How Much Recycled Concrete Aggregate for a 6x12 Shed Base?

How much recycled concrete aggregate for a 6x12 shed base is a quick volume problem. 72 square feet at 4 inches comes to 0.89 cubic yards. Recycled concrete aggregate usually weighs about 1.2 to 1.4 tons per cubic yard, so plan on roughly 1.2 tons.

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The math for a 6x12 shed base

Area: 6 × 12 = 72 sq ft.
Depth in feet: 4 ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft.
Cubic feet: 72 × 0.333 = 24.0 cu ft.
Cubic yards: ÷ 27 = 0.89 yd³.
Tons: × 1.3 = 1.2 tons.

The volume and tonnage calculator does this for any size.

Recycled concrete aggregate needed by depth

Depth	Cubic yards	Tons (approx.)	Tons +10%
3 in	0.67	0.9	1.0
4 in	0.89	1.2	1.3
6 in	1.33	1.7	1.9

About recycled concrete aggregate

Ask whether the recycled concrete has been screened for rebar and debris. Fresh-crushed concrete can also be alkaline, so keep it away from sensitive plantings and streams. Weight per yard is a planning number; the scale ticket at the yard is the real one.

Preparing the shed base

Level the footprint, extend the stone a foot or so beyond the shed walls for drip and drainage, and compact in lifts. A timber or block border holds the pad shape. For a shed floor frame, the depths in the table above are a reasonable starting range.

Ordering tips

Round up. Compaction and uneven ground eat material. Adding about 10 percent is common.
Delivery size. 1.3 tons fits in a single typical dump truck load; small loads may carry a delivery fee. See how many tons of gravel in a dump truck.
Bulk vs bags. At about 1.2 tons this job is small enough that bagged material could work; a 0.5 cubic foot bag holds about 1/54 of a yard, so compare the bag count with a bulk minimum.
Where it drops. Have the truck dump as close to the shed base as firm ground allows.

Good and poor uses for recycled concrete aggregate

Good uses:

Driveway and pad bases
Temporary construction entrances
Fill under slabs when compacted in lifts

Less suited to:

Near ponds, streams or sensitive plants, since fresh crush can raise pH
Decorative top layers
Drainage layers, unless the product is clean and screened

Quick reference numbers

Per inch over 100 sq ft: about 0.40 tons of recycled concrete aggregate (0.31 cubic yards).
Per inch over 1,000 sq ft: about 4.0 tons.
Another size for comparison: a 15x30 area at 2 inches takes about 3.6 tons.
Weight used here: about 1.3 tons per cubic yard.

Where estimates go wrong

Forgetting that compaction shrinks loose material. A loose 4-inch spread of a dense-graded stone may finish closer to 3 inches after rolling.
Ordering exactly the math. Uneven ground and spillage nearly always need a little more than the flat calculation.
Using inches as if they were feet. Depth has to be divided by 12 before you multiply; skipping that step inflates the order twelvefold.
Mixing up cubic yards and tons. Yards are volume, tons are weight; convert with the product’s weight per yard.

Questions people ask

How many tons of recycled concrete aggregate for a 6x12 shed base?

About 1.2 tons at 4 inches deep, or 1.3 tons with 10 percent extra.

How many cubic yards is a 6x12 shed base at 4 inches?

About 0.89 cubic yards.

How much does a cubic yard of recycled concrete aggregate weigh?

Usually around 1.2 to 1.4 tons, depending on stone size, fines and moisture.

How deep should recycled concrete aggregate be for a shed base?

The table above shows 3 to 6 inches. Shallower depths suit top dressing; deeper depths suit new installs and heavier use.

How many square feet is 6x12?

72 square feet.

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