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Tons of Road Base per 100 Feet of 14 ft Road

Tons of road base per 100 feet of 14 foot road: about 39 tons at 6 inches deep. The strip is 14 ft × 100 ft = 1,400 square feet. On a job this long, half an inch of extra depth adds a lot of tons.

Volume and tonnage calculator →

Tons by depth

DepthTonsTruckloads (~14 t)
3 in192
4 in262
6 in393
8 in524

The math

  1. Area: 14 × 100 = 1,400 sq ft.
  2. Volume at 6 in: 1,400 × 0.500 = 700 cu ft (26 cubic yards).
  3. × 1.5 tons per yard = 39 tons.

Road section basics

A 14-foot width fits one lane of traffic. Road base (also called base rock, ABC, or Class 2 base in different states) is a graded mix of stone and fines made to compact into a load-bearing layer. Crown the surface so water sheds to ditches on both sides.

Practical notes

  • Phasing. Large tonnages are delivered over days; schedule spreading and compaction to keep up with trucks.
  • Waste. Allow 5 to 10 percent.
  • Hauling. Distance from the quarry or plant often costs as much as the material on long jobs; see asphalt hauling cost per ton.

Check other sizes with the volume and tonnage calculator.

When to choose road base

Works well for:

  • Base under asphalt and concrete
  • Gravel roads and drives
  • Equipment and shed pads

Less suited to:

  • Drainage layers
  • Decorative surfaces
  • Surfaces that will stay uncompacted

Quick reference numbers

  • Per inch over 100 sq ft: about 0.46 tons of road base (0.31 cubic yards).
  • Per inch over 1,000 sq ft: about 4.6 tons.
  • Another size for comparison: a 12x24 area at 2 inches takes about 2.7 tons.
  • Weight used here: about 1.5 tons per cubic yard.

Mistakes that throw off the order

  • Skipping drainage. Water sitting under any surface softens the base and leads to ruts and potholes.
  • Using inches as if they were feet. Depth has to be divided by 12 before you multiply; skipping that step inflates the order twelvefold.
  • Forgetting that compaction shrinks loose material. A loose 4-inch spread of a dense-graded stone may finish closer to 3 inches after rolling.
  • 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 road base per 100 feet of 14 ft road?

About 39 tons at 6 inches.

How many truckloads is that?

About 3 loads at roughly 14 tons each.

How many square feet is 100 feet of 14 ft road?

1,400 square feet.

Should I add extra for waste?

Yes, 5 to 10 percent is common.

Does this include the shoulders?

No. Measure shoulders and pullouts separately and add them.

Related guides

Open the volume and tonnage calculator → Asphalt tonnage calculator →

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