Concrete Weight Calculator
Convert concrete volume into weight fast. Enter volume and unit to get pounds, kilograms, and tons for hauling, mixing, and delivery planning.
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What the concrete weight calculator does
Concrete is heavy, and sometimes the weight is the number you need, not the volume. This turns one into the other. You enter a volume of concrete and the unit it is in, and it returns the weight, in pounds for imperial volumes and kilograms for cubic metres.
It is handy any time you have to move, lift, or carry concrete, where what matters is the load rather than the space it fills. Below is how it gets there and how to read the result.
How to use it
- Enter the volume. Type the amount of concrete you have or plan to pour.
- Choose the unit. Cubic feet, cubic inches, cubic yards, or cubic metres.
- Press Calculate for the weight, or Reset to clear it.
How the weight is worked out
Weight is just volume times how heavy the material is for its size, which is its density:
Weight = volume × density
For ordinary concrete that density is about 150 pounds per cubic foot, which is the same as roughly 2,400 kilograms per cubic metre. So the calculator multiplies your volume by that figure. If you entered an imperial volume it gives you pounds, and if you entered cubic metres it gives you kilograms.
Units, density, and getting tons
The density here is for normal-weight concrete, the standard stuff. Real concrete sits somewhere around 2,200 to 2,600 kilograms per cubic metre depending on the stone in the mix, and steel reinforcement nudges it a little higher, so treat the result as a solid estimate rather than a scale reading.
The calculator gives pounds or kilograms, and tons are usually an easy step from there. For US short tons, divide the pounds by 2,000. For metric tonnes, divide the kilograms by 1,000. So a result of 4,050 pounds is about 2 tons, and 2,400 kilograms is 2.4 tonnes.
A worked example: a cubic yard and a cubic metre
A cubic yard of concrete is 27 cubic feet. At 150 pounds each, that is 27 × 150 = 4,050 pounds, which is about 2 US tons.
A cubic metre comes out at 1 × 2,400 = 2,400 kilograms, or 2.4 tonnes. So a single cubic metre of concrete weighs more than most small cars.
Why concrete weight matters
The weight tends to matter most when something has to carry it. If you are hauling concrete or broken-out slab in a trailer or a pickup, the weight tells you whether you are inside the vehicle's limit, and at two tons a yard that limit arrives quickly. The same goes for a wheelbarrow run up a ramp, or a load of bags in a car boot.
It also matters for what the concrete sits on. The weight of a slab or a counter is a real load on the structure beneath it, and on the formwork while it is still wet, which is why knowing the figure up front is useful for planning a pour or a lift.
Questions people ask
How much does a cubic yard of concrete weigh?
About 4,050 pounds, a little over 2 US tons, for ordinary concrete at 150 pounds per cubic foot.
How much does a cubic metre of concrete weigh?
Around 2,400 kilograms, or 2.4 tonnes, for a normal-weight mix.
How do I get the weight in tons?
Divide the pounds by 2,000 for US short tons, or the kilograms by 1,000 for metric tonnes.
Does reinforcement change the weight?
A little. Steel rebar is denser than concrete, so a reinforced pour weighs slightly more than plain concrete of the same size.
References
A quick note on where these figures come from. The density of normal-weight concrete, about 150 pounds per cubic foot or 2,400 kilograms per cubic metre, is the standard value tabulated in the Portland Cement Association's Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, and the test method for measuring it is set out in ASTM C138. The unit conversions follow the US National Institute of Standards and Technology guide.
- Portland Cement Association (PCA), Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures. https://www.cement.org
- ASTM C138/C138M, Standard Test Method for Density (Unit Weight), Yield, and Air Content of Concrete. https://www.astm.org/c0138_c0138m-17a.html
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Special Publication 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI). https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811
Mahendra Thapaliya is a graduate student in Structural Engineering at the University of Bologna, with research interests in structural systems, FEM, earthquake engineering, and numerical modeling. At Eon Tools, he reviews construction tools.