This asphalt calculator determines the amount of asphalt needed for any asphalt highway or airfield project. This calculator can also work as a blacktop calculator, to determine the required asphalt for an asphalt driveway project. You can also use this calculator as an asphalt driveway cost calculator, to help you have an idea how much does an asphalt driveway cost. This calculator can be used for any asphalt project, including the repair of potholes in an asphalt roadway, or any asphalt pavement repair works. If you’re planning to make a concrete driveway, you can check our concrete driveway calculator for the materials you’ll need for your project. But, if you’re really into asphalt, keep reading to learn what asphalt is, what asphalt is made of, as well as the benefits of building an asphalt driveway.
How to determine your asphalt requirement?
For small projects, like repairing a pothole or a small patch in your asphalt driveway, you can buy asphalt in buckets or bags. Potholes are dangerous, and we should fix them as soon as possible to avoid their growth and any accidents they may cause. For larger projects, you can order asphalt from your local supplier. But, before contacting your local asphalt dealer, make sure you already know the total weight of asphalt you will need.
Determining the weight of the asphalt needed is as simple as obtaining the volume of the required asphalt and multiplying it by the density of the specific asphalt you plan to use. Using our asphalt calculator, you can easily determine the volume of asphalt by entering the length and width of the area you plan to pave with asphalt, as well as the required thickness of the pavement. Our asphalt calculator will multiply these values together to obtain the volume of the asphalt for your project.
Now that we know the volume of asphalt needed, we can determine the actual quantity of the asphalt required in terms of weight by multiplying the calculated volume by the density of the asphalt. Asphalt density ranges from 2,200 to 2,400 kg/m³ (or approximately 138 to 150 lb/cu. ft). The higher the density of the asphalt, the more durable it is. In our asphalt calculator, we used 2,400 kg/m³ as the default density to give a conservative estimation. You can, however, change this value if you know the density of the asphalt mix you’ll use.
Notes to consider when applying asphalt
As with the installation of any other construction material, the improper installation of asphalt can cause problems in the future, and could shorten its lifespan as well. While climate and weather will naturally affect the longevity of our pavements, there’s a lot we can do to ensure it lasts as long as possible:
- Start with a nicely packed base material, such as crushed stones, and subgrade material, like gravel and sand. Having a stable area to install the asphalt onto will reduce the possibility of future asphalt settlement, and puddle formation. You might want to check out our gravel driveway calculator to get a glimpse of how to set up a gravel or crushed stone surface.
- Clear the area of large and small debris, like stones, rocks, and twigs. This debris could affect the quality of asphalt pavement, as they may hinder the proper compaction of the asphalt.
- It would also be excellent practice to spray some herbicides onto the area if there are traces of weeds or plants. Weeds could grow through the asphalt and could potentially crack the surface.
- Compact the asphalt well, as this will help avoid water infiltration, and ensure the proper bondage of the aggregates. This will minimize the risk of any future water damage.
- When repairing, apply an asphalt bitumen sealant to the edges of the newly installed asphalt to create a seamless transition from the old asphalt pavement to the new.
- For smaller areas, like asphalt driveway, finish it off with an asphalt sealer after the asphalt cures for additional durability.
If you plan to hire a complete service from your local asphalt contractor, they could likely help you with all these tasks, but they will charge. You may also incur a delivery charge on the delivery of the asphalt, as well as paying for the bitumen sealant. So, it is a good practice to talk about these things with your available suppliers so you can compare their prices to decide which supplier offers the best deal. With this asphalt calculator, you can determine how much it would cost if you already knew the price of asphalt per unit weight.
