Asphalt Millings Calculator: Crushed & Recycled Asphalt Tons
Tons of millings for a driveway, path or parking pad from its size and the depth you want after rolling, at the federal weight for recycled asphalt.
By Marko VisicBSc Physics, University of Ljubljana
12.5tons
of millings, 4 in compacted
10.0 tons at the light end
- Area
- 600 sq ft
- Compacted depth
- 4 in
- Volume
- 7.41 yd³
- Light end
- 10.0 tons
- Heavy end
- 12.5 tons
- Per cubic yard
- 1.35 to 1.69 tons
Tons at the Federal Highway Administration’s compacted unit weight for reclaimed asphalt, 100 to 125 lb/ft³ dry; the big number is the heavy end, so the order does not come up short. Stockpiled millings also hold water, up to 5% as a rule, and a scale ticket weighs the water too.
12.5 tons of millings, 4 in compacted
Asphalt millings are sold by the ton, and a compacted cubic foot weighs 100 to 125 lb. A 50 by 12 ft driveway at 4 inches compacted takes 10.0 to 12.5 tons of millings, and one ton covers 48 to 60 sq ft at that depth.
Rolling packs the same tons into a thinner layer, so measure the depth you want after compaction; the weight you order does not change.
How many tons of asphalt millings do I need
Millings, crushed asphalt and recycled asphalt are names for reclaimed asphalt pavement: old pavement ground off by a milling machine or broken up and crushed, sold by the ton like gravel. The Federal Highway Administration gives a compacted layer of it a unit weight of 100 to 125 lb/ft³, so the tons follow from the volume.
Volume (cu ft) = area (sq ft) × compacted depth (in) ÷ 12
Tons = volume × 100 to 125 lb per cu ft ÷ 2,000
Example: a 50 by 12 ft driveway is 600 sq ft. At 4 inches compacted that is 200 cubic feet, or 7.41 cubic yards. At 100 lb a cubic foot it weighs 10.0 tons and at 125 lb 12.5 tons, so order 12.5 unless your supplier weighs its millings lighter.
Put your supplier’s price per ton in the calculator and it prices the heavy end. The extra box adds a margin for soft spots and edges.
Asphalt millings tons per yard
A cubic yard of compacted millings weighs 1.35 to 1.69 tons, or a metric 1.60 to 2.00 t per m³. The range is real: the FHWA’s figures are the spread of the maximum dry density reported for different millings, and a 2021 Purdue review for the Indiana DOT put published tests at 1,780 to 2,121 kg/m³, about 111 to 132 lb/ft³. At that review’s heavy end the example driveway would weigh 13.2 tons.
| Compacted depth | One ton covers | Tons per hundred square feet |
|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 96 to 120 sq ft | 0.83 to 1.04 |
| 3 in | 64 to 80 sq ft | 1.25 to 1.56 |
| 4 in | 48 to 60 sq ft | 1.67 to 2.08 |
| 6 in | 32 to 40 sq ft | 2.50 to 3.13 |
Water rides along on the scale. The FHWA measured up to 5% moisture in stored millings as a rule and 7 to 8% in some stockpiles, so a wet load weighs more for the same driveway. For other bulk materials the cubic yards to tons calculator does the same conversion.
Crushed asphalt for a driveway
The FHWA lists residential driveways, parking areas, bicycle paths and unpaved roads among the places reclaimed asphalt works as a base. On Wyoming county roads, a study for the state DOT found millings blended with other aggregates made an effective surface and that dust was reduced. The table gives the heavy-end tons for common driveway sizes; the calculator gives both ends for yours.
| Driveway | Three inches | Four inches | Six inches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 20 ft | 3.1 | 4.2 | 6.3 |
| 12 × 50 ft | 9.4 | 12.5 | 18.8 |
| 20 × 50 ft | 15.6 | 20.8 | 31.3 |
| 12 × 100 ft | 18.8 | 25.0 | 37.5 |
| 12 × 250 ft | 46.9 | 62.5 | 93.8 |
For a new hot mix surface instead, the asphalt calculator works out tons at paving density, and the gravel calculator covers crushed stone. How the finished surfaces compare is in the concrete vs asphalt driveway guide.
