How Much Does a Yard of Concrete Weigh?
Concrete Weight per Yard, at a Glance
| Amount | Imperial | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Per cubic foot | ≈ 133 lb | ≈ 60 kg |
| Per cubic yard (27 ft³) | ≈ 3,591 lb | ≈ 1,629 kg |
| In US tons | ≈ 1.80 tons | — |
| In metric tonnes | ≈ 1.63 t | — |
| Half-yard trailer load | ≈ 1,795 lb | Over most half-ton pickups' payload |
The math is one line: 27 ft³ per yard × 133 lb per ft³ = 3,591 lb. Metric: 0.765 m³ × 2,130 kg/m³ ≈ 1,629 kg.
What Changes the Weight
- Aggregate. Standard gravel mixes run 130–140 lb/ft³. Lightweight (expanded shale) mixes drop to 90–115; heavy mixes with iron aggregate exceed 150.
- Air entrainment. Frothy exterior mixes carry a few percent air and lose a few pounds per foot.
- Curing. Hardened concrete keeps nearly all its weight — only mix water not consumed by hydration eventually leaves.
- Demolition. Broken slab chunks carry air voids: expect roughly 1.2–1.5 yards of dumpster space per yard of original slab when hauling off.
Why the Number Matters
Hauling: a half-ton pickup's payload is 1,600–2,000 lb — legally about a third of a yard of wet concrete, which is why trucks deliver 10 yards at a time and bagged mix exists. Structure: decks, balconies and sheds on slabs carry this dead load into their footings. Demolition: dump tickets charge by weight, so a 4-yard driveway is ~7 tons before the dumpster finishes the story.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a cubic yard of concrete weigh?
About 3,591 lb, or 1.8 US tons, using the standard wet density of 133 lb/ft³. In metric it's roughly 1,629 kg per cubic yard (2,130 kg per cubic meter).
How much does an 80-lb bag of concrete weigh mixed?
Very close to 80 lb — the mix water largely stays bound in the cured concrete. Each 80-lb bag makes about 0.60 ft³ weighing roughly 80 lb at 133 lb/ft³.
How much does a 10×10 concrete slab weigh?
At 4 inches thick, a 10 × 10 ft slab is 33.3 ft³ — about 4,430 lb, or 2.2 tons. Thickness drives it: the same footprint at 6 inches weighs about 6,650 lb.
How much concrete can a pickup truck carry?
Legally, far less than people assume: a half-ton payload of ~1,700 lb covers about a third of a cubic yard (15 × 80-lb bags is already 1,200 lb). Full yards travel by ready-mix truck; trailers overload fast.