Estimating # of tons of Blacktop millings for driveway.

[Bob Weisner]

Hi:


How many tons of Blacktop millings would take to cover a driveway 90 feet long by 18 feet wide?

Thanks,

[Chuck Wintle]

How many inches thick will it be? By the way what exactly are blacktop millings?

[Fred Voorhees]

How many inches thick will it be? By the way what exactly are blacktop millings?

I'm pretty sure that its the "rubble" that is produced when the old blacktop is torn up and replaced with new stuff.

[Bob Weisner]

Just a thick enough layer to cover a section of old Concrete road that is in very rough shape

[Vaughn McMillan]

Bob, for a 3 inch layer, you're looking at about 15 cubic yards. You don't mention if you're planning to compact it, but compacted cold mix asphalt weighs roughly 140 pounds per cubic foot, or 3780 pounds per cubic yard. Lets' see...3780 by 15...carry the eleventy-two, cipher the remainder, plus one more for weekends...I'd guess you're looking at about 28 to 30 tons.

I reiterate that this would be for compacted material. Loose material is harder to guesstimate, because there are a lot of potential variables.
Just pulling a guess here, but you can likely figure the compacted material has about 2/3 the volume of loose stuff. Thus, 3" of compacted material would start out at about 4" deep. So...if 3" of compacted material is about 30 tons, 3" of loose stuff would be about 20 tons.

Keep in mind these numbers are semi-educated estimates, but they can vary quite a bit due to variability in the materials.

HTH -

- Vaughn

[Curt Fuller]

Bob, I don't know where you're located but in many, if not all parts of the country what you're referring to as 'blacktop millings' have a new name. RAP, Recycled Asphalt Product is now required in almost all state and federal funded road projects as a mandated way to reuse the product rather that having it end up in a landfill somewhere. As a result RAP has become scarce for the average guy to use as road bed. The company I work for is one of the larger asphalt paving contractors and suppliers in the intermountain west and they just don't sell RAP anymore because they actually have a hard time coming up with the percentage required on state and federal jobs.

That said, the numbers Vaugh gave you look pretty accuarate to me. They'll vary slightly by location but it's a close estimate. If you can still purchase RAP in your area it is a good road bed if you don't want asphalt paving or concrete.

[Mark Rios]

Bob, I don't know where you're located but in many, if not all parts of the country what you're referring to as 'blacktop millings' have a new name. RAP, Recycled Asphalt Product is now required in almost all state and federal funded road projects as a mandated way to reuse the product rather that having it end up in a landfill somewhere. As a result RAP has become scarce for the average guy to use as road bed. The company I work for is one of the larger asphalt paving contractors and suppliers in the intermountain west and they just don't sell RAP anymore because they actually have a hard time coming up with the percentage required on state and federal jobs.

That said, the numbers Vaugh gave you look pretty accuarate to me. They'll vary slightly by location but it's a close estimate. If you can still purchase RAP in your area it is a good road bed if you don't want asphalt paving or concrete.

Here in California we have lots of RAP. I'm not really fond of it, just alot of pounding and nonsense to me but the kids seem to like it.

[Corey Hallagan]

I have seen this stuff used on top of gravel driveways and it works awesome but really needs rolled in well. Wears well too but it is hard to find here as well.

Corey

[Robert Mickley]

Millings are wonderful stuff!! but just like paving a driveway its only as good as the base under it. If you can get it rolled in. And do it on the hottest day you can. We stilll get tons of it here in the buckeye.