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MaterialNest

Measured project / purchasing workbook

Gravel Calculator

Measure driveway, shed-base, patio, walkway or fill sections, add optional extra volume, and estimate pounds and short tons using your entered density.

Your measured project

Gravel volume and estimated tons

Gravel volume and estimated tons

What this worksheet covers

Measure selected gravel layers for a driveway, shed base, patio, walkway or custom fill, then estimate weight with an entered density.

A material quantity estimate. Project choice changes context, never depth. Tonnage is an estimate and does not select material gradation, drainage, compaction, structural capacity or site suitability.

Import a saved measurement

Select a source, then an existing field with the same measurement unit. Add region or station rows first when needed. Confirm physical meaning and datum; importing a number does not approve a design or replace the rest of the required measurements.

Driveway sections

Use non-overlapping rectangular sections. Add a separate section where depth changes; depths are your selected measurements, not construction recommendations.

Driveway sections 1

1 of 30 supported rows

Enter the measured layout and selected product information, then calculate. Exact schedules and a drawing appear here.

Choose the project context; supply its actual layer depth

Driveway strips, shed pads, patio base layers and walkways need different field records. Project choice changes labels and measuring prompts while retaining the depth you entered. The tool supplies no universal construction thickness.

Worked example: walkway with an explicit allowance

An illustrative 20 × 3 ft walkway at 4 in depth contains 20 ft³. Adding 10% extra gives 22 ft³, or 0.8148148148… yd³. At an invented 100 lb/ft³, the estimate is 2,200 lb = 1.1 short tons. Replace that density with the supplier's value on the same volume basis.

Why can two gravel orders weigh differently?

Gradation, particle shape, fines, drainage and compaction affect granular-base properties; FHWA-RD-97-148, Granular Base application description explains these influences. Moisture and the loose or compacted state also matter when interpreting a density. The result is an estimate, never a weigh ticket.

For geometry alone use Cubic Yard; for measured pad context see Shed Foundation. A user-designed ordinary yard drain has its own scope acknowledgement, trench warnings and pipe-displacement policy; this gravel worksheet cannot replace them.

Does extra material account for compaction?

No. Extra is an explicit volume percentage. A finished compacted layer needs a supplier-supported conversion before it becomes a loose delivery order; a percentage alone does not establish that conversion.

Version 1.0.0 uses unrounded intermediate arithmetic and displays up to four decimal places. Measurements can be saved locally in Planner and handed off explicitly. Supplier rounding and piece-layout rules belong in the downstream material calculator.