Spreading and compacting recycled asphalt
Spread the millings, grade them and roll them. The FHWA warns that the asphalt coating inhibits compaction, that finish grading can be difficult because the asphalt sticks, and that adequate compaction needs particular attention so the layer does not settle later. Mixed with gravel, the more millings in the blend, the lower the compacted density tends to be.
Highway specifications put numbers on the rolling. Louisiana’s calls for at least three passes of an approved roller on a reclaimed asphalt surface course, finished to a tight, uniform surface free from ruts and waves. A loose pile spreads thicker than the finished layer, so measure the depth after rolling and top up the low spots before the last pass.
Asphalt millings calculator FAQ
How many tons of asphalt millings do I need?
Multiply the area in square feet by the compacted depth in feet, then by the weight of a compacted cubic foot, and divide by 2,000. At the Federal Highway Administration’s 100 to 125 lb/ft³, a 50 by 12 ft driveway at 4 inches compacted takes 10.0 to 12.5 tons.
How much does a yard of asphalt millings weigh?
A cubic yard of compacted millings weighs 1.35 to 1.69 tons, from the FHWA’s compacted unit weight of 100 to 125 lb/ft³. Water in the pile adds to that on the scale.
How much does a ton of millings cover?
At 4 inches compacted, one ton covers 48 to 60 sq ft. Halve the depth and it covers twice as much.
How do you compact asphalt millings?
With a roller, and with care: the FHWA says the asphalt coating on the particles inhibits compaction and that adequate compaction needs particular attention to avoid settling later. Louisiana’s highway specification calls for at least three passes of a roller on a reclaimed asphalt surface course.
Are asphalt millings good for a driveway?
They are a recognized use: the FHWA lists residential driveways, parking areas and unpaved roads among the places reclaimed asphalt works as base. A University of Wyoming study for the state DOT found millings blended with other aggregates made an effective surface on unpaved roads and cut dust.
Why does a load of millings weigh more than the calculator says?
Water and density. The FHWA figures are dry, and stockpiled millings hold up to 5% water as a rule and 7 to 8% at most. A 2021 Purdue review for the Indiana DOT also found dry densities up to 2,121 kg/m³, about 132 lb/ft³, a little over the FHWA’s heavy end.
Sources & method
Tons are the area times the compacted depth, at the FHWA’s compacted unit weight for reclaimed asphalt pavement, from its user guidelines for waste and byproduct materials in pavement construction; the big number in the calculator is the heavy end. Moisture is from the same guideline, the cross-check density from Purdue’s 2021 review for the Indiana DOT, rolling from Louisiana DOTD’s standard specifications and the unpaved-road finding from the University of Wyoming’s report for the Wyoming DOT.
- Federal Highway Administration. User Guidelines for Waste and Byproduct Materials in Pavement Construction (FHWA-RD-97-148): Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement, Material Description. April 1998
- Federal Highway Administration. User Guidelines for Waste and Byproduct Materials in Pavement Construction (FHWA-RD-97-148): Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement, Granular Base. April 1998
- Purdue University Joint Transportation Research Program / Indiana DOT. Joint Transportation Research Program report FHWA/IN/JTRP-2021/14 on recycled asphalt (Purdue University for the Indiana Department of Transportation). March 2021
- Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Louisiana DOTD Standard Specifications for Roads and Bridges, Part IV Surface Courses, Section 401 Aggregate Surface Course. edition current Nov 2026
- University of Wyoming for the Wyoming Department of Transportation. Performance of reclaimed asphalt pavement on unpaved roads (FHWA-WY-11/03F). October 2011
- Asphalt Calculator: Tons, Cubic Yards & BaseNew hot mix asphalt by the ton, with the base under it.
- Gravel Calculator: Cubic Yards, Tons & CostCrushed stone and gravel for a driveway or base.
- Cubic Yards to Tons Calculator (by Material)Convert a volume to tons for other bulk materials.