Asphalt weight chart
Every unit weight you need to convert a takeoff into an order: pounds, tons, kilograms and tonnes per cubic foot, yard and meter — compacted, loose, cold mix and millings.
Contents
Quick weight reference
The five numbers estimators actually use, all derived from 145 lb/ft³ compacted hot mix.
| Quantity | Basis | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cubic foot | Compacted hot mix | 145 lb (65.8 kg) |
| 1 cubic yard | 27 ft³ × 145 lb/ft³ | 3,915 lb = 1.96 US tonsLoose in the truck: ~3,155 lb |
| 1 cubic meter | Compacted hot mix | 2,322 kg = 5,119 lb = 2.56 US tons |
| 100 ft² at 3 in thick | 25 ft³ compacted | 3,625 lb ≈ 1.8 US tons |
| 1 ft² per inch of thickness | The estimator's shortcut | 12 lbArea (ft²) × inches × 12 = pounds |
Full asphalt density table
Unit weights for every asphalt material you will order, haul or dispose of.
| Material | kg/m³ | lb/ft³ | t/m³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot mix asphalt (compacted)145 lb/ft³ — the estimating standard | 2,322 | 145 | 2.32 |
| Hot mix asphalt (loose, in truck)Fluffs ~20–25% before rolling | 1,870 | 116.7 | 1.87 |
| Warm mix asphalt (compacted)Same aggregates, lower placing temp | 2,300 | 143.6 | 2.3 |
| Cold mix / cold patch (compacted)Higher voids than hot mix | 2,200 | 137.3 | 2.2 |
| Asphalt millings (loose)RAP; compacts to ~1,950 | 1,650 | 103 | 1.65 |
| Asphalt millings (compacted)Good base or rural surfacing | 1,950 | 121.7 | 1.95 |
| Asphalt binder (bitumen only)PG binder, ~5–6% of mix by weight | 1,030 | 64.3 | 1.03 |
| Dense-graded aggregate baseUnder the asphalt lifts | 2,240 | 139.8 | 2.24 |
Weight by material state
Pounds per cubic yard across the states asphalt shows up in on a job.
Millings matter for demolition math: a driveway that took 10.8 tons of hot mix to build comes back out as the same 10.8 tons of debris, but at 103 lb/ft³ loose it fills roughly 40% more truck volume than the mat it came from. Truck counts for haul-off are covered in the truck load capacity guide.
Asphalt vs concrete weight
Compacted hot mix at 145 lb/ft³ sits just under reinforced concrete at about 150 lb/ft³ — close enough that a loaded tandem hauls a similar volume of either, far enough apart that you should not swap densities in a dead-load or disposal calculation. The concrete side of that comparison, including lightweight and heavyweight mixes, is tabulated in the concrete density chart. For asphalt, the practical difference shows up in demolition: a 4-inch concrete slab weighs ~50 lb/ft² against 36 lb/ft² for a 3-inch asphalt drive, so concrete tear-outs need about a third more hauling per square foot.
Weight chart questions
- How much does a cubic yard of asphalt weigh?
- Compacted hot mix weighs about 3,915 lb per cubic yard — 1.96 US tons, so 'call it 2 tons per yard' is a safe field rule. Loose in the truck the same material runs only ~3,155 lb/yd³ because it fluffs about 25% before rolling. Always confirm which state a quoted yard refers to.
- How much does a cubic foot of asphalt weigh?
- 145 lb for compacted hot mix — the estimating standard used by the Asphalt Institute and most DOTs. Loose mix runs ~117 lb/ft³, compacted cold mix ~137 lb/ft³, and millings 103 lb/ft³ loose or 122 lb/ft³ compacted. Multiply by 27 to get the per-cubic-yard figure.
- How much does asphalt weigh per square foot?
- About 12 lb per square foot per inch of compacted thickness (145 lb/ft³ ÷ 12). A 3-inch driveway lift is therefore 36 lb/ft², and 100 ft² at 3 inches weighs roughly 3,625 lb — call it 1.8 US tons. This shortcut turns any plan area straight into an order weight.
- How much does a cubic meter of asphalt weigh in kg?
- 2,322 kg for compacted hot mix — about 5,119 lb or 2.56 US tons. Loose mix is roughly 1,870 kg/m³, compacted cold mix 2,200 kg/m³, and millings 1,650 kg/m³ loose. Metric plants quote in tonnes: one compacted cubic meter is 2.32 tonnes of mix.
- Do these weights change with mix design?
- By a few percent, yes. Aggregate specific gravity, binder content and in-place air voids all move the number, which is why paving specs verify density against the specific mix (ASTM D2726) rather than a table. For estimating and ordering, 145 lb/ft³ compacted is accurate within roughly ±3% for dense-graded mixes.
- Is asphalt heavier than concrete?
- Slightly lighter. Compacted hot mix runs 145 lb/ft³ against about 150 lb/ft³ for reinforced normal-weight concrete — roughly a 3% difference. Per cubic yard that is 3,915 lb of asphalt versus about 4,050 lb of concrete, so hauling and dead-load numbers are close but not interchangeable.
Go deeper on asphalt weight
Sources & references
- [1]ASTM D2726: Bulk Specific Gravity of Compacted Asphalt Mixtures — ASTM International, 2021
- [2]MS-4: The Asphalt Handbook, 7th ed. — Asphalt Institute, 2007