Road base calculator for Delaware
Tonnage for lanes and pads at finished compacted depth, where several inches can add ten tons to an order.
Enter your project dimensions
At 6 inches of compaction, a 100-foot lane that is 10 feet wide takes about 31 tons of road base. Lane volumes add up quickly, and free delivery is most useful here because hauling 30 tons can normally approach the price of the stone. Road base combines graded crushed stone with fines, weighing about 3,000 lb per cubic yard, and compacts into a dense bearing layer for driveways, roads, and equipment yards. Recycled crushed concrete base follows the same calculation when permitted by the specification.
Lane calculations
- For a lane, measure along its centerline and work from the average width. For pads, multiply the length and width.
- Use a compacted depth of 4 inches for light residential use, 6 for daily traffic and delivery trucks, and 8-12 beneath equipment or across soft subgrades.
- Divide cubic feet by 27 for yards, then x 1.5 for tons, with +10% included for compaction.
Quick figure: one ton ≈ 36 sq ft at 6" compacted
Lane coverage and tonnage
| Compacted depth | 1 ton covers | Tons per 100 ft of 10-ft lane |
|---|---|---|
| 4 inches | ≈ 54 sq ft | 20.4 |
| 6 inches | ≈ 36 sq ft | 30.6 |
| 8 inches | ≈ 27 sq ft | 40.7 |
| 12 inches | ≈ 18 sq ft | 61.1 |
A lane built for another winter
- First remove all organic material. Putting base on topsoil lets mud work upward through the stone, regardless of the depth placed.
- Where the subgrade is wet or weak, place woven geotextile before the stone. It provides economical added support for a lane.
- Install material in lifts no greater than 4 inches, rolling each one before placing another.
- Build a 2-3% crown from the centerline to each edge, allowing rain to drain off rather than enter the base.
- For a finished driving layer that stays neat and limits dust, cap the base with #57 or driveway gravel.
- Hand-spreading 20-plus tons can consume a week. Include a skid steer or tractor box blade in the plan, since either can place the material within an afternoon.
Example: a 100-foot farm lane
At 6 inches, one hundred by ten feet equals 1,000 x 0.5 = 500 cubic feet = 18.5 cubic yards, or about 28 tons, rising to 30-31 with the allowance. Expect two tandem loads, and arrange two drop points along the lane instead of a single pile at the entrance. For farm lanes, separate drops can reduce the distance material must be moved during spreading.
Pads for RVs, containers, and equipment
Use the lane formula for pads, but select depth for axle load rather than the calendar. A 12 x 40 RV pad at 6 inches compacted requires about 12 tons. For a 20 x 40 equipment yard at 8 inches, allow 27. Because shipping containers place their load at four corners, provide container pads with a full 8 inches plus fabric even on decent ground, or their corners may mark the pad by spring.
Road base made from crushed concrete
For private pads and lanes, recycled concrete base is often a practical alternative to virgin road base, compacting and carrying loads similarly while frequently costing less. Review county requirements first, since some specify virgin aggregate. The estimate remains the same: 1.5 tons per yard, with the same lift depth and crown.
Road base by ton for lane projects
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Other calculators
Zero delivery fees on Thirty tons.
At lane-scale quantities, road base is sold by the ton with free hauling, where transport often accounts for the greatest cost.
