This page has many formulas and short cuts to help you plan a concrete project, large or small.  Plus some wisdom from old-timers, and some things that could make you look really smart if you know them.  They are "fun facts" - fun things to know how to do - kind of a mini-reference page.  But - hang on - we have some work to do to get this page up to speed - still under construction - if you need a conversion or a little fact that would be handy to have in here, contact Fish at Marshall and I'll add it. 


1 Ton = 2000 lbs.
1 Cubic Yard of sand weighs 2800 lbs.
1 Cubic Yard of rock weighs 3000 lbs.
1 Yard of concrete weighs about 4000 lbs.

To calculate Cubic Yards Needed, multiply length x width x depth and the divide by 27. All dimensions must be in feet.
Or, for slabs the thickness of a 2x4 form, multiply length by width in feet and divide by 80.

Coverages – One Cubic Yard Will Cover:
Depth	Sq. Foot Coverage
2"	160
3"	108
4"	80
5"	65
6"	54
8"	40
12"	27

Concrete Calculator  - This may be a project for winter 2011 !  - If you need help, call us.

Mixing Concrete by Hand:

(3-2-1) 3 Shovels of rock, 2 sand, 1 cement

To make one yard of concrete you need approximately:
Sidewalk mix	1800 lbs. of rock	1200 lbs. coarse sand	6 bags Type 1A cement
Footing Mix	1900 lbs. of rock	1400 lbs. coarse sand	5 bags of Type I cement
Exposed Aggregate Patio Mix	2200 lbs. of rock	800 lbs. coarse sand	6 bags of Type 1A cement
Grout Mix		2800 # coarse sand	8 Bags of Type 1A cement

Stucco – typically 3 coats
1st Coat	Scratch coat	Use Type M or S mortar with sand
2nd Coat	Brown coat	Use Type M or S mortar with sand
3rd Coat	Finish coat	White Portland – see formula below

Stucco Finishing Formula

1 Bag White Cement
2 Bags Silica Sand
1/3 Bag of Lime

Formulas for making various mortar strengths using a variety of products.
Mortar Type	Cementitious (BAGS)	Cementitious (BAGS)	Sand (5 GALLON BUCKETS)
TYPE "M"	1 PORTLAND	1 TYPE "N" MASONRY CEMENT	9
TYPE "M"	1 PORTLAND	1/4 LIME	5.5
TYPE "M"	1 TYPE "M" MASONRY CEMENT		4.5
TYPE "S"	1/2 BAG PORTLAND	1 BAG TYPE "N" MASONRY CEMENT	6.75
TYPE "S"	1 TYPE "S" MASONRY CEMENT		4.5
TYPE "S"	1 PORTLAND	1/2 BAG LIME	6.75
TYPE "N"	TYPE "N" MASONRY CEMENT		4.5
TYPE "N"	1 PORTLAND	1 LIME	9

• All mixes above are 3 parts sand to one part cementitious.
• Portland cement has one cubic foot per bag.
• There are about 7.5 gallons in a cubic foot.

Cold Weather Guidelines

• 32° to 40° F Heat water to produce mortar at or above 40° F.
• 0° to 32° F Heat water and sand to produce mortar at 40° to 120° F and keep above freezing until used.
• Below 0° F Masonry work generally should not be attempted

Premix Products

Each 80-lb. bag of concrete or sand mix covers .667 cubic foot
40 bags are need for one cubic yard
1 bag of mortar will lay about 12-15 blocks


Core Fills

1 yard of grout will fill:
100 8x8x16 common block
60 12x8x16 common block

1 core, 12 courses high requires 2.5 cubic feet – so 1 yard of grout will fill 10 cores on a 12 course basement wall.

Footings
Footings must be at least 42" below grade in Metro area.
12" block require a minimum of 8" x 20" footings – 24 feet of footing per yard.
8" block require a minimum of 8" x 16" footings – 30 feet of footing per yard of concrete.


Slabs
Square feet divided by 80 gives yardage required for 4" thick slabs. Add at least 10% for orders less than five yards.

Return to Contact Us

Return to Home