How Much Area Does a Ton of Asphalt Cover?
The area that 1 ton of asphalt covers depends on the thickness of the asphalt to be used; for a half-inch thick section of asphalt, 1 ton will cover approximately 316 square feet, while 1 ton of asphalt will cover 79 square feet when laid several inches thick. To know the exact amount of material needed, the contractor must know the compacted density of the material.
To find the exact weight of asphalt needed, multiply the compacted density by the volume required. For a 200-square foot surface at a thickness of 4 inches, the volume can be worked out by multiplying the area by the thickness, meaning that 50 cubic foot of asphalt would be required. Next, the contractor must multiply this by the density, measured in pounds per cubic foot, or PCF. For example, 50 cubic foot multiplied by a PCF of 150 would require 7,500 pounds of asphalt, or 3.75 tons.
