Bitumen Volume Calculator
Calculate the exact volume of asphalt mix your project requires in cubic metres, then convert that volume straight into weight and cost.
Bitumen Volume Calculator
Dimensions
Mix Properties
Typical Bitumen Content by Mix Type
| Mix Type | Bitumen |
|---|---|
| General Asphalt | 5.0% - 5.5% |
| High Traffic Roads | 6.0% - 7.0% |
| Rigid Pavements | 4.0% - 4.5% |
| Binder Courses | 4.5% - 5.5% |
| Wearing Courses | 5.5% - 6.5% |
| Stone Mastic Asphalt | 6.5% - 7.5% |
Volume is the geometric starting point for every bitumen and asphalt calculation — it’s simply the space your project occupies, calculated from area and thickness, before density and bitumen content come into play at all.
Volume calculation
Volume (m³) = Length (m) × Width (m) × Thickness (m)
Make sure thickness is converted to meters first — this is the single most common error in manual volume calculations (see the note below).
The thickness conversion mistake to avoid
Thickness is almost always specified in millimeters (a 40mm wearing course, for example), but the volume formula needs it in meters. Forgetting this conversion is the most common calculation error we see — it throws the final volume off by a factor of 1,000. This calculator handles the conversion automatically regardless of which unit you enter thickness in, so you can enter 40 (mm) directly without converting it yourself first.
| Area | Thickness | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 100 m² | 25mm (0.025m) | 2.5 m³ |
| 100 m² | 50mm (0.05m) | 5.0 m³ |
| 500 m² | 40mm (0.04m) | 20.0 m³ |
| 1,000 m² | 75mm (0.075m) | 75.0 m³ |
From volume to weight: why you still need density
Volume alone doesn’t tell you how much material to order by weight — you need the mix density for that conversion, since two mixes with identical volume can have meaningfully different weights depending on their aggregate gradation and air void content. This calculator carries your volume figure straight through to a weight calculation once you add density, so you don’t need a second tool or a manual conversion step.
Volume is also useful for irregular shapes
For a non-rectangular area, calculate area separately (breaking the shape into rectangles and triangles), then bring that total area figure into this calculator alongside your thickness to get volume — the formula works the same regardless of how you arrived at the area number.
Volume for stockpile and storage planning
Beyond a single paving job, volume calculations also matter for planning bitumen storage — tanks and heated storage vessels are sized in cubic meters or liters, not tonnes. If you’re sizing storage for a project, calculate the total volume of bitumen expected across your project timeline (not just one day’s pour), then add a buffer for delivery scheduling variability, since running out of storage mid-project can halt paving just as effectively as running out of material.
| Storage Tank Size | Approx. Bitumen Capacity (at 1,030 kg/m³) |
|---|---|
| 10 m³ | ~10.3 tonnes |
| 30 m³ | ~30.9 tonnes |
| 50 m³ | ~51.5 tonnes |
| 100 m³ | ~103 tonnes |