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How Much Concrete for an 8x32 Slab?

For an 8x32 slab poured 4 inches thick, plan on about 3.16 cubic yards of concrete. That comes from 256 square feet times 0.333 feet of depth, divided by 27. How much concrete for an 8x32 slab at other thicknesses is in the table below.

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The math for an 8x32 slab

  1. Area: 8 ft × 32 ft = 256 sq ft.
  2. Thickness in feet: 4 in ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft.
  3. Volume: 256 × 0.333 = 85.3 cubic feet.
  4. Cubic yards: 85.3 ÷ 27 = 3.16 yd³.
  5. With 10% extra: 3.48 yd³.

The concrete calculator runs the same steps for any size and thickness.

Concrete for an 8x32 slab by thickness

ThicknessCubic feetCubic yardsYards +10%80 lb bags60 lb bags
4 in85.33.163.48143190
5 in106.73.954.35178238
6 in128.04.745.21214285

Bag counts assume about 0.60 cubic feet per 80 lb bag and 0.45 per 60 lb bag, rounded up.

Thickness for this job

Four inches is the usual thickness for patios, walks and shed floors. Slabs that carry cars or a heavy hot tub are often poured at 5 to 6 inches, and edges are sometimes thickened where loads concentrate.

Ordering ready-mix

Concrete is ordered by the cubic yard, and a yard is 27 cubic feet. Ready-mix plants usually sell in quarter- or half-yard steps, so round up to the next step rather than down. Running short in the middle of a pour leaves a cold joint, which is a weak seam in the slab.

Getting the ground ready

Under the slab, most residential pours sit on about 4 inches of compacted gravel. The base spreads the load, drains water away and keeps the slab from cracking as the soil freezes and thaws. Compact the base in thin lifts, and dampen it just before the pour so it does not pull water out of the mix.

Joints and reinforcement

Plan the joints before the pour. Panels close to square crack less than long, narrow ones, and joint spacing around 8 feet is typical for a 4-inch slab. Cut joints with a groover while the concrete is soft or with a saw within the first day.

Questions people ask

How many yards of concrete for an 8x32 slab at 4 inches?

About 3.16 cubic yards, or 3.48 with 10 percent extra.

How many yards for an 8x32 slab at 6 inches?

About 4.74 cubic yards.

How many 80 lb bags for an 8x32 slab?

About 143 bags at 4 inches thick, before any waste allowance.

How many square feet is an 8x32 slab?

256 square feet.

Should I add extra for waste?

Yes. Adding 5 to 10 percent covers uneven base, spillage and form bulges.

How thick should the base under the slab be?

About 4 inches of compacted gravel is common for residential slabs, more on soft or poorly drained soil.

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