Multiply length × width × depth in feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards, then multiply by 1.35 for tons of crushed concrete. A 40 × 10 ft driveway at 4 inches deep needs about 4.9 cubic yards — roughly 6.7 tons — and each ton covers about 11% more area than virgin crushed stone.
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Crushed Concrete Calculator Guide
Every demolished driveway, sidewalk, and building slab in the country is a future aggregate stockpile. Crushed and screened, that material re-enters the market as recycled concrete aggregate — the cheapest structural base product most suppliers carry, and one of the few purchases in construction where the green choice is also the budget choice. This calculator converts your dimensions to tons at recycled concrete density, 1.35 tons per cubic yard.
That lower density is a quiet second discount. Stone sells by weight but does its job by volume, so a lighter material means every ton you pay for fills more space and covers more ground.
How Does Crushed Concrete Compare to Virgin Stone?
| Crushed concrete | Virgin crushed stone | |
|---|---|---|
| Tons per yd³ | 1.35 | 1.50 |
| 1 ton covers at 4 in | 60 sq ft | 54 sq ft |
| Typical price | 20–40% less per ton | Baseline |
| Compaction behavior | Excellent; residual cement re-binds | Excellent |
| Source | Recycled demolition concrete | Quarried rock |
| Best fit | Bases, sub-bases, farm lanes | Exposed surfaces, drainage, concrete mixes |
Combine the price gap and the coverage gap and the effective savings per square foot of finished base often reaches 30–45% — real money at driveway scale, where a 6.7-ton order in recycled material can replace 7.4 tons of virgin stone.
Where Recycled Concrete Belongs — and Where It Does Not
Use it anywhere the material gets buried and compacted: driveway and parking bases, sub-base under slabs and sheds, farm and logging lanes, French-drain-free trench backfill, and construction entrances. It compacts as well as dense-graded stone, and states have run millions of tons of it under public roads — this is proven material, not a compromise.
Skip it in three places. As an exposed decorative surface it can shed a whitish dust and occasional mortar crumbs in the first seasons. In drainage structures, its alkaline fines can wash into pipes as a paste before the material settles in. And near sensitive plantings, treat it like limestone — the cement content nudges soil pH upward at the margins.
Price it against the virgin equivalent before every order: the crushed stone calculator gives the matching tonnage at quarry-rock density, and for a dense-graded new-stone base the crusher run calculator is the direct comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is crushed concrete as good as crushed stone?
For base work, very nearly. Recycled concrete aggregate compacts into a firm layer — residual cement fines even re-bind slightly with moisture — and most state DOTs approve it for road base. Reserve virgin stone for exposed decorative surfaces and drainage layers.
How much cheaper is crushed concrete?
Typically 20–40% less per ton than comparable virgin crushed stone, since the feedstock is demolition material rather than quarried rock. On a multi-ton driveway base the savings routinely cover the delivery fee.
Why is crushed concrete lighter than stone?
It runs about 1.35 tons per cubic yard versus 1.5 for crushed stone, because the old mortar clinging to each particle is porous. Lighter per yard means each ton covers more area — about 60 square feet at 4 inches deep.
What should I check before ordering crushed concrete?
Ask for clean, screened material — ideally a graded product like 21A or DOT-spec RCA — and confirm rebar and wire have been magnetically removed. Unscreened crusher-yard output can carry brick, asphalt chunks, and metal you do not want under a driveway.