Square yards	Square feet	× 9Paving specs often quote yd²

Volume conversions

Volume factors. Note that converting a length and cubing it compounds any rounding — use these volume factors directly.
From	To	Factor
Cubic feet	Cubic yards	÷ 271 yd³ = 27 ft³
Cubic yards	Cubic meters	× 0.765Reverse: × 1.308
Cubic meters	Cubic feet	× 35.31
Cubic feet	Liters	× 28.32A 5-gal bucket ≈ 0.67 ft³ ≈ 19 L

Asphalt-specific conversions

Weight factors assume compacted hot mix. Millings and cold mix run lighter — check the density chart.
From	To	Factor
Cubic yards	US tons	× 1.96Compacted hot mix at 145 lb/ft³
Cubic meters	Metric tonnes	× 2.32Compacted; loose ≈ × 1.87
ft² × in thickness	Pounds	× 12.11 ft² at 1 in = 145 ÷ 12 lb
yd² × in thickness	Pounds	× 110The paver's rule — see below

The 110 rule

Formula

lb = yd² × inches × 110

yd²: paving area in square yards (ft² ÷ 9)
inches: compacted lift thickness
110: lb per yd² per inch — 0.75 ft³ × 145 lb/ft³ = 108.75, rounded

Divide the result by 2,000 for tons. Agencies write overlay specs in lb/yd²-in for exactly this arithmetic.

Worked example: metric spec to US order

Worked example

A spec sheet calls for 200 m² of surfacing at 75 mm compacted thickness. The plant sells in US tons — what do you order?

1
Volume in metric
200 × 0.075 = 15 m³
2
Weight in tonnes
15 × 2.32 = 34.8 t
3
Tonnes to US tons
34.8 × 1.102 = 38.4 US tons
4
Cross-check in US units
2,153 ft² × (2.95 in ÷ 12) × 145 ÷ 2,000 = 38.4 ✓
5
Add 5% waste
38.4 × 1.05 = 40.3

Result: Order 40.5 tons. The independent US-unit check matching to the decimal is your assurance no factor was dropped.

Frequently asked questions

Or let the calculator convert

The volume calculator accepts feet, inches, yards or meters and returns every output unit at once.

Asphalt Volume Calculator

Sources & references

[1]MS-4: The Asphalt Handbook, 7th ed. — Asphalt Institute, 2007