To determine how much stone you need, follow these steps:
- Measure the area and depth:
- Measure the length (L), width (W), and depth (D) of the space where you want to place the stone.
- Use feet for length and width, and feet or inches for depth.
- Calculate volume in cubic yards:
- If measurements are in feet:
cubic feet=L×W×D\text{cubic feet}=L\times W\times Dcubic feet=L×W×D
Then convert cubic feet to cubic yards by dividing by 27:
cubic yards=cubic feet27\text{cubic yards}=\frac{\text{cubic feet}}{27}cubic yards=27cubic feet
* If depth is in inches, convert depth to feet by dividing by 12 before calculating volume.
- Add a waste factor:
- Add about 10% extra to account for waste or compaction:
Total cubic yards=cubic yards×1.1\text{Total cubic yards}=\text{cubic yards}\times 1.1Total cubic yards=cubic yards×1.1
- Convert volume to weight (tons):
- Multiply cubic yards by the stone's density in tons per cubic yard.
- For crushed stone, typical density ranges from 1.4 to 1.7 tons per cubic yard. A common multiplier is 1.5 tons per cubic yard.
Weight (tons)=Total cubic yards×1.5\text{Weight (tons)}=\text{Total cubic yards}\times 1.5Weight (tons)=Total cubic yards×1.5
Example Calculation
For a rectangular area 15 ft long, 11 ft wide, and 2 inches deep:
- Convert depth to feet: 2 in=212=0.167 ft2\text{ in}=\frac{2}{12}=0.167\text{ ft}2 in=122=0.167 ft
- Calculate volume in cubic feet:
15×11×0.167=27.5 cubic feet15\times 11\times 0.167=27.5\text{ cubic feet}15×11×0.167=27.5 cubic feet
- Convert to cubic yards:
27.527=1.02 cubic yards\frac{27.5}{27}=1.02\text{ cubic yards}2727.5=1.02 cubic yards
- Add 10% waste:
1.02×1.1=1.12 cubic yards1.02\times 1.1=1.12\text{ cubic yards}1.02×1.1=1.12 cubic yards
- Convert to tons:
1.12×1.5=1.68 tons1.12\times 1.5=1.68\text{ tons}1.12×1.5=1.68 tons
So, you would need about 1.12 cubic yards or 1.68 tons of crushed stone for this project
. This method can be applied to any size area by adjusting the measurements accordingly.
